30th March 2012 Guatemala City, Guatemala
Howzat! Cricket in Guatemala
The sound of leather on willow, quintessentially British but now being heard around the fields of Guatemala thanks to the efforts of a friend of this Embassy, Luke Humphries, who, with his dad and some eager friends, have launched Guatemala’s first Cricket Club. His guest blog, below, reveals all. But be warned: cricket comes with its own unique terminology, so get used to hearing about a Googly, Cow Corner, Chin Music, Chinaman, Jaffa, Snickometer – to name but a few. Over to you, Luke.
| I have always loved cricket. I remember being glued to the TV at the age of 11 watching England play a gruelling five day test match against India or battling it out for the Ashes with Australia. I was always fascinated with the idea of being padded up to the nines, cleaving onto a new English willow bat and sending the cricket ball racing away to the boundary for four.Coming to Guatemala at the age of 15 in 2005 I never really got the opportunity to play much, apart from bowling at my dad in a nearby field. The idea of officially starting the sport here came to me just before my last trip back to sunny old England in November 2011. I realised that cricket existed in El Salvador, Belize, Mexico, Honduras and other nearby countries but somehow it never made it to Guatemala. Having grown up in a pioneering missionary family, I set out on my new quest to bring the gentleman’s game to the Land of Eternal Spring! Together with two Guatemalan friends and my dad we started a rather rustic Saturday training in a patchy old piece of wooded area in the outskirts of Guatemala City. Interest grew rapidly and after five to six weeks the number went from 4 to 15! Guatemalan nationals, including many under-privileged young boys from my parents’ school, began to take a great interest in this new and foreign sport. Guatemala Cricket Club (GCC) was born. A logo was made and things started to move so fast we could barely keep up! Contact was made with neighbouring countries to spread the good news: cricket is now “Officially” in Guatemala.
On Saturday 31st of March 2012 a team composed of Guatemalan, English and Indian cricket enthusiasts will attempt to take on rivals El Salvador with the goal of winning the 4th Easter Cup. The trophy will include two legs, the first being played in El Salvador and the second leg being played on our own soil here in Guatemala. Its history in the making and it feels pretty good to be part of it! If you live in Guatemala and would love to learn to play or if you already play please Facebook us at G.C.C. We are very welcoming of anybody interested in learning and playing with us. |
Obviously ment the Ashes 2005!
I lived in England for about 10 years and fell absolutely in love with the game, played it in the streets and nearby fields with work collegues and friends. Went to the Champions final against W.I. where I got to see one of my favorite non-english players (Brian 400* Charles Lara) take away that cup, but got the chance to cry with the whole nation as Freddy and the boys brought back the Ashes in 2009…unforgettable.
After I finished my studies, came back home to Guatemala in 2007, and have been missing cricket every single day. This is an absolute dream come true, and to top it all off, to learn that the G.C.C. were victorious in their first cup is amazing! Now if only I could find more info on how to get in touch because I haven’t been able to locate their facebook or otherwise page….help!!!!
Cricket has been used in places such as South Central Los Angeles to give gang members an alternative to life on the streets.
The amazing story of the Afghanistan team that has recently managed to play their first international game has been made into a documentary.
What price that Luke and the gang manage to do something similar in Central America? With flat land at a premium, we might be playing on football pitches for a while but it’s a start.
There’s a definite interest in the game and it would be great to see international bodies backing the guys on the ground with resources to spread the message.
Good luck tomorrow Team GCC!