Mayor McCallion meets future cricket stars
The Mississauga Cricket Festival began on Thursday (August 28) with several junior cricketers from the Ontario Cricket Academy and Club playing an exhibition game before the evening’s opening ceremonies took place and gave way to Mississauga’s first floodlight cricket match. Mississauga’s Mayor Hazel McCallion, the main guest on Thursday, spoke about the need for cooperation and working together, not just in terms of cricket, or sports but in the overall lives of our communities. Thoughts provided with the hope that the City of Mississauga can help lead the way in all such areas.
Mayor McCallion is not seeking a new term as Mayor after many years at the helm. She has seen soccer rise in importance for her community, and now cricket is rising in popularity. There had been, and still are, increasing demands for soccer facilities, the city has made progress in supporting the cricket community, and traditional sports such as hockey and baseball continue to need playing facilities and infrastructure. She commented on how some of the people who seek sporting facilities may number among those who complain if taxes increase. But to develop sporting infrastructure or to pay for health care costs money. She told the assembled players, sponsors, volunteers, family and friends gathered at the Mavis ground that it would be good if those running soccer, cricket and a more traditional sport such as baseball or hockey could raise funds on their own behalf and come forward to support the costs of providing playing facilities.
The Mississauga Cricket Festival has financial support from Platinum sponsor Mr. Jay Brijpaul, who is involved in Real Estate, as well as assistance from CIMA (the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) and Mena Balgobin, a financial adviser.
The inaugural floodlight cricket match was a successful event, even though Ontario Cricket Academy and Club lost to Toronto Cricket Club. Some changes will be made to the location of some of the temporary floodlights before Friday night’s game between Ontario Cricket Academy & Club and Brampton Masters Tranzac (scheduled start 7.30pm. Canada’s Sports Minister heads Friday’s guest list.
A report of Thursday’s game will follow in due course, preparations have to be made to ensure camera batteries and some other items are in place so video records of the game are available. At some stage recordings from Thursday’s game will be in circulation. Toronto was put in to bat and scored 155, Ontario CA&C replied with an announced 102 but this was modified to 108 based on the umpires summary record of the game. The Laws of Cricket state something close to the umpires being required to keep a record of total runs and wickets lost. In some situations, the umpires are required to keep a record of overs bowled.
Thus at the end of a game, or at the end of each day in a multi-day game, such as a test match or an ICC Intercontinental Cup game, the umpires check with the scorers to confirm the significant scoring information. Some time today, or it may even be during the weekend, the details of the scores for the two feature games of this Mississauga Cricket Festival will be checked and disclosed.
Some left the ground around 11.30pm last night after ensuring the grounds were in reasonable shape and checking on any needs for fuel to help generate the floodlights on Friday night. Low setting sun adds a twist to visibility in the early overs of an evening T20 game at this time of the year. It did get a touch cool, but at least the lights did not attract a swarm of insects.
Mayor McCallion said that she had not yet tried playing soccer or cricket, but at 93 years of age she thought it best to leave the playing of the game to the younger people. So today’s photo is of the Mayor of Mississauga with the youth of today, some of whom prove to be future leaders of Mississauga, the Region of Peel, Ontario, Canada, or even the community of nations. Mayor McCallion played a major part in advancing the cause of women’s hockey in Canada.
I believe there are to be two awards made at the conclusion of this festival in memory of Brandon Paltooran, an aspiring young cricketer whose life was brought to a tragic end in 2010. Peel Regional Police are due to play an exhibition game from 6pm onwards on Friday to set the tone for the evening’s sporting entertainment and community gathering. Admission is free to the Mavis ground on Courtneypark Drive, just west of Mavis.