The Macau Cricket Association (MCA), in partnership with the Macau Bats Rugby Club and FBL, will be hosting the inaugural Macau Ashes cricket match this Sunday at The International School’s ground in Taipa.
According to the association, the event has received approval and support from the Marylebone Cricket Club at Lords Cricket Ground in London – the “home of cricket”. The club has donated two used sets of bails for this event.
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia, where the “ashes” are held by the team that has most recently won the Test Series.
The first Macau Ashes will be played between local English and Australian expatriates.
President of MCA, Adnan Nasim, explained yesterday to the Times that the two teams are expected to have a total of 24 players.
The match, which would feature 11 playere per team, is aimed at fostering the “spirit of Ashes and promoting the cricket activities in the territory.
“It’s just a small event being organized but there’s a future for it. In the future maybe we’ll have an even bigger and larger event inviting more players and people from other places to come,” he said.
According to him, the two sets of bails would be burnt after the match and ashes would be placed in an urn – similar to The Ashes Test series.
“[It’s like] connecting Macau together into a bigger event that takes place between Australia and England,” Nasim added.
Meanwhile the president of the association noted that the community of cricket players has been growing in the region, despite receiving insignificant interest from the locals.
“Cricket has been played in Macau for many years but it was always hidden. It was a foreigner’s sports.
There was less interest from locals also,” he noted.
Since the association has been formed, it has been organizing events to disseminate the activity, bringing cricket enthusiasts of all nationalities to play a match.
“In the past it was very much divided into different groups [but] with The Ashes coming to Macau, it’s going to have little bit a more potential for expatriates to join,” he concluded. LV
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