The Authors XI, a group of British authors of the likes of Sebastian Faulks, Tom Holland, Richard Beach, Charlie Campbell, Peter Frankopan, Alex Preston, Sam Carter, Joe Craig, William Fiennes, Nicholoas Hogg, Jonathan Wilson, and Anthony McGowan, who travel around the world playing leather ball cricket with local teams on mostly international grounds have chosen Sri Lanka this year as their latest match destination.
A down to earth and simple bunch, the Authors XI will spend most of their time in Sri Lanka playing club level cricket in various locations including Colombo, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Galle and on some former International Test/One Day Grounds. P. Sara Oval Grounds in Colombo and Asgiriya in Kandy.
The tour is organized by Laura Jeffery from Passepartout Travel – the only lady on the Authors XI cricket team and local experiential tour operator SriLankaInStyle.
The author’s main purpose is to play hard ball cricket with locals across the country and get a real feel of the country, its people and the cricket played in Sri Lanka. They will also be playing some schools including Sri Sumangala Maha Vidyala and Amarasooriya Maya Vidyalaya in Galle,
Radella Upper Tamil Maha Vidyala in Nuwara Eliya and Thalathuoya Central in Kandy.
They will also be playing with the Foundations XI team in Galle and planters in Nuwara Eliya and the prison guards in Kandy, after which they will play a game of volleyball with the prisoners and have tea with them in the Prison compound in Kandy.
The team have also deiced to sponsor Pathum Nissanka, a 16 year old student from the Kalutara Maha Vidyala who is currently being trained to become an international Sri Lankan player. He has represented Sri Lanka twice already and is a top player. A special dinner with the authors will be organized in Galle on the 24th evening from 7.30pm onwards and is open to the public. For reservations for the dinner, please contact The Sun House. Catch them in Kandy on the 28th of January from 1pm or in Colombo on 1st February at P. Sara Oval from 9.30am.
