A record number of teams - twelve -
contested the Luxembourg Cricket Sixes tournament in Walferdange over
the weekend, including two visiting teams (Metz and Strasbourg
Strollers). Fuelled by copious portions of an exciting new "fusion" menu
- Letzeburger grillwurst and curries - and Luxembourg's famous ales,
the closely-contested matches offered plenty of entertainment for
spectators, including those who were learning for the first time that
cricket and croquet are in fact rather different sports.
The qualifying rounds were played on two
pitches, including a temporary pitch which tested all the players with
its near-lethal combination of highly variable bounce and bumpy
outfield, but this pitch also hosted several exciting matches which were
close to the very end.
The first qualifying group included the
Maidens - Luxembourg's ladies cricket team, the Southerners -
resplendent in their Hawaiian shirts, the Duck and Ferrets, and Metz -
who were debuting in the tournament. The Southerners' experience and the
quick accurate Metz bowlers saw them qualify first and second in the
group.
The second qualifying group went down to
the last games, with the All Rounders and Luxembourg Juniors eventually
heading the group. The Black Stuff suffered from the match scheduling,
having to play back-to-back matches in the Saturday afternoon heat. The
Juergens Squarepants were worthy winners of the best dressed team award
with their Spongebob shirts.
The third qualifying group proved to be
the tightest of all, with ArcelorMittal, the Strasbourg Strollers and
Communities CC finishing level on points, and the Gianchandanis proving
that cricket can also be a family affair. In the end the deciding factor
- a count of wickets taken - led to Strasbourg Strollers and
ArcelorMittal leading the group.
The first cup semi-final between the
Southerners and Strasbourg Strollers provided the opportunity for
Strasbourg to show their batting prowess, chasing down the Southerners'
total with time to spare. The second cup semi-final between the
Luxembourg Juniors and the All Rounders pitted youthful energy against
cricketing experience, with youth eventually triumphing through tight
fielding and rapid running between the wickets.
With unerring timing, the Luxembourg
weather intervened on the Sunday afternoon, and heavy rain led to the
unfortunate cancellation of the finals matches. The finals teams
therefore shared the trophies, with the Strasbourg Strollers and the
Luxembourg Juniors sharing the cup, and Metz and ArcelorMittal sharing
the plate. Optimists CC chairman, Robert Deed, thanked the organisers
and participants for making it a great weekend of cricket.
Steve Evans