Ukrainian cricket establishes a foothold (21 Jun 1999)

21 June 1999

Ukrainian cricket establishes a foothold

Cricket in the Ukraine is steadily growing with nine teams now existing in the town of Vinnitsa, in the centre of the country, about 400kms from the capital Kiev.

The competition in Vinnitsa serves the desire for cricket of the town's 1000 strong expatriate population, who have come from such diverse countries as India, Pakistan, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the UAE, Somalia, Sudan, Palestine, Jordan and China.

The teams compete in the Piragov Memorial tournament, which has both spring and autumn seasons. Youngsters C.C. is the reigning champion, having defeated Pine n Peak C.C. in the final of this year's spring tournament. Pine n Peak was the winner of the inaugural competition held in 1996, and won again in 1997. Six teams competed in the original competition.

Hawks C.C. and Gladiators were the losing semi-finalists in this year's Spring competition, while Rainbow C.C, Indian C.C., Union Sporting Club and Shooting Stars were among the other competing teams. League matches were contested over 20 overs a side, with the semi-finals 25 overs a side, and the final 30 overs a side.

The autumn season usually starts in September, going until November.

There are unconfirmed reports of cricket being played in other Ukrainian centres such as Odessa, Kiev, Kharkov, Chernovsky, Lugansk, Lviv and Simferopol, although this has not been substantiated.

Those involved with cricket in Vinnitsa are seeking to establish an inter-city competition.