Czech Cricket on track for Expansion
February was a busy month for Czech cricket, for both future planning and current action. On 3 February the Czech Cricket Union (CCU) was invited to join the Czech sports association, Sokol. This leapfrogs Czech cricket from the few scattered clubs and players who try to promote cricket and recruit new players to the game, directly to an organisation with 180000 Czech members, from every region and town throughout the Czech Republic (CR). With this came an offer of a vacant sports field in Prague district 3, from Sokol president, Mr Frantisek Kovar, to possibly develop into the first dedicated Czech cricket pitch, something the Prague CC members have been looking to obtain for 7 years. Planning for this project has started and much work and money will both be needed thisyear to see it happen.
Adjacent to the PCC training area at Vypich, the current leaseholders, Dum Deti a Mladez, a youth support group, have offered to lease a 50m2 training area to the CCU for developing permanent nets. A possible two bay net, each 10x2 metre with bowling pads can be built, again if the funding can be organised. The actual Czech costs for a project are quite low so this is a current active project we are working on.
On 21-22 February, the CCU organised the first ever Prague Winter Indoor Tournament at the perfect ISP school at Nebusice. Contested by three potential new Czech teams- Pakistani CC, New Bohemians CC and the University CC - plus an English team from London. Prague CC clubs members made up most of the future CCU teams to show how Czech cricket could progress in the near future. The eventual winners, Capt. Scott's CC from London, led by Prague CC founder Tony Brennan, beat the University team in a closely fought final. Tony reports his team are eager to return to Prague to defend their title next year.
Following this hectic weekend of cricket, 10 potential new Czech cricket coaches participated in an ECB Level I course, with two full enjoyable but exhausting days training, run by Richard Cox, on 27-29 February. It was decided by all that an assesment day in September will give all trainees time to gain more coaching experience, starting with Prague CC's Sunday indoor practices. The next coaching opportunity will come with the planned European Spirit of Cricket Weekend on 1-2 May. An all-schools cricket tournament will take place, again at the ISP school Nebusice. The new coaches will be paired up to help coach each school team, and then see how their squads shape up on the day. Hopefully with British Embassy and British Council support for trophies, this will become an annual schools event on the Czech cricket calendar.
In between the busy Prague CC weekend touring teams schedule, the CCU interclub league will take shape, including a 100 percent national team tri-series between the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia, scheduled for the weekend of 3-5 July. A Twenty20 cup style format should give these new players a much needed chance to gain good match experience against similar opposition - a chance not normally available with a mixed ability team with many expat players taking the lead.
As mentioned above, other possible Czech clubs are forming. The New Bohemians are the first new active club to form from several current and ex-PCC players, to give a more social and friendly alternative to the very active PCC. The main aim of this club is to promote Czech players into active roles on the field, regardless of ability, and for some of the more social players with years of experience to help along the way. Several matches have been planned when the Prague CC are not using the Flicx wicket for their matches. The Brno CC has re-ignited again, after the star of Brno disappeared off to South Africa and married a local Jazz musician. A member of the British BMATT army base in Vyskov, has shown interest in helping to organise the club and providing the active support to get it going, including the involvement of the local university, both in Brno and in Prague. It is possible that cricket could be the new sport on the university's sports programme for next year.
Without any sponsorship prospects for Czech cricket either on or off the field, Scott Page, CCU Development Officer has come up with a plan to use what the Czech Republic has to offer - good food and cheap excellent beer. When club members or touring teams are in Prague, and stay at certain hotels, or eat at several restuarants and clubs, the CCU will recieve a 5-10 percent donation to go into the School Outreach Program - cricket Australian style. Therefore the more we eat, drink and stay in Prague, the more funds we will have for the project, and the more Czech schools we can visit and introduce cricket to. Up to now, with only 1 active coach in the country donating his time and energy for to game, the outreach program has been limited in its scope and it has been extremely difficult to maintain momentum. Hopefully with 10 new potential coaches in training, this situation will change this year.
Further good news for the Outreach Program is that the Prague Post Endowment Fund (PPEF) has shown interest in helping to promote the Prague Sixes 6-a-side outdoor tournament to raise money for the PPEF and CCU. With any funds made from the day, as many of the PPEF schools as possible (70 already on their list) will also be offered the Outreach Program. These schools already actively learning the English language, and should jump at the chance to combine a bit of English sport and culture in their programmes. The Prague Post english language newspaper will be the media sponsor for this event. And finally, the web adress which has been in the hands of a Czech internet entrepreneur is finally ours. www.cricket.cz will make its first appearance this month. All future advertisments and posters will carry this easy-to-remember adress to help promote the sport every time we email our Czech friends. It looks like being a good season for Czech cricket - a busy time and much work, but if all goes to plan, the future of Czech cricket is here now.
