AnySportAnyTime

  Dear Friends:  

It was with difficulty, and a sense of melancholy, that I have decided to break the news to you. I struggled with the pros and cons of whether or not I should. But each way I looked at it, it made no sense to keep it to myself. 

I figured everyone will find out one way or another and thought it might as well be through me while I still can. 

I have recently been diagnosed with advanced metastatic (spreading) prostate cancer. Unfortunately, my family physician, in 2009, when I had my previous general check-up (most recent was this August), did not specify that my PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigens) level be checked even though I indicated that it should. An elevated PSA level is the first indicator of prostatic abnormality. His response was simply: “You do not need to worry about the prostate at your age.” 

It means that my cancer was not detected in the early stages when it is highly treatable. I am now in a fight for my life and I will fight on till the end. My greatest fear is not so much about me but for those dependent on me (my kids 6 and 13).

As such, I will first try to win this fight before coming back to discuss the game I love and spent so much of my life involved in. It was my honor and privilege to have been able to contribute to the site over the past year plus; and to have known you all through your stellar literary work at ASAT.

With kind regards and best wishes,

 Ron Saywack.

 The organizers pulled off a successful weekend of national (Western Division) T/ 20 cricket at lovely, aesthetic Victoria Park, Edmonton (Aug. 27/28). Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and British Columbia were the participating provinces. The late-summer weather was ideal for the tournament with temperature hovering around 26 * throughout and clear, blue skies all around.

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Another memorable weekend of Masters Cricket was played at scenic Victoria Park on August 6/7 — Calgary v Edmonton. After heavy downpours overnight and sustained lightning and thunder activity, it did not appear as if the much-anticipated Alberta initiation of a brand new turf wicket at VP would be possible. But, happily, the skies cleared out and the temps warmed up considerably to make for a great day’s cricket. 

Chris James, immediate past president of Cricket Alberta, was honored for being the driving force behind the conversion to turf wicket at the venue. It is a significant accomplishment in that it will now make Alberta a choice venue when national and international events are scheduled in Toronto. Currently, all international matches are assigned to Toronto, which now holds a decidedly unfair advantage over the rest of the country. In his honor, Chris was given a brand new white cricket ball signed by the masters of both cities as well as the opportunity to captain Calgary on the field and he did not disappoint.  (more…)

Scorecard: United 221; St John’s 190. 

United Cricket Club emerged victorious on Sunday over St. John’s CC in the Calgary T20 playoffs at Inland Cricket Park in northwest Calgary. 

United won the toss and elected to bat first on a pleasant afternoon blessed with blue skies and blazing sunshine. The openers fell quickly and cheaply, but skipper Manzoor Chaudhary and Canadian national player Hamza Tariq began to set the tempo for the rest of the innings by methodically carving fours and sixes in each over all over the ground.  (more…)

The shortest and most exciting version of cricket, Twenty/Twenty, climaxes this weekend in Calgary with all three divisions in action. 

Schedule: 

Collicutt Centre - Red Deer, Alberta

 The great game of cricket has reached the aspen-parkland municipality of Red Deer, a 90-minute drive north of Calgary on the QE2 highway. A brand new cricket pitch was constructed there this spring at the Collicutt Centre, a ten-year-old multiple-purpose sports facility. 

For the first time in history, a team from Calgary played cricket in the central Alberta city. It was billed as a ‘friendly’ but played rather competitively. Kudos go to Glenmore Cricket Club’s (henceforth called Calgary) skipper Jonathan Bray, originally from the great land Down Under, who, almost single-handedly, organized the match and orchestrated a marvelously commendable job in so doing, culminating in a successful day of cricket.  (more…)

Kenya 198 all out; Canada 199-5 in 45.3 overs. 

Canada secured their second-ever WC victory by coolly and calculatedly reaching the modest target of 199 set them by Kenya in Group A action today at New Delhi. Captain Ashish Bagai (64 n.o.) and Jimmy Hansra (70) led the charge with a respectable 132-run fourth-wicket partnership. Canada’s first WC win was recorded at Durban, South Africa in 2003 against Bangladesh. 

Winning the toss, Kenya opted to bat first but an inspired spell of pace-bowling by Henry Osinde quickly had them reeling against the ropes. The tall Ugandan-born bowler finished the day with a career best figure of 4-26, including two uprooted stumps. Opener Maurice Ouma was his first victim, falling to the second ball of the match. It was Canada’s third successive win over Kenya. Rizwan Cheema and Harvir Baidwan were also economical in their spells at 2-30 and 2-42, respectively.  (more…)

Pakistan 184 all out; Canada 138 all out!

Canada almost pulled off a second major upset in as many days at the World Cup in Colombo, following Ireland’s stunner at Bangalore yesterday. But, a magical spell of spin bowling by the Pakistan captain, Shahid Afridi, quickly put an end to that. He bagged 5 Canadian scalps for 23 runs to become the leading wicket-taker in the competition.

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Ireland's Kevin O'Brien celebrates his record breaking century during the Cricket World Cup match between England and Ireland. Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

England 327/8; Ireland 328/6:  

Kevin O’Brien recorded the fastest century in World Cup history as underdog Ireland pulled off a stunning victory over top-dog England today in Bangalore, India. 

He slammed 113 off 63 balls as Ireland recovered from 111-5 to overtake their target of 328 with five balls to spare and three wickets in hand. 

Earlier half tons from Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell had put in England in a commanding position to win the match against any opponents, never mind an Associate nation, reaching 327/8 in their 50 overs.  (more…)

After a disappointing and lackluster performance against Bangladesh a week ago, Canada roared back to within a hair of upsetting heavily favored England in their second and final warm-up match at Fatullah, Bangladesh. England 243; Canada 227!

After winning the toss, England opted to bat first. Calgary’s Khurram Chohan quickly removed the England skipper Andrew Strauss for a single run and, before his spell was up, had bagged two more of England’s top-order batters, including danger man Kevin Pietersen, and conceding a mere 34 runs in his devastating spell. Harvir Baidwan and Henry Osinde, Canada’s other quicks, assisted admirably with figures of 3 for 50 and 2 for 42, respectively. (more…)

Team Canada lost to Bangladesh in the first of their two warm-up matches played at Chittagong on 12 February, 2011. It was a comprehensive defeat for the lads from the Great White North, who were routed for a paltry 112 all out, and a prelude of what they can expect in the coming six weeks. In the 2003 world cup in South Africa, Canada enjoyed their first and only victory in the World Cup at the expense of these same opponents. (more…)

Up until Wednesday, three Canadian players of Pakistani origin: Hamza Tariq, Khurram Chohan and Rizwan Cheema, were not granted visas to enter India for the World Cup to begin in two weeks. Yours truly took the initiative to make this fact known on the BBC’s popular 606, which is viewed reverently by the cricket world. (more…)