Hanging outside “The Cricketers” is a swinging sign that shows a red lion rampant above stumps and crossed bats. Inside the bar restaurant there is a there are stained glass windows. A long side wall features, framed in black and white, a fading photograph of the visiting MCC side of 1927. Further along, a signed portrait photo of King George V, more faded still.
This is the Cricket Club in Lima, Peru, whose members on this Saturday afternoon are watching their children swim in the pool or sunning themselves in deckchairs at the side. Only a few people stand around the cricket pitch at one end of the terrain. This is a Peruvian private club, where people pay a membership fee to enable them to relax in the security of a
The league has five teams, one largely composed of teachers from the UK, another made up of Pakistani car importers from the South of the country. Since the tax-free status of this free trade area was close this team has gone into decline. Another team of Asian business men and two mixed teams make up a league with
Residence qualifications at this level are more flexible – Dougal has played for Scotland (by birth), and for Argentina (2 years residence) and now represents Peru (by marriage).
The annual Indian Ambassadors Cup features a 4-way of 10 over matches, featuring India, South Africa, Australia and England.
Seventy spectators include partners, children, wives and families. Voices on the sidelines speak Spanish, English, Hindi. Screaming parakeets fly overhead. Smoke rises from the South African Braai, and the Australian Barbie. The Indian team has a white-jacketed waiter serving red wine, and beef and mustard sandwiches, courtesy of the Ambassador.
After holding the South Africans to a , the English started catching practice on the outfield as the corks were being popped on the Chilean reds. It was 12.30.
Peru has few sporting triumphs to celebrate. The sporting passion is football, but Peru is forever fated to fight in a World Cup Group with Brazil, Argentina and Colombia. The Andean people are short and stocky, built for mountain endurance rather than savannah speed.
Nevertheless the country has its heroes – Ines Melchior, weighing in at 55 kg and 1.58 m tall, has dominated South American distance running for 15 years and placed 25th in the 2008 London Olympics in a time of 2:28:54. When Kima won the 2009 World Boxing Featherweight title, she became an instant Peruvian star.
A few players were on loan. “Thanks to the great effort of Anwar Chaudry (the Bangladeshi born British Ambassador to Peru and opening batsman), the British team is winning” explains an Indian father to his son.
Meanwhile on the square, intensely competitive fielding backed by a dozen raucous wags on the boundary tightened the screws on the English openers and at -3 after three overs. Bus a s[irited stand from hurried through for some desperate singles put the pressure back on the Indians – leading to a handy three off the last ball – one run while the ball returned to earth for a drop catch at mid on, two more for successive wild throws at the stumps that were not backed up.
Chasing 80 off ten overs, a position of 42 for three after four overs looks secure. But as it becomes 45 for 4 after five overs, 49 for 4 after six overs, 50 for 5 after seven overs, England sniff a chance. Vultures circle overhead.
A couple of fours and it comes down to seven off the last over. The first ball is smeared confidently past mid-on for two runs. Two full tosses down the leg side follow, at which the batsman swings and misses. Both are signalled wides: the bowler returning red faced and glowering back to his mark. His next is a slow, looping delivery that finds its target as the batsmen attempts a hoick to leg off the third legal ball, losing his middle stump. The new batsmen prods tamely back to the bowler on the fourth. A hasty single – patted off the hip – brings the in form batsman to the crease for the final ball – two to win and one to tie. He pokes at a short ball outside the off which floats through the hands of the slip – aggressively retained to the end – and rolls towards the boundary for a comfortable couple as the collapsed slip gives chase. The wags scream and crowd the boundary rope, waving Indian flags.