Seychelles cricket undergoes a revival (4 Aug 1999)

2 August 1999

Seychelles cricket undergoes a revival

Cricket in the Seychelle Islands is enjoying something of a resurgence with the national team experiencing unprecedented success and an increase of teams in the domestic competition.

Never a high profile sport, rating below football, basketball, boxing and volleyball in popularity (but more popular than rugby and hockey), cricket has seen a revival since appointment of Steve Khambatta as chairman.

In June, the national team clinched an historic win over Mauritius' leading club side, Maurindia, in the Seychelle Islands leg of the annual reciprocal series, winning both matches. (Young Indian all-rounder Deepak Patel was man-of-the-match in the first game, scoring 36 and taking five wickets, while Sri Lankan bowler, Noel Dewapriya, starred in the second win snaring six scalps). These wins were a welcome boost after Maurindia had won every game for the past three years.

The number of teams in the domestic competitions has increased from four to six in the past three years with Barclay Eagles, Airtel, Mahe Kings, Youngstars, Luckstars and Playfair contesting this year's local leagues.

One competition has been decided so far this year - the G.S.Pillay Cup. Youngstars were skittled for 99 before Mahe Kings recovered from 67-8 to win by two wickets.

The six teams are presently competing in the Mohan Shopping Centre Cup with the top two teams to play off in the final on October 31.

Last year there were five domestic competitions organised with Luckstars winning two, Youngstars two and Barclays Eagles one title. Qualifying games are 25 overs per side with the final played over 30 overs per side.

There are eighty or so regulars - mainly expatriates - although there are some Seychellois actively playing, and more encouragingly, some have taken administrative roles in the Seychelle Islands Cricket Association. The nationalities include Sri Lankans, Indians, Pakistanis, Englishmen, Scots, Welshmen, Irishmen, Australians, South Africans and an Italian.

All games are played on Sunday at Stade Popiler, the main football stadium in the capital, Victoria, on the island of Mahe.

Here are accounts of the Seychelle Islands' two wins over Maurindia which appeared in the local media in Victoria, Seychelle Islands:

"After winning the toss, Seychelles skipper Farook Chaka decided to send his team into bat first, but disaster struck early as Patrick Thomas was run out without facing a ball and with no runs on the scoreboard. A settling partnership of 22 runs for the second wicket ended when Muditha (6) was bowled by a rocket from Sood which snapped a stump in two. The same bowler struck again soon afterwards to bowl Hammersley (7) and a Seychelles collapse gathered momentum as Senerath (0) was bowled by Kapoor, who then had Shantha De Silva (4) caught by Patel. Captain Farook (5) was run out as a result of slipping on the damp wicket and Seychelles were under the hammer at 39 for 6.

Sujeewa and Deepak revived Seychelles fortunes with some well placed shots, quick running between the wickets and the dropping of a couple of chances by Maurindias fielders. Their partnership of 35 runs took Seychelles to 74 before Deepak (18) tried one big hit too many and was bowled by Patel. Four runs later Sujeewa (16) was bowled by Romi, and without addition to the score, Ravi Chetty (0) was extremely unlucky to hit his wicket trying to hook a Patel delivery. The last Seychelles pair added 19 precious runs to the total before Sanjeev (1) was stumped off a Patel delivery, leaving Dewapriya 5 not out and the target for Maurindia was set at 98 to win, representing a fine recovery by the Seychelles squad.

Maurindia's reply was marked by some fine bowling from Seychelles which was rewarded when Sanjeev held a catch off a Farook delivery to claim the wicket of Shoaib (1) and then Deepak had Mhaske (1) caught behind by Sujeewa, reducing Maurindia to 8 for 2. Ten runs later, Maurindia skipper Kapoor (2) was trapped LBW by the awesome Deepak who immediately claimed his third scalp when Sanjeev held another catch to dismiss Patel (6).

This brought the dangerous Sood to the wicket and he set about restoring some order to Maurindias batting assisted by Gopal, and this pair shared a stand of 29 before Sujeewa took a catch behind off a Sanjeev delivery to dismiss Gopal (11). Dewapriya produced a magnificent yorker to pin Romi (0) LBW, Farook took a catch off Deepak to dismiss Bedi (0) and Maurindia were 59 for 6, still in with a good chance as long as Sood was still there. The score moved on to 71 before Seychelles achieved a magnificent breakthrough as Patrick Thomas held a great catch on the boundary off the bowling of Senerath to oust Sood (18) and the odds were now in favour of the home team.

