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Dave Atkin on tour with the MCC - Part 2

Dave Atkin on tour with the MCC - Part 2

CBHCC Web Manager25 Mar 2015 - 11:05
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..And he bumped into a Coppack!

Part 2. By Dave Atkin

Photos

We expected Panama to be a very different proposition than Suriname and it was, on many levels. A busy city with a feel of Miami about it, Panama is split into two halves, with the beautiful old town now dominated by the imposing skyline of the new side.

We were straight into action the day after arriving with our first match of the 5th Central American Cricket Championships. MCC had been invited to play alongside hosts Panama (who fielded 2 teams), Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Costa Rica and El Salvador. Drawn in Group B for the pool matches, we were up against Peru, Panama A and Brazil. The tournament venue was the old American air base, which has now been bought by a development company and is being converted into a small city in its own right with apartments, a business district and leisure facilities. The Panama Cricket Association had worked tirelessly to create two cricket pitches side by side on a disused piece of land in the centre of the base. Despite the unevenness of the outfield, the matting wickets played very well, taking seam and spin but also allowing the batsmen to go through with their shots.

The Club cruised to victory over Peru in the first match, came up against a sterner test vs Panama A on the second day but still recorded a victory to secure a semi-final place and then comfortably beat Brazil to finish top of the group (I played the first and third games, taking a wicket vs Peru). Peru and Brazil are largely made up of ex-pats living and working there, but are trying to encourage younger players to get involved and play the game. Brazil, in particular, are putting a great deal of effort and what little funding they receive into coaching, reaching over 1,200 children through the dry season.

Finals day was going to be a tough ask with 2 games in 30± degree heat but the squad was in confident mood after a rare quiet night in and took on Mexico for a place in the final. Restricting the opposition to just 78, MCC then knocked off the runs for no wickets to set up the final versus the full Panama side. What a game it turned out to be!

As the day wore on, more and more people came to watch, including CBHCC's very own Steve Coppack, who is currently working in Panama and who know some of the Peru team from his time there.

Panama batted first and posted 164 from their 20 overs, with the home crowd going wild for almost every run (1 wicket for yours truly). Having conceded a few too many extras, we felt that was 20 too many but the batsmen applied themselves very well and we kept pace with the run rate in the first 10. Wickets fell regularly as Panama bowled with enthusiasm and passion, matched by the intensity of the crowd. Their ground fielding on a difficult surface and catching was very impressive and they continued to take wickets as the required rate rose to 10s. With 9 wickets down, I joined in form match captain Luke Blackaby to try to get the remaining 21 runs off just 10 balls. We started with a single and a 2, but when the bowler bowled a no-ball and Luke launched the free hit high into the leg side, the resulting catch confused the fielder who celebrated, which caused yours truly to stutter and despite a frantic lunge and a strong feeling I was over the line, the umpire raised his finger. Game over. Cue wild celebrations from the players and a pitch invasion! Not seen one of those since Northampton last October...

The win meant so much to the Panama team and despite being disappointed with the result, we were all pleased that the crowd enjoyed themselves and that the tournament had been rounded off in such a good way. Cricket (and especially the spirit of it) was the winner, as they say. The camaraderie was brilliant between all the sides and we were made to feel very welcome by the Panama Cricket Association.

After the game, we swapped shirts with several players from the other sides we'd played and gave away some excess kit to youngsters (don't worry skipper, the Funky is coming home).

After 5 games of cricket in 4 days, it was nice to have a rest day and we took the opportunity to visit the Miraflores locks of the Panama Canal, a very interesting experience, followed by a tour of the old town.
The journey home begins today - Tuesday 24th - which will bring to an end an amazing experience, on and off the pitch. I have international wickets ( and runs!) to my name, a broken stump, a sore back, but most importantly 14 new friends for life. Cricket brings people together and we had such a good group here; we all got on really well and enjoyed each other's company immensely. We've played hard cricket in a professional manner on the pitch and laughed and partied off it. A brilliant tour to be part of.

In talking to the others, it also makes you realise how lucky we are at Chester with our facilities, the players we attract to the club and the huge amount of benefits that being a member brings. Some of the guys have challenges with even some of the basic ingredients of making a club tick and I was very proud to represent CBHCC and fly our flag, after all its down to my time at Chester and the support of those members who encouraged me to apply for the MCC that has brought me here.

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