Northern Districts visit Cook Islands
Easter weekend in the tranquil Island of Aitutaki was this year host to the annual Cook Island cricket trials
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For a small cricketing nation with only 11000 people to choose a team from, the Cook Islands have performed remarkably well over the past 3 years climbing the EAP rankings to no3.The annual trials between the 2 key cricket islands of Rarotonga and Aitutaki form a very important part of that development and give national hopefuls an opportunity to stake their claim for national selection.
One of the 1st tasks was to inspect the pitch at Tautu the venue for the 2 trials. The pitch at Tautu is 1 of 7 such concrete pits Aitutaki which are sunk below the surface and covered with sand during winter months to allow rugby, league and soccer to be played over the top. In the summer the sand is cleared away to reveal a reasonable surface to play on. Most of the pits have been down for 70 years and with the Tautu pitch showing signs of age with cracks and holes, some over night repairs were required. The locals got to work and placed some cement in the cracks, however by using a jandal to screed the concrete rather than a trowel, this pitch was still obviously going to be a challenge for the batsmen. However, once the pitch was covered with the old isle carpet from the local church, the venue looked in good condition for the 2 trials.
With the help of some vocal local support, Aitutaki won both trials convincingly. This is just reward for Aitutaki promoting their youth over the past 3 years and we now see a sway in dominance away from the traditional strength of Rarotonga. A feature of the 20 man squad that was selected following the trials is the vast age difference. We have a couple of older heads who are closer to 50 than 40 and we also have a 15 year old who makes his senior debut. It is also interesting to note the various occupations of this year's squad. Included are a pastor, a prison officer, a porter, a detective and a shell carver. Needless to say they all sing, most play an instrument and they are all extremely proud to represent their country.
A real treat was umpiring the Aitutaki club final between Nikaupara v Amuri.With a start time of around 5pm it was hilarious to witness players arriving at their own pace ,parking their scooter kicking off their jandals and taking their position in the field. With the main road of Aitutaki within the boundary, this created some havoc as crucial catches went up requiring the unlucky fielder to dodge scooters and cars to complete the dismissal. The beautiful Aitutaki lagoon is only 25 meters from the middle and as suspected numerous balls were hit like missiles into the water. However we not once lost a ball, as there is always a local youngster keen to swim out, cool off and retrieve it.
Both Graeme and I landed our 1st ever tuna was also a real treat on this last visit. A fishing device anchored off the main land is alive with boats at 5 o'clock in the morning and in fact far busier than any road in Aitutaki during the day. It didn't take long to hook up to a nice 20kg tuna, which also provided us with fresh ika mata for the remainder of the trip.
The EAP cricket Cup in November in Auckland is the next big event that Cook Islands Cricket is targeting. This event will provide a rare opportunity for locals here to witness 1st hand the colour, the music and the passion that is cricket Cook Islands style.
Grant Bradburn is Northern Districts Cricket Association Community Cricket Coordinator
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