Jan. 6 saw the delayed 2019 season playoff finals of the Campbell River Indoor Cricket League. After a close-fought regular season last year, the playoffs were scheduled for December 16, but the flu bug had ravaged all sides, so it had to be postponed until the start of 2020.
First up, Team White played Team Blue for third and fourth place in what turned out to be a high scoring game. Team Blue batted first, and after strong performances from batting pairs Adam Panziera and Ravi Bhatia and Safvan and Ben George they set Team White a tough total of 173 runs to win. Team White made a great start and were ahead of the game at the halfway stage, but a strong bowling performance from Jos Bell and Adam Panziera restricted Kush Singh and Jake Dusdal to 24 runs and left Farmer Daz and Joe Myer a tough score of 54 to win. They fell just 12 runs short, giving Team Blue the last podium spot.
In the much-anticipated final, Team Yellow were pitted against Team Black. Team Black had led the league throughout the regular season, but Team Yellow were surging in the last half of the season and had a great chance of knocking Team Black off top place.
Team Yellow batted first and got off to a strong start, but some canny bowling from Joe Myer and Jimmy Andrews restricted Quentin Dodd and the normally destructive Adam Panziera to a low score and despite a strong 37 from Joel Burns and Raman Bhatia, Team Black were set an achievable total of 85 to win.
Team Black were strong from the get-go, with the first pair of Gabby Mason and Sujith getting them halfway to the finish line with three pairs to go. Despite some great bowling from Team Yellow, the Dark Knights continued to accumulate runs, and ultimately had a comfortable winning margin of 47 runs.
It was an incredible first season for the Campbell River Indoor Cricket League.
The new 2020 season began on January 13. While teams have been shuffled and reset for the coming year in order to keep the competition as tight and tense as possible, they still have room for anyone who hasn’t yet had a chance to play.
Campbell River Cricket Club is also looking forward to the summer season, with plans well advanced to build an all-weather outdoor pitch at Carihi School in the spring and hold a youth training camp in the summer. If you are interested in playing, follow them on their Facebook page where you can contact them with any questions.