The CIMA Toronto Mayor’s squad leave for the UK this coming Friday (July 29) and I am sure we wish them all the best for a successful trip. It should provide opportunities for learning and cross-learning as they meet with people from different walks of life.

Those listening to the International Sports Report (ISR) on the FAN590 on Sunday morning (July 24) may have heard the interviews with tour coach/manager Adil Askary and tour captain Michael Walton. A warm-up match between the tour squad and a UK Consul’s XI has been scheduled for Tuesday at the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club.(At the moment I do not know the scheduled start time for that game).

The results from this year’s tour are due to be posted on the CIMA website and will also appear on the International Sports Report website (www.isr590.com). Thanks go to those involved with ISR590 for continued international cricket coverage and for providing the opportunity to promote this tour, and Canadian cricket.
The weekly ISR program currently starts at 7am on a Sunday morning and I have made the occasional appearance by phone in the past. This included discussions from Centurion Park, South Africa, during the 2009 Cricket World Cup Qualifying final between Ireland and Canada, as well as an update on the 2009 Under-19 Cricket World Cup qualifying competition staged at Maple Leaf Cricket Club (King City) and the Malton Cricket Club (Mississauga).

The last day of that tournament included Canada U19 v Afghanistan U19. Afghanistan are due here at the start of August for a 4-day Intercontinental Cup game with Canada, two ODI’s (50 overs) and some T20 matches that are due to include the visiting Trinidad and Tobago national side.

A Jamaican squad are due here later in the week to face Canada, but that is in a different sport: rugby league. The game at Fletcher’s Fields, Markham (which like the Maple Leaf Cricket Ground is a bit “in the middle of nowhere”) takes place on Sunday (July 31) with a 3.30pm kick-off. It forms part of the Caribbean Carnival Cup.

I was not aware that Jamaica had a rugby league team, until the last few weeks. But there is a similarity between the cricket tour and the effort to build better communities through cricket (and other sports) in Toronto and efforts to build better communities and opportunities in Jamaica through rugby league.

Jamaica beat Canada 32-12 in the 2010 Atlantic Cup The Jamaicans lost to the USA in the 2009 (37-22, Jamaica’s first international match) and 2010 Atlantic Cups. The Jamaican Rugby League Association was founded in 2004 and has a ten team national league, as well as some parish and other emerging competitions.

So bridges can be built, deserts irrigated and the stream of life can be made better. Back in the 1980’s you would not have been sold a ticket for a rugby league game (especially in England) when visiting a rugby union match (I was at Fletcher’s Field to see St Peter’s College, New Zealand, play the Ontario Under-18’s recently.)

Thanks to the guys at ISR for the cricket feature and best wishes to the CIMA Mayor’s Squad in England.