The 3rd World Vintage Cricket Carnival Barbados October 2006

Great weather, friendly people, excellent cricket, plenty of social activity and real fun in the sun-the Barbados Vintage Cricket Carnival had it all.

Who Was There?

The Carnival was a bit smaller than the 2nd World Vintage Cricket Carnival staged at Perth in March 2005 but still had players and teams from:

Australia
New Zealand
Barbados
England
Scotland
Trinidad
USA
Canada
South Africa
India
Guyana

Visiting and host teams represented included:

P G H Fender XI, Chicago, USA
Florida Golden Oldies, Miami, USA
Hollywood Golden Oldies, Los Angeles, USA with two teams.
Auckland Cricket Society, New Zealand
University of Auckland Fingletoads, New Zealand
Wanderers Cricket Club, Barbados
Barbados Defence Force Cricket Club
Police Cricket Club, Barbados
University of West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad
Fingletoads Internationals from all over-New Zealand, Australia, England, Canada, USA
Primary Club, Sydney, Australia
Antiquarians, Queensland, Australia
Western Australia Masters, Perth, Australia
Beyond Boundaries Cricket Club, Mumbai, India
Friendly Cricket Association, Capetown, South Africa
University of Queensland Old Boys, Brisbane, Australia
Tawa Turtles, Wellington, New Zealand
Suburbs New Lynn Snickers, Auckland, New Zealand
Hamilton Planks, Hamilton, New Zealand
Melbourne Cricket Club, Barbados
Sheffield Cricket Club, Barbados
Bristol Cricket Club, Barbados

Fun in the Sun

Over 450 people-players, officials, supporters, scorers, wives and partners took part in the Carnival that featured a spectacular Opening Function with guests entertained by the wonderful Bajan Roots 'n' Rhythms Entertainment Troup. With plenty of Cockspur Rum and Banks Beer on hand, almost all who attended agreed it was the best Opening party they had experienced.

After that experience, Barbados achieved beyond its reputation as a friendly, cricket crazy centre of the Caribbean. Local teams won their games on the field and did their best to win friends off it-mostly very successfully.

Weather was great with the odd local shower cooling down the consistently warm temperatures. With the Carnival accommodation being on the south coast, there was plenty of chance for swimming, socialising and enjoying the delights of Oistins Fishing Village-a Friday night at Oistins is something never forgotten, and the restaurants and bars through St Lawrence Gap.

A little Bit of Sadness

Sadly our Carnival Patron, the legendary Sir Clyde Walcott passed away only a few weeks prior to the Carnival but we know he would have approved of the fun cricket around the clubs and the extensive socialising that teams enjoyed after the games. He would have been proud of the hospitality provided by his beloved Barbados.

Our Ambassadors

Joel Garner was again an Ambassador for Vintage Cricket and Barbados and was present on a number of occasions with his ready smile and time for everyone. Another proud Barbadian, Joel has been a real supporter of Vintage Cricket and we are very fortunate to have his involvement. Long may it continue. Geoff Howarth captained the Internationals and though his batting form was a little below its best, he captained the side in his usual unobtrusive manner. After a disastrous loss to the powerful Barbados Defence Force team, the Internationals turned in two very good (if losing-only just) performances and were one of the happiest teams in the Carnival. They have already recruited Geoff to captain their side at the 4th World Vintage Cricket Carnival in Stratford upon Avon, England in August 2008.

What Did We Do

Many of the teams and their members enjoyed a fantastic Vintage Cricket Caribbean Cruise on their own private catamaran, food and drink in excess, skilled hosts and some of the most incredible swimming and snorkelling conditions available. The Wanderers Cricket Club put on a great day of hospitality, the chance to enjoy local versions of the game of cricket, music, food and some really interesting entertainment. Pity the rain kept a few people away but those who did venture out had a day to remember and for those who bought a 1 litre bottle of the Sir Garfield Sobers Limited Edition VSOR Cockspur Rum (at the cheapest prices on the Island) and managed to get it home, the memories linger on!

Many visitors enjoyed a series of tours and covered most of the Island either on organised tours or in rental cars. Restaurants and bars throughout Barbados were visited on regular intervals. Anyone who was lucky enough to visit Marshalls (Desmond Haynes local) on Holders Hill had a local restaurant experience that was as unique as it was enjoyable. Apparently a regular stop for many visiting cricket teams, Marshalls gave all who made the trip a truly Bajan eating experience.

Who Won What

The Primary Club were the lucky winners of the Early Bird Draw and enjoyed a dinner at the Ships Inn Tavern as well as combining with the Auckland Cricket Society to achieve some credible performances on the field.

The local teams seemed to win all their games. Whether it was local knowledge, superior skills, better fitness, sharper eyesight or enhanced ability the local players had it over the visitors though there were some extra good performances from some of the visitors.

Who won? Who cares-everybody won on the day though some teams did score more runs than their opponents. It seems Cricketers remain competitive no matter their age, agility, experience and skill levels but all is forgotten (or almost forgotten) particularly once the 1st Banks or Rum Punch passed the lips.

Thanks

It was a wonderful Caribbean Celebration of Cricket-a forerunner to the Cricket World Cup, a credit to Ricky Clarke of Sporting Zones Inc who had to manage grounds, host teams, umpires and equipment and was in the words of more than one player…"the best cricket Carnival yet". It is no surprise that many of the visiting teams are planning a return trip very soon.

Thanks go to the Barbados Tourism Authority, Cockspur Rum, Banks Breweries, Ricky Clarke, Joel Garner, the Ship Inn, the local host clubs particularly the Wanderers Cricket Club who arranged hospitality beyond the call of duty, the local umpires, local players and to all the teams who made the long haul to one of the most beautiful islands in the world.