Cricket in Peru September October 2009

It’s been all go for Peru in what is normally a fallow time for the Peruvian Llamas. Firstly the Peru team has been in high-intensity training in preparation for the Americas Division III Championships. Captain Miles Buesst and Coach Blake Rutherford have been putting the team though an energetic training regime, in particular the concept of stretching (before and after practice) becoming an integral part of the match and practice buildup. The net result of this is that the team came home from the tournament fitter and with fewer injuries than in any previous tournaments. Thanks a lot Blake and Miles for that!

In the tournament itself, Peru did not quite perform as they would have liked to. Although it was noted that the team now have a more professional image than before they were let down mainly by the batting performances. In the first match Chile scored a massive 323, with Simon Shalders (195*) putting the Peru Bowling attack to the sword. Nadeem Ansari the only bowler contributing with 1 for 29 from ten overs. In response, the only real mettle came from Chris Abbott and Miles Buesst with 20 and 32 respectively. In the second match Peru skittled Belize for 160 with a phenomenal display of bowling and fielding. Paul Barnes, on debut, bowling with vim and vigor with figures of 1 for 29 from 10 and Tony Sanford mopping up with 4 for 38 from 5 overs. However disaster struck for Peru’s batsmen and the team was all out for a paltry 73, Peru’s lowest score in ICC internationals. In the final match versus Brazil (the eventual tournament winners), Peru almost managed to chase down 253, with Michael Soulsby making up for his previous demise with a maiden half century (57). Add Miles Buesst (36) and Nadeem’s fiery 29 from 14 deliveries and Peru came to within 17 runs of the target. This game was especially significant as the Amistad (Friendship) Cup was introduced for all games between Peru and Brazil (see foto).

There were many pluses to be taken from the tournament in that Peru fielded and bowled better than ever before, fewer catches were actually put down and fitness levels were up. However Peru were let down by their inability to build batting partnerships. Standards are definitely rising across the Americas division III.

Back to domestic issues, Lima now has a second permanent pitch at Cambridge school on which to practice on. John Bell, a Business Teacher was a key player in the negotiations with the school. This is some feat considering how difficult it has been for the PCA to have anything built in Lima. The pitch is true and is still flattening out, but it means that Cricket can now be played all year round, which is simply brilliant news. It may be used in the under-13 CSA tournament next April.

In November the Lima Cricket and Football Club, the oldest Cricket Club in South America, continues its 150^th celebrations with two cricket matches. On the 15^th November a forty over match will be played against the Ambassadors XI, bringing together the finest players in Lima and Peru. The match will be attended by local dignitaries and showcase the advances made in Peruvian Cricket in the last decade. The following weekend, 22^nd November, will be the inaugural Super South American Sixes competition to be played between Chak De, LCFC, Kiteflyers and Eidegenossen. It will be a family day for lots of people to come and watch, with a junior sixes game between Markham School and Hiram Bingham in the morning with a barbeque and opportunities for the younger players to learn from the ‘slightly’ older ones. All go in Peru!

New Wicket at Cambridge

13^th September 2009

It was like any other Sunday in Lima’s winter. Grey overcast and the humidity hanging like a damp sock. One big difference though. Lima now has a second cricket pitch. John, Ding Dong, Bell, Business and History teacher at Cambridge school has managed to coordinate the treacherous path that is school administrators, local municipalities, and aggregate suppliers. After attempts in various institutions, the PCA finally struck a rich seam at one of the Premier Anglo Peruano institutions, namely Cambridge School, on the Southside of Lima. It is hoped that a third schools cricket team will be created on the back of this initiative.

So the PCA turned up to try out the new facilities. Soon the familiar sounds of feet pounding in and the tock of bat on ball, cries of catch it, were all resounding in an unfamiliar part of Lima. The wicket plays true, it has to be said, constructed from, according to John differing layers of aggregate with a sandy base, layered with your finest Astroturf. The Eidegenossen Cricket Team now has a home. Highlights of the day: Miles ‘Strike Force One’ Buesst, smashing stumps into firewood at will, Chris Hodgson spicing up the Wicket Keepers look, and the phenomenal fielding drills the Red Hats were being put through by the latest Aussie Import Coach Blake Rutherford, plus all the other hivelike activities Peru are going through inorder to be ready for the impending South American Division III Championships.

