Global Cricket Series - Day 5 Tobago 2026
Caribbean Tour Diary – Day 5… cricket, chaos and an unforgettable trip to A&E! 
Well… today definitely wasn’t on the itinerary!
The morning began as most Caribbean mornings should… with another plate piled high with fresh fruit. Watermelon was the star of the show today, closely followed by an omelette cooked fresh in front of me while I waited. If I could bring one thing home from Tobago (other than the weather), it might just be the breakfasts!
With breakfast demolished, we headed off to Plymouth where the boys were already hard at work warming up for another 50-over match.
The Trailblazers batting first, with hopes high and another full day’s cricket to enjoy.
An early run out wasn’t the best way to start but the Indra & Ben put on a brilliant 2nd wicket stand of 86 bit when Ben was dismissed for a well made 51 and the introduction of Luke Ramlal (went on to take a 5fer) into their attack turned the innings in their favour with a procession of wickets restricting us 174. Although the highest 1st innings score across all the games it still felt a bit short.
As always, lunchtime rolled around with the now familiar chicken and rice… although for some reason today it tasted even better than usual. Maybe Caribbean air really is the best seasoning!
There was also a welcome visit from the snow cone seller. If you’ve never had one, imagine finely shaved ice absolutely drowned in brightly coloured syrup. Probably not recommended by dentists… but definitely recommended by everyone else! 
The second innings had barely settled into a rhythm when everything changed in a split second.
A powerful shot flew towards the boundary.
Six runs written all over it…
Until Fin decided he had other ideas.
He launched himself across the turf, hands outstrectched to grab the ball in what would have been a spectacular diving effort but he could only get fingertips to it…and unfortunately paid the price.
One incredible catch attempt.
One very sore hand.
Within minutes we were heading off to hospital in an ambulance.
Now, even the ambulance journey deserves its own story.
Halfway there, one of the storage cupboards flew open as we went round a corner, scattering bits of equipment across the back. Then, while turning around in the road, the driver came alarmingly close to introducing us to a rather solid-looking wall!
Thankfully, both we and the wall escaped unharmed, and we eventually arrived at hospital.
The waiting began.
And continued…
The triage process was fascinating. A board listed the different emergency categories, and after reading it we discovered something surprising…
Apparently a gunshot wound wasn’t automatically the highest priority!
Only in A&E could you find yourself reading that while waiting for an X-ray.
Thankfully the waiting room itself provided plenty of entertainment.
An elderly gentleman in a wheelchair was fascinated by our accents and wanted to know all about cricket, where we’d travelled from and why we were in Tobago. Every conversation was followed by another one… mostly with himself!
Then an elderly lady came over and promptly began giving Fin advice on how he should be looking after his wife. We couldn’t help but smile.
Even Fin managed to exchange a few amused glances with another young lad waiting nearby. Sometimes you don’t even need words to appreciate the situation you’re in.
Time passed.
Food became a distant memory but eventually I tracked down what the hospital proudly referred to as the canteen.
Calling it a canteen was… optimistic.
The windows were shut so you couldn’t actually see anyone serving, and you had to tell a mysterious unseen voice what snack you wanted through the opening….A&Es version of Looking through the keyhole, and who is serving behind hatch number 3 
It felt less like buying food and more like ordering from a secret hatch!
Finally…
X-ray time
Then another waiting room.
Then back to the first waiting room.
More waiting.
By now the department had become noticeably busier and much louder. Eventually all relatives were asked to leave… except me, as Fin is still a minor.
The x-ray results arrived.
Fracture and cheering from the sidelines only for Fin for the remainder of the tour 
The good news is it doesn’t appear to need emergency treatment, but he’ll need to be reviewed by an orthopaedic specialist once we’re safely back home.
Then came the plaster…
Or perhaps I should say… the practice plaster!
I’m fairly sure one member of staff was getting some valuable training because it took a few attempts! At one point I found myself holding Fin’s arm up to help, then someone noticed the thumb was sticking out too much, then another realised the fingers weren’t quite straight…
Eventually everyone agreed…
“That’ll do!”
Surely we were finished?
Not quite.
“We’ll just get your paperwork…”
Thirty minutes later…
…the paperwork finally arrived!
A taxi was organised, and we eventually made it back to the hotel, both slightly exhausted but relieved that it wasn’t any worse.
Cricket tours are funny things.
You sign up expecting boundaries, wickets and sunshine…
You don’t expect ambulance rides, hospital adventures, mystery snack hatches and becoming part of what felt suspiciously like a plastering masterclass!
Thankfully, Fin was in good spirits throughout, and if there’s one thing this tour keeps proving, it’s that even the unexpected moments become stories we’ll all be laughing about for years to come.
While all that was happening his team mates put on a valiant defence of their total but ultimately came up just short, Congrats to Indra & Ben on their half centuries and to Miles with a third 3fer in as many games.
Here’s hoping tomorrow’s excitement stays firmly on the cricket field! 
