High School cricketers compete in Crooked Tree
Over the last several months News Five’s Patrick Jones has become something of an expert on secondary school sports…but on Friday he covered an event, the likes of which Belize has seldom witnessed.
They may be more at ease on a basketball court, or a softball diamond, but these days high school boys and girls are venturing unto a new frontier – the cricket pitch.
Dr. Ruby Perriot, Crooked Tree Community Institute
“The major purpose of this marathon is to promote cricket again among High Schools, children between the ages of 11 to 16.”
Sir George Brown, Board of Directors, CTCI
“As a member of the Board of Directors of the Crooked Tree Community Institute we are interested not only in academic education but sporting along with vocational skills. The idea of sports is to get across the whole message that what ever you do, you try to excel in them. This is the very essence, the whole message behind this competition here today.”
The majority of these athletes are seeing the hard leather cricket ball for the first time in their life; so naturally the number one challenge for veteran cricketers is to teach these kids the basics in hopes of turning them into lifelong fanatics.
Glicksten Bennett, Cricket Coach
“Well first of all, I’m a cricket coach so I was trying to show them how to grip the bat and how to make their stance, oh it is very important that you begin the right way. You need to hold the bat properly. You need to stand up properly so that you can make the proper strokes.”
But even with each player’s individual stroke, the task proved easier than originally thought. The players quickly caught on to the elementary guidelines, then it was time to pull up the best seat in the old ball yard and enjoy a good game of cricket.
Glicksten Bennett
“I believe cricket is the most beautiful game. The reason is that every player has the opportunity to show themselves. In bowling, in fielding, in batting. It?s not like basketball when two people are placed in the front and they are the only people who maybe score or football where you have two people kicking in the goal.”
Q: What’s the object of the game?
“The object of the game is to win by runs. The win is scored by runs. So who make the most runs win the game. So there the bowler’s object is to get out the batsman when the batsman’s object is to stay in there and make the runs.”
And that concept wasn’t too hard to grasp.
Karim Flowers, Wicket Keeper
“You have to make sure when everybody come out on the filed, position them, because you will see how the ball is coming and you will know more or less where the batter will put the ball, so you put them there to go and field.”
Patrick Jones
“Having been a softball player for a good number of year, I knew I was out of my league when I got to Crooked Tree and started to hear terminologies like, Square Legs, Fine Legs and Gullies; but the similarities of the two games kept me very interested.”
Dr. Ruby Perriot
“Cricket as the cricketers say is a gentleman’s game. It develops discipline in persons, it helps one to focus. It gives one direction because you have to be watching the ball and focusing on the ball in order to play cricket.”
Linsdale Blease, Bowler
“It?s not so hard. All you need to know is the basic rules, how to position yourself and where to stand.”
Andrew Franklin, Bowler
“I just like the sport. I get to like it, and I started to play it. First it was boring to me, then I start to play it and it?s a lot of fun.”
While it may be fun for those who have tried it, for others cricket doesn’t seem to hold the same attraction as other sporting disciplines.
Q: Do you see yourself playing cricket for much longer?
Leon Nicholson, Mid Fielder
“Maybe.”
Q: You say maybe, is there another sport that you like better than cricket?
“Track and field.”
Kerian Flowers, Forward
“It?s not hard. Just have to drop the ball correct and then it will knock the wickets.”
Sir George Brown
“Well for some four years now, I haven’t been too close to cricket, I spend more time with youth football, but I’m surprised to see the quality of bowling from some of the young fellow that have been performing so far.”
Patrick Jones
“While it will be a good number of years yet before cricket becomes the number one sport in Belize, the foundation has been laid on solid ground. Patrick Jones, for News Five.”
There are currently 17 rural cricket teams playing regularly, with another high school competition scheduled for later this month. Now just imagine what it would be like if Belize City caught cricket fever, where would they play?