Thanks has to be given to the ICC who have helped in the funding of this project, and all those different people at one point or another had to help out in design, supervision and construction.

New Beginnings

Bloody Hell!
Its been a long time since I have bput anything up here on the blog.
Well guys we are getting ready for the Championships ahead, 7 more practices to go and the steam train that is the Peruvian Cricket Association is starting to look alot more intercity than it has in build ups to previous tournaments. Train Driver Miles is driving his carriages along as much as is humanly possible with this Home Guard but slowly and surely the ball is coming in harder, people have nearly forgotten what is playing across the line and Barnesy has admitted to British heritage, in fact of the squad Nine players have direct lineage to the Greatest of Britain, including Saffer Tone! Obviously this is after we have removed our red sashes and stopped singing 'Somos Libres Seamoslo Siempre.'
If I may be so bold to go through the squad pinpointing the strengths and skirting over the blemishes:

The Dossier

Miles 'Firing on all Cylinders' Buesst.
Secretary PCA

Right Hand Fast, Attacking Batsman, To say extremely useful all rounder would be to put it mildly. Miles is capable of fiery spells and is able to dominate the opposition with his clean hitting. Scored two centuries last season as well as a number of useful 50's while skippering the Kiteflyers. The new Captain of the Peruvian Red Caps will have something to prove and it will be great to see him drive Peru on to new heights.

Chris 'Goochie' Abbott
Ex-President PCA

Opening Bat. Wicket Keeper: Chris has been in the Peruvian squad since time immemorial. Around him have innings often been built. Always one to provide guiding advice with batting partners and also anyone in a bar later. Chris brings to mind the poem 'If' by Rudyard Kipling. Chris was instrumental in Peru joining the ICC and many other development plans.

Harry 'Crook' Hildebrand
President PCA

Opening/Middle order Bat. Occasional loopy nonsense. Harry like Chris has been with the Peruvian squad forever and is the most hospitable of hosts, infact everyone knows Harry. Ever heard that joke about Bob and the Pope? and the guy turns around and says 'dunno about you but who's that guy standing next to Bob?' Well that is Harry. A useful die hard batsman who is as hard to get out as a winkle on the Titanic. Harry provides positivity and optimism to the squad.

Hans 'Red Hot' De Witt

Middle Order Batsman, Medium Pace Bowler: Hans is an ever present in the squad as well. Hans is also the Fish Oil Man, what he doesn't know about fish oil isn't worth writing about. Hans our Dutch representative played county cricket in Holland before making his way over to Peru and has not lost his touch. A very useful batsman who has scored many useful knocks in the past. Looking to lose his Blackberry on the way to the ground in order to provide 150% concentration to the game in hand.

Nadeem Ahmed Ansari

One to watch: Nadeem, international man of mystery, is a fine striker of the ball and the most committed of players on the field of battle. Last tour was inconsolable after losing his wicket. Both a useful spin bowler and able to bowl at serious pace. Was Voted Most Valuable Player in Peru last season with searing knocks for Chak De, the eventual winners, in the 20/20 tournaments. Bound to have at least one great innings this tour.

Simon Walter

Right Hand Bat, Military Medium Swing Bowler. Simon has played for Peru for some time now, a useful batsman who has held the bottom order together on a number of occasions. His prowess in the field is well known with a laser like throw from the boundary, not one to push easy singles on. Husband to the lovely Karla and father to my nieces Camila and Luciana.

Tony Sanford

Right Hand Bat, Off Spin Bowler. Tony has bowled Peru into winning positions before, remember Brazil. Able to use his off spin as an aggressive weapon or stem the flow of runs at will. Tony is the resident Saffer in the squad bringing all the bristle that comes with it.

