An Arabian odyssey in Oman

It might be a traditional scene from the English village green, with the sound of leather on willow and all the players dressed in cricket whites. Except the wicket is concrete, the outfield is undulating sand, and when the ball crosses the boundary it is retrieved by a fielder circumnavigating a rather grumpy camel. For this game is being played in Oman and the unique surroundings of craggy grey mountains and softly peaked dunes more than compensate.

We were here to road-test the growing enthusiasm for cricket which has led to a boom in UK clubs booking tours to play matches against local teams. The weather is perfect and hosts delightful, whether they win or lose. We played three fixtures and encountered teams from Essex, Kent and London.

And the cricket just opens the door to a fascinating country. Highlights include the bustling Muttrah Souk in Muscat with its myriad colours, smells and bargains and the trek up to stunning Wadi Bani Khalid. Here the cool, clear mountain water cuts through the rocky gorge all year round, and as it was the Festival of Eid when we visited, families had travelled far and wide to hold impromptu barbecues on the rocks and swim in the beautiful pools.

The fact that people from all over the country can get to such wadis at all is due to the efforts of Oman's ruler, Sultan Qaboos of the Al Said family — who have presided over the changing face of Oman since 1744.

The present Sultan came to power in 1970 when, determined to modernise the country, he overthrew his own father in a bloodless coup. Since then he has pursued his goal in a way so beneficial to Oman that it has earned him the affection of his people. In 1970, the country had just one 10km tarmac road, no secondary schools, just two primary ones and only two hospitals. Today it is a modern state with new roads opening up previously isolated areas and of course facilitating the growth of tourism.

There is a tolerant attitude towards foreigners and although it is a Muslim country all the international hotels serve alcohol, something which was much appreciated by the cricketers who enjoyed being able to celebrate the end of a match in the traditional way — with a pint of beer and superb curries.

Omani women enjoy equal rights and many choose not to wear the burqa, or even cover their heads. However, they are likely to "tut" at western women who wear shorts while in the more traditional areas such as the fabulous souk at Nizwa, known as the Silver City and the ancient capital of Oman.

During our foray into the Al Sharqiya desert, for a night at the cinematic Desert Nights Camp, we discovered for some Omanis there is a commodity far more precious than silver or gold.

After a wonderful buffet of both traditional and western food served at low tables with cushions and carpets, we retired to our rooms after being told it was fine to drink alcohol we had brought with us as long as we remained within the confines of our chalets, or on the small patio attached to the front of each one. Naturally an impromptu party was arranged, the details of which I cannot share — as we all know what happens on tour, stays on tour!

After a couple of hours' sleep many of us were showered and ready for camel rides, or dune bashing in 4x4s, which we had rashly booked the night before. However, a significant number of our party arrived unwashed, informing us there was no water to their rooms; the staff told us with a smile and a resigned attitude that passing Bedouins had "probably stolen the water".