The 4th Annual Mississauga International Cricket Festival will be hosting 6 nations across the globe to compete in tournaments at the adult and youth age categories. This is the only international festival in North America for youth cricket. The aim of the festival is not only to promote cricket in the city and provide international match play experience to our local players, but also to showcase the City of Mississauga to the nearly 200 foreign guests participating and supporting the event from various countries.
From July 25th to the 28th the Sportobuddy Corporate League from Mumbai (India) plays a T20 tournament against Mississauga based teams, the Ontario Cricket Academy and the Mississauga Cricket Premier League XI. The teams will showcase some high level players competing for the trophy, including semi-professional players from India and Canadian national team players.
From July 27th to August 5th, the Mississauga International Youth Cricket Festival, the biggest international youth tournament of its type in North America, will be showcasing teams from Canada, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, Barbados and USA. At the Under 19 age group level, the standard of play will be of the highest level in youth cricket for the region, with numerous national level athletes participating. The host team, the Ontario Cricket Academy (of Mississauga) has previously won the tournament on two occasions. Other teams invited for the tournament include:
· South Young Warriors (Trinidad and Tobago)
· Caribbean Superkings (Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago)
· Barrackpore Police Youth Foundation (Trinidad and Tobago)
· Trin-Can Combined XI (Trinidad and Tobago and Canada)
· Hamilton Lashley Foundation (Barbados)
· Cricmax (USA)
· Atlantic Region Cricket Board (USA)
The games will give the players both here in Canada and visiting teams an opportunity to hone their skills and compete against the best opposition in the region. All matches will take place at world class facilities in the city of Mississauga, Mavis (Courtneypark) Cricket Grounds and Danville Park.
Soon after the youth tournament is completed the Ontario Cricket Academy will be hosting to club teams from Bermuda at the adult level for a series of friendly matches. Flatts Cricket Club and Warwick Workmen’s Cricket Club will be visiting to play matches against the Ontario Cricket Academy and the Mississauga Cricket Premier League XI.
The Mississauga International Cricket Festival is rapidly growing in popularity throughout the world and the local organizers here are expecting the teams to double, with discussions already in place for 2020 with teams from New Zealand, United Kingdom and India.