Mike Soulsby

Right Hand Bat, Medium Pace Bowler. Mike has been in Peru some years, plying his mangoes around the world. A reliable all rounder who plays with a straight bat. Plays very much in the manner of his mentor Chris Tavare but occasionally been known to play more attacking strokes. Should come good this tour.

Dinesh Lakmal Wijesinghe Ekanayake

Right Hand Bat, Medium Pace Bowler: Dinesh top scored for Peru in the last Championships, and after hitting a useful 50 against Chile last time around, was compiling a useful innings in the last match until he was injured. Known for his permanent smile and positive disposition as well as his ability to hit sixes.

Paul'Barnesy' Barnes

Right Hand Bat, Fast Right Hand Bowler: Paul, recently married, is a newcomer to the Peruvian squad. He is a strong clean hitter of the ball and is able to use his late swing to great effect. Expectations will be high with Paul this tournament in early innings breakthroughs.

John 'Ding, Dong' Bell

Right Hand Bat, Dobber of repute: John is well known for long innings and is difficult to dismiss once his eye is in. John is the Skipper of Eidegenossen and recently was responsible for the construction of Peru's second cricket wicket. Useful middle order batsman.

Chris Hodgson 'Green'

Right Hand Bat, Very Very Occasional Bowler: Chris, also recently married, is the opening bat for LCFC and has scored some useful knocks in the past. He is another newcomer to the squad and will be looking to impress this tournament. Reserve Coach.

Julian Walter

Right Hand Bat, Left Arm Spin: Scribe of the blog, also recently married to the Gorgeous Gladys Julian is known for forthright views on Cricket(generally wrong, thought that Bopara was the new Nasser....), Skipper of the LCFC, Has been known to bowl well, but very occasionally. He is a useful middle order batsman who can accelerate the scoring once his eye is in.

Sonnu

Right Hand Flayer, Malinga Like Bowler: Sonnu is also a newcomer to the squad, useful in the field and also with the bat once in. Looking to make his mark this tournament

Syed

A new face in the squad, Syed is also a batsman looking to make his mark on the team. A former prodigy of the cricket school of Rashid Latif, the one-time captain/wicket-keeper of the Pakistan national team, he is the driving force behind Cricket Peru’s Southern Chapter in Tacna.

Coach: Blake Rutherford

Right Hand Bat, Medium Pace Bowler: Blake has joined the ranks this year and has been applying his Aussie Sports Technology Degree to good effect. Thorugh his tutelage the Red Caps have become stronger, faster and younger, yes! Younger! The magic serum that he dispenses in training sessions is having phenomenal effects!

Go Red Caps!

Season Opener

Back to basics, the maxim of the beginning of a cricket season, line and length, straight bat, into the wicketkeeper, no silly running, body behind the ball, two hands fielding etc. These are the simple instructions that goes through a cricketers head when he is oiling up his mind and body for the coming months. However it is never that simple, when faced with stifling heat, a dodgy outfield and a body that isn't quite as lithe and reactive as it used to be.
On a day that shall be known as the Viv Ash Cuba Libre opener, twenty five young men turned out to do battle on rapidly degrading outfield through excessive soccer activities. The wicket won't be ready for a couple of weeks yet as it was laid only a month hence. It should be briefly added that twenty five is an impressive stat as the season has opened with just thirteen before and improvisation has been the order of the day. It is good news too as it means games will start on time this season as people will have to arrive early to ensure selection.
So back to the cricket, sunny conditions, Harry and Miles captains, picking two teams from a motley crew, seven unknown quantities, and the four Captains of the Lima League teams considering incentives to attract fresh blood into their teams, that is if these guys could cut the mustard. Harry's team batted first, Chris Abbott back from his International Baccalureate sabatical and Chris Hodgson opening. A rank longhop soon accounted for Chris A playing uppishly to a wide one and being taken by Eids skipper John Bell at midoff. Chris Hodgson was unlucky to be out of his ground when the batsman at the other end drove and the new young 15 year old Indian, Vikram, managed to deflect it onto the stumps. Dave Murphy did not last long though it must be said he was in a muh better condition than a fortnight ago when he had to play in sandals because he had cut his foot, dancing with poles apparently.
The middle order of Ed, Kamlesh and Harry, managed to tick over, adding 17, 43 and 35 respectively, but were never really able to get away. eventually they managed to post a score of 141 in 30 overs. Would it be enough?
After a steak sandwich and a swig of pop, the lads went back out and Jorge and John B were quickly into there strides both hitting useful twenties, though Jorge would have been back in the hutch with scores on zero if the opposition captain had not managed to spill something that could be described as a sitter. But ah, early season bloopers thats all. Miles team managed to accumulate the runs without really having to perform heroics and the scores reached parity with an over to go, the scribe having walloped a four over midon and then contrived to run himself out calling for an insane single. Anis managed to run himself out and it looked like Harry's team would pull off an unlikely tie, but alas it was not to be and Sonu quietly biffed the winning runs over the tightening ring of fielders.
Game over, quick beer in the pub for those without overdue commitments, a sound start to the season, LCFC's One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary, Great stuff.
Special mention should be made to Ed (17 and 1 for 17 off 6), Matt Spry( 5 and 1 for 22 off 6), Vikram (duck but 2 for 25 off 5), Shane, Anis (18 runout, puffed), Sanjiv, Phil and Matt for all making Debut.
Who's up for it next Sunday? Arrive early to avoid disappointment.
Thanks for Now

