Ryerson University won the Men’s version of the Canadian College Cricket 2019 Ontario Cup on Monday (January 14, 2019), beating Humber College in the championship game. The tournament format changed from a two day (afternoon and evening) event into a one day event (early to quite late) that, on the day, had a participating entry of seven universities and colleges. There had been hopes of 16 teams in 4 groups but knowledge gained this year can be used as a guide for future indoor championships.

Ryerson

Ryerson University and the University of Ontario Information Technology (UOIT) qualified for the playoffs from Group 1 with McMaster University placing third. Humber College and McGill University progressed to the playoffs in Group 2 ahead of the University of Ottawa and Wilfrid Laurier University.

There was live scoring via CricClubs and live video streaming that included the current CricClubs summary score and commentary at some stages during group matches and throughout the semi-finals and final. The commentator for the first semi-final and final is seated around the game camera, live streaming display and the cup in the gallery, with a boundary fielder poised for action down on the playing area. A range of interviews via cell phones and other video recording devices are likely to have been posted on social media and may blend at some future date with tournament action from the main “game action” camera. One drive during the day’s play thundered into a tripod that did not have a smartphone or video camera attached. The tripod, in turn, thundered into a big pillar; the tripod survived but it’s unlikely a relatively delicate camera would have survived being pummelled into the pillar.

Later this month a Canadian College Cricket squad is due to visit Houston, Texas for some cricketing action. Later in the year there is to be a development tour to the International Cricket Council’s base in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Eddie Norfolk