Excuse my French, but New Caledonians love their cricket! (5 Dec 1999)

5 December 1999

Excuse my French, but New Caledonians love their cricket!

Of all the countries that will appear at next year's East Asia-Pacific Nations tournament, no country will have a more indigenous line-up than New Caledonia.

And yet it is likely not a single team member will speak English.

The Kanaks have so taken to cricket, that their own island version has taken over as one of the main sporting activities in the French Overseas Territory.

While there are nine teams in New Caledonia playing `international' cricket, the version you and I know, there are over 100 playing `traditional' cricket.

There are four teams playing international cricket on the main island - Association Sportive Raisin, Association Sportive Orion, FC Gaitcha and Association Sportive Lossi - and another five on Ouvea Island.

Cricket was introduced to New Caledonia in 1841 by English speaking missionaries and the game quickly spread, with the islanders creating their own derivation. The two missionaries, a pair of Tongan evangelists, Tatayo and Tanieko, brought Protestanism to Mare Island in the Guaham District and cricket with it.

The `traditional' version has now spread to Wallis and Fortuna Islands, Vanuatu and Papua-New Guinea (although in Papua-New Guinea international cricket is more popular than the local version).

Although traditional cricket remains the people's favourite, the New Caledonians are keen to prove themselves against international opposition in the global version and are eager to play in next year's mooted East Asia-Pacific tournament.

They can anticipate some success with confidence having competed in past cricket events at the South Pacific Games. They also remain unbeaten against visiting teams from Japan, including those with expatriates since 1985.

The game will be further boosted with a purpose-built cricket stadium planned for the town of N'Du in Logicop District.

Present impediments to the spread of international cricket in New Caledonia are lack of finance and qualified coaches.

Thanks to Robert-Gilles Martineau for the translation