Returning from a holiday in Portugal’s Algarve with his wife this month, Ross Reyburn spent some 30 minutes being quizzed by customs officials at Birmingham Airport, unhappy as his Canadian passport offered no evidence he was entitled to live in Britain. Born in Toronto, he was ‘smuggled’ into the country in 1950 aged four when his late father, writer Wallace Reyburn, author of Flushed with Pride – The Story of Thomas Crapper, became London columnist for the Toronto Telegram newspaper.
Advised by his parents to retain a Canadian passport as it meant he could enter the US without a visa, Reyburn has spent his life re-entering England through the aliens customs section with few problems aside from one two-hour Manchester Airport marathon after he had to queue behind 300 passengers just off a Karachi flight.
Unimpressed by his claim to be an ex-Birmingham Post hack, customs officials quite correctly pointed out that his current and previous passport provided no evidence he had a legal right to reside in Britain. Allowed through after giving contact details, Reyburn awaits the results of further inquiries by the airport’s chief customs officer to establish his residential status.
Should he be thrown out? Oh yes, he should. Oh no, he shouldn’t.
In the Williams de Broe-sponsored tournament, KMPG last Wednesday kept their title-retaining hopes alive with a 19-run win versus PricewaterhouseCoopers. Credit to PwC, whose skipper Ali Abbas hit three huge sixes in his 35 retired, for a brave effort to overhaul a formidable 192/3 total.
In the trophy’s social group, Martineau won a good-natured encounter with fellow solicitors Cobbetts by 86 runs on Monday. Full marks go to Cobbetts’ director Terry Cooper for providing the week’s most bizarre trophy moment.
Coming on to bowl, he asked the umpire if he could take care of his spectacles case, his wallet and his Blackberry. How these possessions aided his fielding efforts is anybody’s guess but anyway well done Terry.
John Bright Trophy results – week 10
Monday, June 22 – Martineau 189-6 in 16 overs (M Fallon 38 rtd, T Long 35 rtd, M Ruscoe 35 rtd, P Hawkes 1-6) Cobbetts 103 in 11 overs (A Meiklejohn 35, M Fallon 2-9, B Snith 2-1) Martineau won by 86 runs.
Wednesday, June 24 – KPMG 193-3 in 16 overs (B Tarry 37 rtd, S Matharu 35 rtd, S Javed 27* N Hussain 1-7, A Abbas 1-9) PricewaterhouseCoopers 173-5 in 16 overs (A Abbas 35 rtd, S Iqbal 34, S Matharu 1-10) KPMG won by 19 runs.
Thursday, June 25 – Shakespeare Putsman v Grant Thornton. Forfeit win for Shakespeares.