3rd Annual Cricket Veloz Tournament

Ceviche and Conchas
In Limas fair city, where the girls are so pretty
We had the 3rd annual tournie of cricket veloz
The Flyers and Chak De and the Eidegenonessen
with Lima cricket all setting up there store for battle ahead
Crying ceviche and conchas a wide a wide O
A Wide, a wide – O! A Wide, a wide – O!
Crying ceviche and conchas a wide a wide O

The batsman did bluster and the fielders did holler
But the bowlers they twirled but not as they should
And the umpires, the umpires with arms out wide
Crying ceviche and conchas a wide a wide- O!
A Wide, a wide – O! A Wide, a wide – O!
Crying ceviche and conchas a wide a wide –O!

at the end of the day Eidegenossen did win
through daint of less err and greater aplomb
while the umpires, the umpires with arms out wide
Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O!
Alive, alive-O! alive, alive-O!
Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O!

This fierce hot Sunday at the beginning of summer in December the cricketers of Lima aroused themselves from their long winters slumber and shrugged off their Saturday nights and wandered down to Markham college for the third annual ‘cricket veloz’ competition. The same four teams from the previous year, Lima Cricket, Kite Flyers, Eidegenossen, and Chak De, limbered up for battle. A motley crew they were too. This year the teams were a little light. It seems new blood is required for the year ahead. Most teams aside from the Swiss Interest Team were light. On average 9 players showed for each team. In the Lima team, the first girl played in the tournament, in the unlikely guise of Emily Jones. She did not let them down too, it should be added.
First off, Lima cricket were against Eidegenossen, and were never really at the races after being skittled out for 50, only Soulsby M carried his bat, but the rest were about as useful as a Lilo in Afghanistan. The Eids of December were fairly useful in their return and Geraint, the name of a million pronunciations, led a merry charmed life planting the ball over the wall seemingly every other ball. They won in no time at all, except for the waiting for the ball to be returned. For Lima Cricket it was a little like pulling teeth out in slow motion. At the same time Chak De were setting the trend for the day and Kite Flyers were able to post a most handsome target of around 150 (sorry no stats to hand), but it should be quickly added that of this 58 were wides. Chak De were never able to really mount a proper reply and could not make that score, they lost by twenty plus runs.
In the second round, Eidegenossen who played Chak De as a well oiled unit, with Gdman H, Aka loud Welsh git with Panama hat, providing commentary for the hard of hearing in Callao. Chak de were light of their usual arsenal of fast Mumbai Locomotives. It was Prabhu’s last day of cricket in Peru and as honorary captain he was not able to muster the usual grittiness from the team. Maybe it was because the umpires had to be their fro their own team and thus couldn’t justify getting annoyed with them as much as they normally do! Anyway they lost again and the Eids were cock-a-ring, sorry, cock a hoop at the fact they had loads more better players than any other team…..
Quickly onto the other game, sorry if this commentary only really talks about the Lima Cricket in detail, it’s just that the scribe was playing for that team. So after being kicked around like a 8 defenseless cocker spaniel puppies, the skipper decided to inject some Jack Russell into them and they duly delivered. The deciding moment of that game was Ben Jones’ two wickets in one over, including the all important wicket of Bully Buesst, this spurred the growling terriers into worrying the oppo into casi-capitulation, and the last man was caught by Walter J with the score on 108. Lima cricket were fairly hasty in the response, and yet again wides were by far the highest