Weather fails to dampen spirit of T20s
By Nigel Reed, CBCSports.ca
Last Updated: Tuesday, May 20, 2008
It rained and rained — then it rained some more. Then it stopped raining, but by then it was dark. We all went home.
We all came back the next morning when it wasn't raining. It started raining again, but not for long. The rain was replaced — by hailstones — but not for long. Suddenly, it started stopping — we all held our breath... the heavens opened above King City... and a small patch of blue sky appeared over a distant field.
The patch grew larger — the dark rain-filled clouds began to blow away and, after a day and a half of frustration, the Canadian National T20 Championship could resume. Not immediately you understand; no matter how enthusiastic you may be, no groundsman worth his salt is going to allow you to play on a damp, soggy pitch until it dries up. This, like so many facets of cricket, can take a while.
Twenty20 cricket in Canada is no different to T20 cricket anywhere else — you’re at the mercy of Mother Nature, so it was somewhat appropriate that the inclement weather had players and officials scratching their heads for an acceptable solution.
T20 Cricket is designed to be short and stimulating — a full game should be done in less than three hours — but perhaps not this short. In the event, the four semifinalists resolved to play two 10-over games (five overs, or 30 balls, per team) followed by a 15-overs a side final lasting around two hours.
Genuine talent
The action, when play was finally possible just after lunch on Victoria Day, was fast and furious — just the way the organizers and sponsors had hoped. The semifinals even produced two upsets, which meant Ontario's second team beat its senior counterparts while Quebec celebrated a famous victory over pre-tournament favourites, British Columbia.
Genuine inter-provincial rivalry followed in the championship game as Ontario 'B' eased to a comfortable win over Quebec despite some lusty, late-order hitting from the eventual runners-up.
On another weekend, had the weather co-operated, a fraction of the thousands of motorists thundering up and down nearby Highway 400 to and from Cottage Country might have taken the short detour via King City to witness the birth of a new, fan-friendly form of cricket in Canada. There is genuine talent on these shores and rich entertainment on offer for those prepared to give it a go.
There is talk of international T20 Cricket coming here in the summer and it needs public support to help grow the game. It also needs promoting in our schools and workplaces. Media attention is vital, not only to raise awareness, but also to radically alter the perception of a sport hitherto seen as over-long, incomprehensible, and irrelevant.
All these things take time, but at least Cricket Canada is ready to leap out of the Dark Ages, move with the times and experiment with a fresh approach.
Cricket will never be everyone's cup of tea, however good the tea may be. But this new slant on an ancient and noble art may just persuade some to pack up the picnic and head out to a whole different ball game.
