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Cricket Belgium took full advantage of October’s unseasonally summer weather to organize a fund-raising Sixes competition last Sunday. Eighteen teams took to the field on a bright and warm day to help the relief effort following the devastating earthquake in South Asia just over a week ago.

His Excellency Saeed Khalid, Pakistan Ambassador to Belgium, joined the players for more than an hour and spoke about the earthquake, its devastation and the tragic impact it is having on families and livelihoods. A number of players in Belgium have family in the affected area.

The events began on Saturday with youth cricket for Under-11s, Under-15s and Under-17s at the Antwerp Indians ground. On Sunday, the seniors arrived from all parts of the country to take part in an event that was organized in just a few days. Players paid 20 euro to take part and teams were divided into four groups, each playing a morning or afternoon session at the Antwerp CC ground in Rumst or the Antwerp Indians CC ground in Wilrijk.

At Antwerp CC, despite a heavy dew on the freshly cut grass, the morning session brought more runs than the afternoon session, when players benefited from a drier outfield. A bowling competition between sessions brought 32 hopefuls onto the field and an astonishing result of 11 hit wickets in the first round. The second round whittled the field down to five and the final round brought success to three.

It was a successful day, and although the format of the five-over competition meant there were no overall winners the competition was intense. Cricket Belgium would like to thank umpires Bill Monkau and Andrew Scott as well as both clubs and all the players for their generous support and assistance. The total raised will be available in about a week when all payments into the BCF accounts have been credited and is being directed through the Belgian Red Cross.