BBC SPORT | Cricket | England | England in NZ 2002

BBC Sport Online's Phil Long reminisces about a winter tour with England's Barmy Army

After playing so well for most of this winter, there was a terrific sense of disappointment for England supporters around the bars of Auckland as they came to terms with the 78 run defeat to New Zealand.

But England's reckless approach and subsequent defeat on the final day shouldn't be allowed to take the shine off a memorable winter both on and off the field in India and out here in New Zealand.

It all started for me back on the 18 November with England's first warm-up game of their Indian tour in Bombay's Wankhede Stadium.

This was the first of five first-class matches, six Tests, a one-day international in Dunedin, a women's Test and five limited-overs internationals that I've squeezed in this winter.

Mike Denness - remember him?
It's easy to forget that the whole Indian series was in doubt after 11 September and then Mike Denness demonising himself in Indian eyes by daring to accuse Sachin Tendulkar of tampering with the match-ball.

Looking back now, the greatest sense of disappointment came when the 3rd and final Test in Bangalore was washed out with England in with a genuine chance of squaring the series.

The final-day wash-out did mean, however, that I was able to grab my first of many free lunches in the members suite that day!

My most memorable part of the winter was when I became part of a one-man Barmy Army following the England women's cricket team during their whirlwind tour of India.

It was fascinating to see how 'the other half lives' by attending various functions, team dinners and joining the girls on the player's balcony.

If you've read my other pieces you'll remember that the Indians were so bemused that someone would follow the tour around the sub-continent that I was mistaken for the England press officer and treated like a lord for the Lucknow Test match!

The NZ leg of the winter has just flown by with many of those in India (including the players) making up for the quiet nights in we often had during our stay there.

On more than one occasion various members of the Barmy Army have been seen slipping into the ground way after the start of play claiming that their 17th beer of the night must have been 'dodgy'!

Whilst India, by its very nature, was probably a tour that will spring more readily to mind in the future, New Zealand has had its fair share of cricketing memories too.

Watching cricket with the incredible snow-capped peaks of the Remarkables in Queenstown was simply unforgettable.

So was the bizarre spectacle just a few nights ago of watching Test cricket with floodlights illuminating a completely darkened sky as play went on half-an-hour AFTER sunset!

Much of the conversation between the more 'hard-core' members of England's Barmy Army now centres on next winter's schedule.

England players
England's players were left in the dark
Obviously, at least one Ashes Test match is a 'must-do' for the majority of fans out here, and some are likely to be spotted at all five Test matches in Australia.

And then there's the World Cup in South Africa to look forward to directly after the Australian leg of the winter.

A large number of England fans are looking certain to take advantage of the favourable exchange rate between the pound and the rand.

At the current exchange rate tickets for all six of England's group games come to around �40 in total!

Just to add a further twist to next winter for the travelling fan - and not to mention a further dent in the old credit card - the ICC KnockOut is scheduled for Sri Lanka in September.

The chance to see every game of the tournament has caught the imagination of one or two of the train-spotting fraternity of the Barmy Army!

I must start a concerted savings plan to ensure my presence with England's Barmy Army next winter and hopefully see us venture home with the ICC Trophy, the Ashes and the World Cup.

Come on, a man can dream can't he?