SportGibraltar

Christmas Cricket Festivals & AGM

The last few weeks have seen four ‘houses’ from two Year Groups of St.Anne’s school take part in cricket festivals at Victoria Stadium. 12 teams of mixed boys and girls took part, playing games for the whole of their afternoon and putting into practice the skills that they have been learning this term. With the second astro given over to make three crick...

et pitches in the winter sunshine and Bayside playing on the main pitch you might have been forgiven for thinking that the season was still in mid-flow!
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Many of the pupils have been watching cricket on TV and to answer the question ‘how fast do they really bowl?’ the event started with a demonstration of the bowling machine before each ‘house’ was divided up into three teams. Europa took on Carmel in Year Six and Lourdes took on Fatima in Year Seven, all on a League basis and the games were very competitive indeed!

With 8-a-side ‘pairs’ cricket everyone bowls, keeps wicket and bats so the game is fun, fast and no-one sits around for very long waiting for something to do. The improvement in the skill levels on show has been very impressive. All 96 pupils who took part have been working hard and to see the enjoyment each player got from the event was very rewarding.

Aside from the basic skills of the game, it was particularly pleasing to see that so many pupils were able to apply their skills tactically, looking to ‘gap’ the ball and hit into spaces. One or two leading candidates for future captaincy have been identified by taking charge and setting fields, displaying sound game awareness. Throughout, the ‘team spirit’ so essential to the game of cricket was very much in evidence and it is a tribute to the school that ‘Spirit of Cricket’ was foremost throughout both events.

Several of the players who took part will be invited into the ‘district’ system after showing a real aptitude for the game. This system is set above junior club level and is intended to allow those who show talent to have access to a more advanced coaching programme and take part in indoor games next term as well as a full schedule of outdoor 20 over games in the summer.

Thanks go to Mr.Cortez for allowing us to have the extra time for the festival. Also to Mssrs.Perez, Martinez, Felice, Miss Rodriguez and Mrs.Montegriffo for acting as Umpires and Scorers. The fact that so many teachers were willing and able to man the event is very pleasing and we hope to continue this process with the festivals in the coming terms.

Carmel ‘B’ in Year Six won two of their games and were the most successful team on Day One. Lourdes ‘B’ in Year Seven won all three of their games on Day Two. However, I’m sure that the other teams will be looking forward to gaining their revenge when they take part in the next festival!

This type of event is something that the Gibraltar Cricket Association will be looking to extend to the other schools in the area. Once we have more participation it isn’t beyond the imagination to expect a Summer ‘inter school’ competition where Year Group cricketers come together to establish a sustainable and meaningful tournament that will see the very best crowned ‘Gibraltar Schools Champions!’

Gibraltar Cricket Association Extraordinary General Meeting.

The Gibraltar Cricket Association duly held its Extraordinary General Meeting on Wednesday following the annual presentation of trophies at the Senior Citizens Club in Naval Hospital Road.

Hon. Secretary, Bob Lomax, introduced the first Motion, asking the membership to approve a change in the Association’s financial year from April to March to January to December to bring it line with ICC and ECC practice. The Motion was passed unanimously. Chairman, Tom Finlayson, then explained the practicalities of such a move, saying that the Association would be calling an AGM in January, 2009, at which a Financial Report would be tabled for the period April to December, 2008. At that same Meeting the membership would be asked whether it wished to elect a new Committee or sanction the continuance of the current Committee until January 2010. The general feeling favoured the latter proposal.

The second motion before the floor asked for the Committee to be given powers to investigate the possibilities of altering the Association’s status to that of a corporate entity. In answer to questions from the floor it was made clear that no final decision would be taken in this respect without the approval of the membership at the January 2009 AGM. The Committee were then given the go-ahead to proceed along these lines. The meeting closed with a brief presentation by Cricket Development Manager, Richard Askew, who reviewed the work of the past twelve months and appraised the membership of what lay in store in 2009.

Prior to this Meeting, the annual presentation of prizes was held. Mediterranean CC took the Wiggins/Benrimoj Shield, Calpe CC the Senior League, and GCC the Murto Cup. Trafalgar Pirates should have picked up the twenty overs league shield and Stan James CC the twenty overs cup but unfortunately representatives of these clubs did not attend.

The individual prizes went as follows:
Top Senior batsman: Mark Bacarese.
Top Senior bowler: Chris Phillips.
Top Junior batsman: Scott Chipolina.
Top Junior bowler: Karan Sadhwani.
Most improved young player [the Eddie Ellul Memorial Trophy): Julian Freyone.