scorers. The tactic of not doing ANYTHING, I MEAN ANYTHING, RASH was instilled in the players mind and as the ball kept flying down leg or way outside off the score slowly climbed. Batsmen were congratulating themselves on 8 run overs where they had contributed, zero of the runs from the bat. The question must be asked now, is this really cricket? From an aesthetic point of view one would have trouble justifying it. A skillful perspective could be asked for, and one would have to say it had a distinctly unskillful perspective. But from a bloody minded win at all costs, it was glorious!
Lima cantered home with four overs to spare and marking up their first victory of the day. Special mention should be made to James Bailey who contributed hugely to wide-aggregation as well as registering his first wicket. “How did you do it”, he was asked? “Oh, its because I was pissed….”, said the perpetual bench warmer.
So, in the final round, it could have been a case of three potential winners, if the Flyers could stop the Megasaurus Eids, and Lima beat Chak De then it would have been down to Harry doing his best twiddling of figures and contriving victory for one of the teams. But it was not to be, the Eids duly delivered, outscoring and outplaying the Flyers, while Lima Cricket dispatched Chak De with the underwiding tactic so successfully employed in the previous match.
All in all, it was a most enjoyable day, the WAGS and children behaved themselves too, Paul should be congratulated for his recent announced engagement, and best wishes to Will Hurtado for his impending marriage down under, plus belated congrats to Harry for his newborn. Special thanks to CHIMU ADVENTURES for sponsoring the match.
Roll on the first of February for the first game of the season. Don’t forget the 20/20 tournament also.\
Merry Christmas Everyone

INDOOR CRICKET UP AND RUNNING!

Like James Caan and his team from the 1975 classic movie, Rollerball, the lads of the PCF have got together for gladiatorial skirmishes prior to the Cricket Veloz tournament in December. There they meet on Wednesday Evening in the dim gloom, as if Markham School had just celebrated Diwali and the smoke still lingering in the air. The lads are there sharpening their spikes, stepping up with the crunching tackles, circling around the witches hat in the coliseum menacingly because the action was about to begin.
Bells Crack Troops were inserted. 18 overs of nonstop mayhem ensued, Bell and Walter S imprinting 44 runs on the walls of the gym. Followed by Kash and Will with more crunching shots and fast action between the wickets. The bowling could have been tighter and catches should have been caught, but the leather underpants Geraint was wearing were chaffing and Jones B had blood in his eyes....
Tony Sanford in diving to save his bin aka wicket took a square metre of paint off the wall. And forever it shall be known as Tony's mark. A suspected broken rib was the result.
In response Walter J's team started well with Dan and Mango Mike batting sensibly putting 40 odd on for the opening partnership. and the young whippersnapper Lachy scored 11. But that was when the wheels fell off the rollerblades and the team disintegrated into ashes and dust and cogs and springs. First Tim fell in valiant battle, followed by Geraint who lashing the ball into the stands was then lynched by the oppo for his efforts. Walter and Jones came spinning into the Colly and desperately tried to stem the heamorraging occurring but it was not enough and Walter's team fell on their swords at the end, handing the victory to the Bellbeaters.
From the ashes the Phoenix shall rise.

Cusco get a game

7 men and an alpaca played in the shadow of Sacsayhuaman (pronounced sexy woman), brilliantly organized by Gary Sargent and his cohorts. Harry Hildebrand was present representing the coastal cousins from Lima. Shame no more could make it.
Photos to follow
and match report!