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Season curtain raiser
TJF
CRICKET.
SEASON CURTAIN RAISER.
The new cricket season opens over the Easter week-end with the visit of a team called the London Wombats, who will be playing two matches against local GCA elevens. Most of the team are Australians living in London and some play a very high standard of cricket in the Surrey Championship so should provide a good test for the local cricketers.
Not all has been quiet during the off season. In late February new indoor nets went up at the old Sports Hall at the Victoria Stadium, put up by a team from Huck Nets (UK) Ltd and funded partly by the Government of Gibraltar and partly by the European Cricket Council, and these have seen good usage since.
In mid-March, GCA Vice Chairman, Adrian Hewitt, attended the ECC Governance, Administration and Management Forum at Lords, where important issues concerning the future of European cricket were discussed. The first such event was held in Helsinki in 2004 when it was agreed to make it a biennial event. The forum provides an invaluable opportunity to enhance communication and understanding between the Europe Office and ECC member countries.
Just back from Antwerp is GCA committee member and local umpire co-ordinator, Bob Lomax, where he attended an ECC Championship Umpires’ Seminar, whilst Mark Bacarese had been selected to take part in the European Cricket Academy at La Manga Sports Club from the 17th. to the 24th. April. Sixteen players were selected from a large number of nominations, and the squad will be subsequently trimmed to thirteen who will represent the European Cricket Council in fixtures against the England U17’s and Warwickshire’s U19’s at the end of June.
Four other clubs visiting the Rock this summer will be Holmesfield CC, for whom local lad Iain Latin has been turning out since last season whilst on his university studies; they are scheduled to play two matches on the 20th. And 22nd. June. In July, it will be the turn of Glostrup CC, a club from Denmark, to face local opposition, and September sees visits by Leatherhead and Cobham CC and West End Esher CC. Arden Taverners CC, previous visitors to the Rock on more than one occasion will round off the season with a match in October.
Before that, however, Gibraltar’s Senior squad face a visit to Glasgow for the European Championships 2nd. Division, a competition which they won in 2000 and 2004. Other participants are France, Germany, Guernsey, Hellas (Greece), Israel, Jersey and Norway. The party will be leaving Gibraltar on the 31st. July and returning on the 10th. August. All in all, then, another full and interesting season lies ahead.
-TJF
© Gibraltar Cricket Association
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