So, all 27 cats were aboard for yet another Spanish adventure on Day 0. New Villas with fresh ambience, some cosy for the smaller bunch and a few others with a large kitchen-diner with balcony to entertain the whole lot, impressive indeed. The arrival day was spent gregariously in the sea, beach and adjacent bar restaurant followed by an optional practice session that many opted for but for the kitchen corner team that religiously planned and prepared for the catering challenge ahead of them.

Come matchday 1, after a shock defeat against CSK, (most of you know I can’t not mention CSK given even the slightest of opportunities, although this is the only occasion I can fathom, not having them as my favourite team), Gully B bounced back with an emphatic win over Gully A, thanks to the belligerent batting of Bobby and Dan, supported by some strategic and tight bowling, strangling the opposition and warding off some late fightback from the bats of Sakthi and Nags.

Matchday 2 was a dour one akin to the weather which however was a welcome one following the sweltering heat the day before, with both the GC teams folding to the might of their guest opponents. There were a lot of positives however, from a cricketing perspective, Amol with his stoic batting, Tenny with his breezy half century, Sashi with his reinvented enthusiasm and delightful timing, Naren with his unbelievable catching and Dan, bagging 6 wickets which would eventually win him best bowler of the tournament. At a personal level, I was only extremely grateful to be able to roll my arm over and hold a bat in the middle, and was overwhelmed by the support from the whole squad. Trust me, would you ever hear shouts like rokho mat, dhodo mat, leave it na..its ok ! from all GCians around you ? (Including Naren bhai’s) Thank you guys and my skip Amol.

The evenings at Villa 469 however were a different kettle of fish..yes..you’re right! A fish counter, Curry night, Barbecue evening were significant elevations, not to forget the freshly made gulab jamuns with vanilla ice cream for dessert. Tenny’s meticulous planning and Sakthi’s maverick ideas and perfect execution resulting in a delightful surprise to the whole squad. The usual banter, chatter and passion, entertainment featuring Chevv Sharma show and heartfelt words of praise to Prof and the organising committee, were all aplenty, from every GCian that spoke, for the great job well done…thank you. The evening was capped off by the auctioneer surfacing again to barter his fried fish and Jamuns to good effect.

Matchday 3 featured a repeat clash between the GC teams and in a low key yet close affair, GC B had the wood over GC A yet again, to leave them with the wooden spoon! La Machaans duly beat CSK in the final to take the trophy and many an award on the night. Even as the sun was going down in La Manga, the focus on cricket, was palpable through the lamenting and reflecting GCians on their leisurely walk to and from the award ceremony. Sobering it might have been for both the teams returning home licking their wounds without a silverware yet again, this was short lived as the bus was livened up by discussions on the prospects of a new adventure and even success further ashore next year, only licking their lips this time. Another year, another adventure beckons…Bring it on Portugal!

Addendum…
We asked the debutants what their first La Manga experience was like, What they liked the best and what would they want to see different and this is what they said…

“Socials in the evenings were great Everyone had a chance to be themselves and mingle with each other and Villas were perfect for it. Not sure if it would have been possible if accommodation were arranged in hotels. Food and accommodation arrangements were great.
Cricketing schedule was intense though, and I wondered if we had time to go around and explore the island and doing other things as well.
Organisation by the committee for the whole programme was great!
On the whole the experience was great! “

“The trip was impeccably organized, without of any confusion, even with such a large group (except not informing Nags about his 20kg allowance, which I assume for kannthiristi???).
There were several aspects that I thoroughly enjoyed, including the delicious cuisine from the Kitchen Corner, the Chevvel show, and the equal opportunities to play cricket. However, what I cherished the most was how everyone instantly embraced me as part of The Family.
If there is one that can be done different would be, if feasible, inclusion of a rest day or other activities in between, reducing to one GC team rotating players. Nonetheless, I trust that the organizers had compelling reasons for choosing this format.
I am already looking forward for the next trip. Thanks a ton for organising this sir.”

“Very good experience, enjoyed the idea, company and food done by our wonderful chefs.
Didn’t know the teams that would participate, and that we could have won if we had a strong team, my suggestion is that we have one good team in future as we had a good chance of winning. My sincere thanks to all the organizers for their relentless hard work.”

“First time in Lamanga playing for GC. What a fantastic experience it was. Amazing atmosphere, fun, banter, and great homely food! alongside playing cricket for 3 days.
Relaxed fun filled boys only holiday!
The best part was playing GC A vs B matches (fun filled with passion) and night entertainment with food
Any different - Not really, but potentially 1 day of non-cricket activities (beach / water spirt or anything sightseeing of local area) by the entire group if possible.”

“In La Manga, four days, we came to play,
Cricket in the sun, no other way.
Fun, fitness, and friendship, we're here to stay,
With MasterChef’s spicing it up every day.
The pitch is our stage, under the Spanish rays,
We hustle and bustle, our cricket craze way higher than our skills
MasterChef’s in the kitchen, with an Indian blaze,
Cooking up delights, in so many ways.
Home-cooked flavors, that's our treat,
From curries to biryanis, can't be beat.
Evenings, we gather, friends to meet,
With laughter and stories, the memories repeat.
La Manga, you're our cricket haven,
Four days of joy, we're definitely raving.
For years to come Fun, fitness, friendship, food, we're craving.
Our cricket rap, it's truly amazing!”