MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Cricket world first at the Three Falklands Week Festival in Fife

Falkland Cricket Club

A cricketing first takes place this July when Falkland Cricket Club (FCC) Fife will play their namesakes from Newbury Berkshire, and the Falkland Islands Cricket Association (FICA) who are travelling 8,000 miles from the South Atlantic to take part in the Festival of the Three Falklands Cricket Week.

This will be the first time the three ‘Falkland’ teams have met creating a ‘triangular tournament’.

The week-long festival takes place from 19 to 23 July and forms the centrepiece of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Scottish Falkland Cricket Club who play in Division One of the Scottish National League.

The festival will see the trio of teams contest the Stanley Services Cup – another first on Scottish turf – at Scroggie Park, arguably one of the most beautiful grounds in the UK. The Berkshire and South Atlantic teams have met twice before, first competing for the trophy in 2007. The Berkshire team travelled to the Falklands to successfully defend the trophy in March 2009.

The 2010 three-match tour will commence with the visiting FICA playing current cup holders, Falkland (Berkshire) on 20 July. The next match (21 July) will see FCC (Fife) face the Falkland Islands to compete for an additional trophy - the Drysdale Cup (*) – introduced for the first time. Finally, the closing match will see Fife take on Falkland (Berkshire) on 22 July. Whatever the outcome, it will make for an interesting ‘sporting triangle’.

During the festival week there will be social events for the players and their families including a reception in Fife Village Hall on the 19 July to welcome the teams. Around 30-40 players, members and supporters from each organisation will participate in the festival, which ends on 23 July.

The Falkland Islands are a UK Overseas Territory and as such have a love of all things British, including cricket, laying claim to the southernmost cricket ground in the world. Cricket in the Islands is going from strength to strength. The population of around 3,000 boasts an increasing participation with the aim of having a minimum of eight teams by next year, which may be the largest ratio of players per head of population of any country.

The Falkland Islands Cricket Association was awarded Affiliate membership of the International Cricket Council in 2007 the 100th member to be elected to the ICC.

The Falkland Islands cricket team arrives in Scotland fresh from competing in their debut ICC-sanctioned international tournament at the inaugural ICC Americas Championship Division Four tournament in Mexico City.

The 13-man squad won its first match in the tournament, beating Costa Rica by 39 runs in a 50 over match (Falkland Islands 131 all out in 38.3 overs - Costa Rica 92 all out in 28.5 overs). Team captain, Elliott Taylforth, was Man of the Match, taking 6-14 (including a hat-trick).

(*) The additional trophy -The Drysdale Cup – has been donated by Karen Drysdale, who is originally from Falkland, Fife, and now resides in the Islands. The Drysdale family has had a long association with the Falkland CC with many of her ancestors playing for the club.