Taiwan: Cricket goes indoors as it attempts to gain roots

One of cricket's strengths as it has spread across the globe has been the way its various permutations have been able to adapt to the local environs.

Such is the case in Taiwan, where alternatively the heat and rain make outdoor cricket a difficult pursuit for the island's expatriates.

Accordingly, members of the British, Australian and New Zealand expatriate communities intend to take the game indoors.

While the Indian community runs its own separate competition, the Britons and Anzacs, have usually contented themselves with two matches a year between the respective social groups.

The Indian community is also known to tour through East Asia, and the British and Anzacs are keen to invite them to the indoor league. Communication between the two groups is yet to be established.

The main match on the British/Anzac calendar is an annual 40 overs-a-side game in October. It is played at a ground at Taipei's British School.

Engineers working on Taiwan's High Speed Rail are also becoming involved, hoping to increase the number of outdoor fixtures.

This in itself represents the other great problem for cricket on Taiwan - with many of the expatriates being contract workers, there is a large turnover of potential players, and those those who are there can often be out of the country on business.

This means any potential clubs would need a large pool of players to draw on if they are to play consistently.

Despite all of this, there are plans to establish cricket on a more permanent basis, with nets sessions at the School being used to gauge interest in forming teams.

Once teams are organised, team representatives will form a committee to organise fixtures and rules.

Teachers at the British School have commenced coaching sessions with students. Indigenous involvement is non-existent, with locals maintaining an 'Old England' view of cricket. It is intended to entice Taiwanese Americans at the British School, however, there is a heavy American sports influence.