Cup Match is no country for old men

Rain washed out most of Cup Match this year making a result unlikely from the off. But there were no shortage of memorable moments.

Here James Whittaker looks back at ten things we learned from the game.

Malachi Jones is a genuine talent

Bermuda cricket fans talk a lot about potential.

But Jones stands out as one of the most naturally gifted players the island has produced in recent years.

A blistering display of clinical hitting thrilled the Cup Match crowd on day one. And his deadly display of pace bowling on Friday morning was the highlight of day two.

Jones has the ability to play professionally. Certainly he should be able to bat six and open the bowling for Bermuda.

Other players have made more significant careers out of far less natural ability.

So when will Jones and Bermuda turn this kind of raw talent into consistent match-winning contributions?

The future is bright…

Another silver lining on the dark cloud surrounding Bermuda’s international fortunes, was the contribution of Deunte Darrell.

An accomplished knock of 72 in a pressure situation shows he has the temperament for the big occasion.

The CedarBridge Academy student earned the MVP award for his valuable half-century — digging Somerset out of trouble on day one.

Singing in the rain

Some huddled under umbrellas, others danced in the rain while some turned the covers into a waterslide.

Whether the weather ruined Cup Match depended on your attitude.

The frogs had invaded the pitch by lunchtime, hopping in the puddles that pooled on the boundary’s edge. And it was clear long before the official declaration that this game was a non-event.

But that didn’t stop the large crowd from enjoying the party.

Time for a change?

“Emancipate the game from draws”, commented Bermuda Sun columnist Ceola Wilson in the wake of this weekend’s washout — the fourth consecutive stalemate in Cup Match.

The guardians of tradition grimace as the annual debate renews itself almost every year. But are the fans right to want a result?

There was a lot of talk about improving the quality of the product from Somerset Cricket Club pre-game — an exciting match would do more for most than an extra tier on the bar.

Personally I love the longer format but you have to question if squeezing a two innings match into two days is good for development, let alone the prospects of a win.

For what its worth here’s my compromise suggestion to please fans and purists alike.

Keep the match the way it is. But if it is a draw then play a 20-20 game on the Saturday night to decide the winner. View it as cricket’s equivalent of a penalty shoot-out. Cruel for the loser but less arbitrary than just gifting the cup to a team that last won the game four years ago.

Sluggo will be missed

Genuine entertainers are hard to come by in any sport.

And Sluggo will be sadly missed in Cup Match as much for his personality as his performances. Though he is always reliable with the ball, Leverock never hit the same heights for Somerset as he has for the national team. Not that he has been bad — a record of 333.3-79-1,295-44 speaks for itself. More than anything we will miss his presence. It is the gravity defying agility in the slips, the celebratory jigs, the beaming smile and the obvious love for the game that make him a fan’s favourite from Delhi to Dockyard.

Anyone can have an off-day

Last year it was a tale of two centuries for the big men of east and west — Lionel Cann and Janeiro Tucker.

This time neither man fired. With Cann eyeing 1,000 runs and Tucker shooting for the all-time record, both were way short of their targets.

Tucker, caught by Cann in the slips for one, the St David’s man out for a duck the next morning. It could have been different if the weather had co-operated. Both failed in the first innings last year and went on to make centuries on day two.

But the stars of St. George’s and Somerset will have to wait till next year to make further inroads on the record books.

No country for old men

Was this the year the baton was passed on? The classic has always been a game were experienced old heads prosper in the pressure cooker atmosphere.

But it was a different story this time. The experienced players did not perform while the youngsters took centre stage. And with Sluggo joining Charlie Marshall and Clay Smith in the retirement queue, Cup Match is increasingly looking like no country for old men. OJ Pitcher and Rodney Trott led St. George’s. Darrell and Jones brought the fire for Somerset. Cann and Tucker may disagree but long may it continue.

Vuvuzelas are here to stay

They may be banned from most English Premier League grounds but it appears that Vuvuzelas are here to stay.

From South Africa to Somerset, the infernal plastic horns seem like they are going to be a permanent fixture at sporting events for the near future.

I didn’t mind them at Cup Match — they complemented the atmosphere rather than drowning it.

Catches galore

Sluggo may have won the Safe Hands award for his spectacular one-handed slip catch — the last action of the game and the final bow of his Cup Match career.

But there were no shortage of candidates. Only minutes before Leverock’s athletic leap, wicket-keeper Jekon Edness had taken a full-length diving catch to get rid of Rodney Trott.

And Lionel Cann deserves an honorary mention for holding on to a sky-high chance from Jacobi Robinson despite a mid-air collision with Rodney Trott.

You can't miss Cup Match....

You would have had to be on the moon to miss Cup Match this year. If television, radio and live Internet streaming was not enough, the Bermuda Sun's twitter coverage brought the game to cellphones around the island.

Even if you were enjoying the views and the booze at Beach Fest you didn't miss a wicket — except for the few minutes when someone spilt a soda on Don Burgess' laptop.

Questions have been raised however about whether the new media coverage fest is good for the game.

The crowd this year was one of the lowest I've seen. But we can probably shelve that debate for this year and put the low numbers down to the rain.