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The Battle of Alberta was renewed this weekend at scenic Victoria Park, under mostly sunny skies and warm temps, which saw host Edmonton trumping their southern counterparts in both contests, the second match in rather convincing fashion. 

After winning the toss, Calgary skipper Manzoor Choudhary opted to send in the opposition to bat first. The gamble almost paid off as the northerners could only negotiate a paltry 168 in their allotted 50 overs which, in the end, proved to be enough. Opener Jacob Ramkhelewan was the top Edmonton run-getter with a hard-hitting 45. Only two of his teammates reached scores in excess of 20: Yasoob Haq and Ahzum Ali. 

Zahid Chaudhary was the pick of the Calgary bowlers, bagging an impressive 6/28 in 10 overs. Partner Umar Kahloon chimed in with an expensive 3/57 in his spell. 

In the Sunday match, Edmonton won the toss and elected to again bat first. Like the day before, it was another low-scoring inning. They were bundled out for a very getable 158, low by one-day standards, but, as it turned out, it was copiously beyond Calgary’s reach.

The Stampede City folded for an improbable 83, all out. As most Alberta cricketers are aware, the Victoria Park outfield is lighting-fast compared to the savannah grass at Riley Park (in Calgary) where 83 would have translated to about an embarrassing 53.

 There will be no rematch of the Battle of Alberta this year as Cricket Alberta is sending a provincial squad to Toronto for the national inter-provincial tournament–July 26 to July 30. So, Calgary will have to wait till next year to avenge their losses!

Ron Saywack.

The Alberta Masters will be played at beautiful Victoria Park on July 10/11. The Masters is a weekend of competitive cricket played by the veterans of the two main Alberta cities: Calgary and Edmonton. It is a fun event! 

The idea of the Masters came about to provide an opportunity for our veterans to continue playing the game competitively whilst remaining active in the cricket community. The first games were played (more…)

 It is quite amazing to think that Canada has qualified to compete with the big boys, for the third consecutive time, in cricket’s prestigious World Cup. It is an even more remarkable feat to think that half of the current players have full-time jobs whilst playing cricket as a side kick

The main elite cricket-playing nations are Australia, England, India, Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Bangladesh (although some may argue Bangladesh’s place in this bunch). The International Cricket Council (ICC), the governing body of cricket, also allows second-tier nations to compete. The aim is to improve the level of cricket worldwide. Canada, Ireland, Zimbabwe, the Netherlands, Scotland and a few others are also in this latter group. (more…)

Many thanks to Mr. Jon Harris and Mr. K. Boller for this historical chronology of cricket in Canada!

Records show that in 1785 a game was played on an island near Montreal, in the colony of Lower Canada.

The garrison of  Fort York was established in 1793, and is now in the heart of Toronto. Cricket has a long association with the City of Toronto, for cricket had been played at the Home District Grammar School, which was founded in 1807. Most of the early matches played in Toronto were ‘friendlies’,

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The passing of a legend:

On 29 April, 2010, a legend was called away from Alberta cricket venues. He was Bob Bowen. These venues will not be the same without him. A bright light has been extinguished forever!

For almost 40 years, Bob would travel to every inter-city cricket match played between Calgary and Edmonton. He was a quiet but astute aficionado of the game. He always had a kind and wise word to say to most he met. He seldom forgot to enquire how you and your family were doing, a true gentleman.

Bob would even travel out-of-province at his own expense to cheer on Alberta teams. He would even attend most of Cricket Alberta’s general meetings at Red Deer. At those meetings, he would vigorously voice and defend his opinions. He was in a class of his own!

In honor of Bob’s great contribution to the sport, all future intercity matches in Edmonton will be known as the Bob Bowen Cup. The next contests between the two major Alberta cities will be played at beautiful Victoria Park on the north shore of the North Saskatchewan River on May 29^th and May 30^th. Yours truly will be one of the umpires in the Sunday game. See you all there!

Ron Saywack.