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Premier BCC event ready to bowl off

By Tym Glaser (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-07-01 08:11

BEIJING - The highlight of the Beijiing Cricket Club's (BCC) calendar gets under way today when the three-day Beijing International Cricket Sixes swings away at Dulwich College, Shunyi.

More than 500 spectators turned up for last year's event, which saw local club Phoenix walk away with the Sixes Cup, and organizers expect similar numbers - if not better - for this year's fifth instalment of the event.

"Things started off slowly on the Friday last year, picked up on the Saturday and then we had a great crowd on the Sunday," said Ian Syer, secretary of the BCC and one of the tournament's primary organizers.

Sixes is the most abbreviated form of the game in which teams with only six players on the field, bowl five overs to their opponents - and vice versa. That can lead to frenetic on-field action which does, at times, make the popular 20/20 version of the game pale in comparison.

This weekend's event will include three international teams (Misfits Singapore, Manila Exiles of the Philippines and Melbourne club side Mordialloc), plus Hong Kong's DB Silverbackz.

Each will be keen to carry the prized Yamei Trimble Cup home but, if not, Plate, Bowl and Spoon trophies are also up for grabs.

While the competition is expected to be willing, Syer says the main reason for the annual cricket gala is to introduce more people to the game and provide them with entertainment.

"This year there will be Indian food and a barbecue, plus catering by Frank's Place and a fully-stocked bar," Syer said. "There will also be a castle bounce-about for the kids.

"We want this cricket festival to also be a fun family day," he said. "For the players, special signs will be erected around the ground and if they are hit - the batsmen will receive various prizes."

Organizing such an event doesn't come cheap, and BCC president Mark Norris estimates the cost at more than 250,000 rmb (about $40,000).

"I think we are the poor cousins in relation to other predominantly expat sports like rugby and Aussie Rules (who will both field sides at the Sixes)," Norris said.

"However, we feel the exercise is worth it to expose the game to more people - particularly the Chinese. You only had to walk past the (team) tents last year and hear so many Chinese voices to realize there is interest in the game here."

China Daily

(China Daily 07/01/2011 page23)