Ljubljana CC to start new season with euro friendlies

The Ljubljana Cricket Club, cricket's oasis in Slovenia, will play its first competitive matches of the northern summer on May 15 and 16 when it travels to Austria for two games.

Ljubljana will firstly play the United Nations C.C. on May 15 in the Austrian Cricket Association's trophy competition, and then back up the following day to meet Sri Lanka Sports Club in a friendly.

The following weekend, Ljubljana plays its first home game against a team of Croatian Australians on a concrete pitch laid with new carpet.

The club already has had a victory this season, beating its nearest cricketing neighbour, Velden C.C., which is based on the footsteps of the picturesque Karavanke Alps in southern Austria.

Ljubljana won in flamboyant style, overtaking Velden's 148-9 through a six with an over to spare.

The club's membership comprises mainly expatriate Englishmen, with one notable exception - cricket's most well known Slovenian convert, Damir Alidzanovic.

Born in Slovenia, Damir spent seven years in New Zealand after moving there with his family. There he played a few social games and generally learnt about the game. When he returned to Slovenia in July, 1996, for what was to be a short-term working holiday, he pondered whether cricket was played in his native country.

Through the internet, he got in touch with the European Cricket Council Development Officer, Nigel Laughton, who informed him about the existence of the L.C.C.

Laughton visited Damir's home town, Kranj, in March, bringing with him two adult start-up kits and three Kwik cricket sets. It is hoped that will help kick start a youth development programme into some of the primary and second schools around Kranj.

Damir has been invited by the ECC to attend a two-day coaching conference in Birmingham at the end of May, where he will receive tutelage from Sir Richard Hadlee, Desmond Haynes and Jonty Rhodes.