With the threat of thunder storms and rain it was always going to be important to get the tournament off to a punctual start. How naïve were the organisers – when has it ever started on time and with ten teams, two leagues and 16 matches to play before a final could be determined those same organisers were not to be disappointed.
Not one but two teams failed to appear and so the schedule was forgotten and we managed as best as we could, running about 40 minutes late throughout the day. That 16 league games and a final were eventually played was a remarkable effort from many people who had for days, weeks and months been planning this great day.
For that is what it is – a great day of sport with a collection of people from around the world. The omni present Sri Lankans with their wonderful sounding names that roll off the tongue as though they will never end, the Italians with their style and class and that attitude of ‘who gives a figue anyway, we dunna it all before’, the English with their stiff upper lip and jolly good show, the Dutch with their unquenchable thirst and mighty blows and the French with their superior looks in the knowledge that all these people were quite mad and should remove themselves to the local asylum.
But we didn’t, we played cricket and in some cases very good cricket, we had 1 batsman make 66 runs in 5 overs and another made 65; and in some cases some very bad cricket, there was one team who only troubled the scorer with one non scoring ball in their 5 overs; and it was played in a good spirit, competitive yes but never aggressive.
At the end we had two teams to play a final: Beausoleil from Beausoleil and Cadogan Tate from London. Beausoleil batted first and made 78 runs, of which Kalith Fernando, later awarded the MVP of the tournament, made 28, and in reply Cadogan Tate could manage only 58, of which Bywater, strong with the bat throughout, scored 28, and so they fell short by 10 runs and Beausoleil were the winners.
It had been a glorious feast of cricket, a mélange of culture and language, a coming together of old and young and all with the aim to win the title of 7 aside champions; so providing a wonderful day for the many faces who came to enjoy and to participate in this most civilized of games.
Very many thanks to SIDDALLS, the main event sponsor, to the team led by Yvonne Slack and Susy Perera who kept us sustained throughout the day and to the the village and mayor of Entrecasteaux who hosted the event.
Teams
Entrecasteaux CC 1 and 2
Beausoleil CC 1 and 2
Cadogan Tate CC 1 and 2 from London
Idle CC from Lodi, Italy
Stage CC from London
Marseille CC
VOC Rotterdam CC from Rotterdam, Holland
Umpires: M. Lomax, M. Mitchem, B. Ranger, R. Joyce, S.Waymouth.