Mangi (3) was calmly run out following a horrendous mix up between the batsmen leaving just one wicket between Seychelles and victory. This came with the score at 83, when Shantha De Silva, with his very first ball, tempted Feroe (3) to loft a catch upwards. And who should be under the catch to take it and seal the win? Seychelles skipper Farook Chaka. Celebrations broke out both on and off the pitch as the long awaited victory over Maurindia was completed. Umpires Steve Fox and Peter Virgona had no hesitation in selecting Deepak as the Man of the Match following his top score with the bat of 18 runs and superb bowling analysis of four wickets for seven runs in six overs.

Monday saw the start of the second game of the series, the Seychelles Breweries Challenge Cup Kapoor of Maurindia won the toss and tried a variation in tactics from the previous day by electing to bat. Maurindia reached double figures before Naran struck to remove Mhaske (4) thanks to Mudithas catch. The score progressed to 34 when an extraordinary over from Dewapriya destroyed the Maurindia top order. With his first delivery he clean bowled Mangi (7), with his third ball of the over he produced a shooter to clean bowl Sood for a duck and with his very next delivery he had Kapoor caught behind by Sujeewa for another duck. Six balls, no runs, three wickets an inspirational effort.

Maurindia tried to regroup and moved on to 57 before Patel (14) became the fourth Dewapriya victim, again clean bowled. Two more runs were added before Deepak bowled Shoaib for yet another duck. Romi became the fourth Maurindia duck and Dewapriyas fifth wicket of the innings when his stumps were flattened at 60. A clever change of bowlers by Seychelles skipper of the day Muditha resulted in Chandre having Gopal (16) caught behind by Sujeewa, who repeated the feat to catch Maurindias Sanjeev (7) off the bowling of Senerath. Sujeewa claimed his fourth victim of the day by catching Jagjit (1) off the bowling of Chandre to wrap up the Maurindia innings at 81 in 24 overs.

What first appeared to be a very reasonable target became more daunting as Gopal was firing on all cylinders with the ball and had Bertram (0) clean bowled in the first over. With ten runs on the board, Seychelles suffered another blow when Muditha (7) was bowled by another Sood missile. At 28, the Seychelles nerves were shredded further by Mhaskes close catch off a Patel delivery to dismiss Patrick Thomas (8).

The experienced head of Shantha De Silva and the youthful exuberance of Deepak combined in a stand of 31 runs before Deepak (18) was caught by Kapoor off Romi. Seychelles edged towards the winning post, losing Shantha (15) to a stumping off Patel's bowling at 65, but then Farook Chaka (10 n.o.) and Naran (7 n.o.) saw the home side to victory with four overs to spare. Umpires Douglas Imadua and Peter Stokes chose Dewapriya as Man of the Match for his 5 for 26 bowling haul.

It has been three long years since Seychelles won a game over our friends from Mauritius and we have never achieved victory in both games of a challenge series, so history was made at Stade Populaire. At the presentation dinner that evening held at the Surmer Restaurant, with guest of honour His Excellency Mr. Wallang from the Indian High Commission in attendance, much joy was in the hearts of a Seychelles team that had displayed tremendous spirit throughout the National Day Challenge series, especially when the situation looked desperate.

Mr. Gerard presented the Source D'Or National Day Challenge Cup to Farook Chaka and the Man of the Match Award to Deepak, followed by Mr. Alfredo Leite presenting the Seychelles Breweries Challenge Cup to Muditha and the Man of the Match Award to Dewapriya. Seychelles Cricket Association chairman Steve Khambatta exchanged souvenir plaques with Maurindia captain Rohit Kapoor and presented the best visiting player award to Gopal for his all round efforts.

As this was to be the first time ever that Maurindia would be returning home without a cup amongst their luggage items, an egg cup was provided for them to carry off as a consolation prize, much to the amusement of the Seychelles contingent and to promises of revenge in the return fixtures that were agreed for later this year."

For those of you who collect national teams here are the Seychelle Islands teams which played Maurindia: Gary Hammersley (Australia), Patrick Thomas (Seychelles), Muditha Gunatilake (Seychelles), Senerath De Soyza (Sri Lanka), Shantha De Silva (Sri Lanka), Faruk Chaka (Seychelles), Sujeewa (Sri Lanka), Deepak Patel (India), Ravi Chetty (Seychelles), Sanjeev (India), Noel Dewapriya (Sri Lanka) In the second game, Betram (Sri Lanka) replaced Hammersley, Cyril Chandre (Sri Lanka) replaced Ravi Chetty and Naran (India) replaced Sanjeev.