EDITOR, The Tribune.
The purpose of this letter is to seek the assistance of those influential Bahamians, who have either played cricket, were fans or were involved to prevail on persons planning our 50th Independence Anniversary in 2023 to include cricket on the Sports Agenda.
My information from a very reliable source is that persons on an organising committee do not wish to include cricket as they consider it to be a foreigners sport, played by foreigners. Cricket is the Caribbean’s leading sport. The West Indies Cricket Team were World Champions for decades. Geographically, we may not be a part of the Caribbean, but we are a member of CARICOM and we participate in the CARIFTA GAMES and CARIFESTA. Cricket is the oldest competitive sport played in The Bahamas.
It was started in Harbour Island in 1883. Its popularity grew in New Providence during the world wars when there were British troops here. The Bahamas Cricket Association led by President The Hon A.F. Adderley, with Secretary Sir Orville Turnquest organised cricket competitions and cricket became the most popular spectator sport in our country for several decades and continues uninterrupted. Following in brief are cricket’s accomplishments and its contribution to our country. I submit, that when compared with several other sports it takes its place at the top.
Cricket is the second largest spectator sport in the world. Soccer is the largest. World cricket is under the control of the International Cricket Council (ICC). The Bahamas is a member and receives financial and technical support from the ICC. In fact there is an ICC coach here at present coaching in the schools and at playing fields.
The Bahamas participates in Cricket World Cup tournaments. We play against teams in the region, that includes; the USA, The Caymans, Turks & Caicos and Panama. Our national teams have not reached any of the finals, but we have eliminated some of our opponents. Some finances for travel, etc, are provided by the ICC. We obtain funds from our Ministry of Sports and we host fundraising events.
During the decades of the fifties and sixties Mr Percy Munnings, an ardent cricket lover took a Bahamas team to Jamaica each year and teams from Jamaica visited us in New Providence.
Commonwealth Wanderers Cricket Club emerged in the late sixties. The club consisted of Bahamian and foreign cricketers, led by a Bahamian President and Vice President. The Wanderers took teams on tour annually to multiple cities in the USA and Canada, the Caribbean, South America and Panama. In 1976 the wanderers was the first Bahamian team to tour England. The Ministry of Tourism provided some funding and used the tours to advertise The Bahamas. We took Videos and Handouts we used to publicise The Bahamas. On two occasions we were accompanied by Miss Bahamas and were greeted by Mayors in several cities. Police Legend Edmund Lewis and his daughter, a police woman conducted traffic on the streets of Detroit and Chicago in the Bahamas Police uniform. There were interviews by television and radio. The publicity arranged by the Ministry of Tourism was first class.
In England we had a bus with a Ministry of Tourism designed banner advertising The Bahamas. The publicity derived from our cricket teams traveling abroad was very well known. New Providence became a popular destination for visiting cricket teams. Teams from the USA, Canada, Australia, the West Indies and England have played in New Providence and at the Lucaya Cricket Club in Freeport, Grand Bahama. Our local teams have been competitive in matches against the visitors. We hosted cricket festivals.
One of our major achievements was the building of the now world famous Cricket Club, that houses the restaurant at Haynes Oval. It was the brainchild of BCA President Sidney Deveaux and Irving Taylor (BCA Treasurer). The late politicians Peter Bethel (played cricket with St Bernards) and Dr Norman Gay, both of whom were Cabinet Ministers got permission for the BCA to use land at Haynes oval for the construction. The Ministry of works designed and provided the plan. We solicited sponsors, donors, workers and some financing from Geoffrey Sadler, Lyford Cay resident, who financed a loan from Barclays Bank to complete and furnish the building. Other notable donors were; Percy Munnings, George Myers, Theophilus Fritz, Sir Orville Turnquest, Gerald Dean, Gerald Bartlette and those, who physically provided some of the labour on the site. Today the restaurant is advertised by the Ministry of Tourism and/regularly frequented by residents of Lyford Cay.
Cricket is a part of Bahamian history and continues to be a prominent sport in The Bahamas and as such should be recognised during the 50th Anniversary Celebrations. It is hoped that influential persons will use that influence to make it happen.
PAUL THOMPSON, Sr
Nassau,
October 24, 2022.
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