BPC brings British tradition to campus with cricket exhibition

BPC student Lineon Felix, at bat, strikes against a BPC student pitcher during the Cricket Exhibition Match Thursday, Dec. 2 on Barons Soccer Field. Prof. Ian Crowe is pictured to the left of the bowler. (Photos by Raymond Minks)

MOUNT VERNON—The Patriots once again defeated the Tories at Brewton-Parker College, this time in a friendly game of cricket, sponsored by the college’s History Society.

Dr. Ian Crowe, Associate Professor of History, engaged students, faculty, and staff in an exhibition match Thursday, Dec. 2 in which ability ranged from seasoned cricket players to novices.  Dr. Crowe, who lived for much of his life in England, explained the game to an interested crowd of over forty people, recruited two teams and then acted as umpire as the wide bats saw action.

Afiya Castle, a BPC student, plays cricket.

“The match was intended to introduce some of the key aspects and laws of crickets to the BPC community,” said Prof. Crowe. “The event came out of the HIS 480 class this semester, on ‘Britain and Ireland in the Twentieth Century’—cricket being a significant part of the cultural side of British history over the past few centuries.”

Cricket, a bat-and-ball game, is a popular throughout much of the former British Empire, with the United States being an exception.  Brewton-Parker’s international students, who are knowledgeable fans of the game, gave encouragement and served as the nucleus for the teams.

Joshua Johnson, a BPC student, plays cricket.

Trinidadian Lineon Felix, captain of the Tories, indicated in play that a batsman does not need to run after hitting the ball if it is clear that she cannot make it safely to the wicket at the other end of the pitch.  Bowler (that’s English for pitcher) Kim Firth, though herself from England, threw a mean ball as captain for the Patriots.

A traditional British tea break came with the close of the Tories’ innings, when the Brits and Yanks enjoyed hot tea, hot chocolate, sandwiches and cookies.  After a 15 minute rest, the Patriots went in to bat, and the game was on again.

Women’s Soccer Coach Dan Robertson takes a crack at cricket during the exhibition game Thursday, Dec. 2 on the Barons Soccer Field.

While primarily an opportunity for the Brewton-Parker community to enjoy themselves as they learned about an intriguing game, the competitive element was present, and scorekeepers announced that, in their allotted “overs,” the Patriots had out-scored their opponents by 51 runs to 31.   A rematch is in the works for the spring semester.

Brewton-Parker College is the only accredited four-year Christian college in South Georgia.

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