The last day and the last game of the tour. Today we are playing in Delhi itself at the St Stephen's College playing fields at Mori Gate. St Stephen’s College is a part of Delhi University and the grounds are where the College used to be.

The Delhi Train station is nearby and a bus station (of sorts) is next door . The ground in walled in with a big iron gate. The groundsman lives in a hut on the ground and some Uni students/cricketers appear to live in one of the old change rooms.

As we arrive there are two dozen or more kites (birds of prey, not sticks and paper) soaring over the ground. They will stay there all day, when they swoop low we get to see how big these birds are. On the far side of the ground is an elevated railway line. Trains pass every three or so minutes. Below the train line is a major road. The noise is constant and does not stop all day. Car horns honk continually. It is impossible to hear any faint noises.

We lose the toss again and once again we bowl first. It appears we have double headed commemorative coins guaranteed to favour the home sides.

Finally we appear to have an opposition, South Delhi CC, who appear to be as old and infirm as we are. Sensing this, the opposition captain has recruited Gursharan Singh, a one test player for India (versus NZ, score 18) .

Gursharan appears to want to score a 100 against Australia and Steensie is chosen as the bowler to help him achieve his goal. Seven fours in two overs and he was away. Wayne was glad GS took the early single in the first over. Wayne bowls well as usual bowling the other opener and as usual drops two absolute dollies. Wayne should see a therapist about his behaviour of dropping easy catches and then catching the nearly impossible ones. I am sure there is a deeper meaning to it all.

Both the Birthday Boy and Cranky bowl well taking a wicket each and keeping the scoring rate down, but GS just keeps accumulating the runs. The slowies are not hit for too much more and soon GS retires with 109 on the board and in a very Indian fashion disappears never to set foot on the field again. I get a bowl and by now the Birthday Boy is keeping. I bowl a vicious drifting, dipping non spinner that entices the batsman forward only to see the ball dart past his bat and into the gloves of Chopper who whips the bails off. Some late hitting by the tailenders see South Delhi reach 7/257.

Lunch is a surprise, this time we get chocolate cake in the lunch box along with the crisps, chicken burger and coleslaw sandwich.

Forbsey and I open and I take out my new bat. It works very well; two balls fly for four through the covers with minimal effort . I love the quick the Indian outfields. I also hate the variable pitches when a few balls later I get bowled off my pads by a low gozunder .

The Duke and the Major score good twenties. Birthday Boy’s day out continues as hits out quickly and retires. Simon accumulates runs steadily and also retires. Morrie quacks and joins the duck club.

Sherro and Steensie show Morrie how to recover after quacking at Flora Farms. Scoring at close to a run a ball they keep us in the hunt scoring 23 and 22 in their best innings’ ever. We need 36 off the last 30 balls.

The lower order hit out scoring at over a run a ball but we keep losing wickets. The Cougar is drinking a beer and is not ready to bat. But in he goes. By the last over we need seven to win with two wickets in hand. The Cougar is on strike, he blocks the first one, no runs. Oh Cougar! Then he hits a four. A wide follows and a quickish (well a slow one really) single is taken . Frank is on strike three balls to go one to win. Frank swings and is bowled. We all sigh, a sigh of relief. Well Done Cranky! The Birthday Boy is going back to bat. We can’t lose. We don’t; first ball Chopper smites the ball down the ground for four and we win.

We make our final presentations to the opposition, take lots of photos and give a nice tip to our Driver Chhote and Conductor Kashi for getting us everywhere safely. Being a University ground we can’t drink at the ground, which is the complete opposite to a University ground in Australia, where it is compulsory.

Back at the hotel we gather to say farewell to the Birthday Boy one last time. By now Morrie has worked out that a Heineken costs approximately $14 at the bar at the Royal Plaza while a Kingfisher is only $10. Yes it is never too late learn.

Our friends from Perfect Travels and Tours, Tejinder and Gaigan, host us for dinner at the Royal Plaza and the tour treasurer Forbsey allocates each member of the party 1,300 rupees from the kitty to spend on drinks. Morrie promptly orders a very nice Argentinian Chardonnay for 3,000 rupees. Ahh Morrie. Luckily Tina offers to share the bottle so I get to drink coke instead.

The buffet is good but is not rated by the players as good as the buffet at the Doubletree, but the Doubletree is beside a sewer. The reliability of Major Robin continued to the end and he briefly nodded off at the table one last time.

Afterwards we adjourned to the bar for the final farewells and for the first time not a single WAN ordered a drink. The staff were confused. But $10 for a coolish Kingfisher. No longer. The tour was over we were leaving at 4.30 am.