The Napa Valley Cricket Club (NVCC) heads north of the border, to Vancouver, this coming weekend for their first ever international tour. The trip to British Columbia will be the clubs fifth tour in their short six-year history with previous tours to Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Diego, and Phoenix. An invitation to play in Vancouver has been on the table for a number of years through connections with North Bay cricketing rivals Marin Cricket Club.
“Part of the culture of cricket is an away trip either during or at the end of the season” explains NVCC tour manager Clive Richardson, owner of the Calistoga Roastery “and after all of the successful tours to date we decided to take up the invitation to head north to Vancouver”
The traveling party of 14 are looking to overcome the commonly known problem of “Touring Team Syndrome” where touring teams invariably end up losing their matches. The match that NVCC will play against a select social team from the Vancouver area league is scheduled for an afternoon start on the same day as the team travel.
Pete Carson batting for NVCC on the 2013 tour to Los Angeles. Credit Gary Howes. Top photo, NVCC touring party to Phoenix in 2016. Standing (L-R) Bill Wagner, Bernie Peacock, Scott Curwood, Phil Bourke, Pete Cameron, Leigh Ritchie, Ross Rossiter, Clive Richardson, Michael Scott, Graham Jones, Bijoy, Ojha, Rob Bolch, Martin Mackenzie. Kneeling (L-R) Jared Thatcher, Angus Cleland.
“Thanks to the more northerly latitude and the fact that we’re in Vancouver just after the summer solstice we can still be playing cricket at 9pm at night” says Richardson “so a 4pm start is what’s on the schedule for us at the truly stunning Stanley Park just west of Vancouvers’ downtown area.”
NVCC came close to winning their tour game to Phoenix in April 2016 where a spirited 51 run knock from Bijoy Ojha helped NVCC to within 22 runs of the Phoenix total.
“It would be great to win the game on Friday at Stanley Park which would set the scene for a great weekend of sightseeing in Vancouver and its environs.” surmised Richardson.