After two-and-a-half years, the Development Program is at an interesting and exciting stage. Whilst there is a great deal to do, there has been much ground- work laid for significant progression to be made and many advances in relation to all of the Program's following main areas of attention have already been achieved; tournaments, coaching, umpiring, youth/elite development, junior/schools programs, administration, grass roots participation, cricket resources, promotion & marketing, special projects, Academy visits/cricket camps, equipment, and practice & playing facilities. The Program is certainly full of unique cricket/sporting stories in distinctive locations of the world. This is just one of them.

Pacific Passion, with a capital P

Bula!

Fiji's Crompton Cup has history. It was first contested in 1951 in the old capital, Levuka, the winners being Suva with Ovalau (now defunct) being the runners-up. This Final was reported as being 'marred with rain', a precedent that has been frequently repeated over the years. On several occasions it has been cancelled because of wet weather and in 1964 it was not held because of floods! Over the years, it has been played in all the major Fiji centres of Levuka, Suva, Lautoka and Nadi during the Easter period. The trophy itself, with hardened glue overflowed where the Cup meets the base, reveals that it has been won by all host towns and cities, remote island Associations like Moce, Tubou, Heilala and teams from Australia, such as Bundalaguah, a tiny country town in far-east Victoria and the New South Wales Police team. The first overseas team to take part was actually South Otago Warriors from New Zealand and the first to win it was Takapuna from Auckland, NZ in 1967. But this year would be different, for various reasons, there were no registrations from overseas teams for the first time in many years. A disappointment to the Fiji Cricket Association? No way! An opportunity. This would be a true Fiji National Cricket Championship and would establish the relative status of all Associations at the present time.

Ironically in this case, the event is now played in Nadi due to the unstable weather in Suva and the subsequent state and unavailability of its grounds. But the western district has had a rough time of it lately, rain wise, and after all the organisation and travel it took to arrange the event, the eight teams all arrived to play their Pool games in just that – pools. But in Fiji, the enthusiasm and commitment for cricket means that the game goes on, in fact, two per day, per team, per ground.

Venues varied greatly, at Nadi College, there was a real danger of sinking in close to the stumps on one half of the ground but there was no way the captains were compromising to the point of only bowling from one end. Over at Lautoka, 25 kms away, things were a little drier but the grass desperately needed the cut it couldn't get. In some instances, there was evidence of other sports within the field of play, a rugby, soccer or netball goal structure here or there – but there was no doubt that this was cricket's time. All things considered, the new artificial pitches provided by the ICC were holding up well. Whenever the sun broke through for half a day, the Nadi Muslim ground threatened to soak up the substantial excess surface water but it just never got there, it was full to the brim underneath and simply needed a lot more time. Needless to say, the replacement ball situation was an issue.

Some said it wasn't cricket as it should be played but then when they compared it to the other alternative – no play at all – they knew it had to be done. It was just different cricket. And pity the poor umpire or official who tried to tell these players that matches should be abandoned. After all, it wasn't just the National title at stake here. There was another reason the best cricketers in Fiji had left new born children behind with mum and relatives, put off jobs to be done, spent money not easily spared to get there from the islands, travelling by various means. This was the selectors tool for picking the National Squad to train for a place in the Fiji side to play in the ICC Trophy in Canada in June/July and an opportunity like that only comes around every four years.

Cricket is played in great spirit in the Pacific Photo © ICC

The fact is, a bout of terrible weather can adversely effect, or ruin, any cricket event anywhere in the world. The difference here was that this simply would not be allowed to happen. Yes, the logistics were in place so that games were moved and rescheduled wherever possible but when every day of play starts with sunshine in the morning but ends with thunderstorms in the afternoon, there really is not much the organisers can do. And this approach isn't unique to Fiji, it truly could have been a scene in any of the cricket loving Pacific nations where enthusiasm for the game explodes. Whilst hard fought and competitive, all the games were played in a fantastic spirt of tradition and goodwill, despite the conditions. And that's not to mention the natural skill.

Unbelievably, bowlers were still consistently landing the ball on a decent spot. In one of the Pool games at Nadi Muslim, late in the innings when the ball was like a wet cake of soap, a Tobou player at short mid-wicket amazingly held on to a full-blooded pull. Both the players and the crowd took several seconds of silence to realise that the impossible had happened and that it had stuck. They then erupted and Ratu Eroni Loganimoce, a sixty year old veteran of cricket in Fiji and a National selector, couldn't recall seeing a better catch. And they don't rave about everything in Fiji, the one-hander over the head on the boundary line at the same ground in the Semi-Final barely raised a clap – after all, it was in a rare dry patch and he did have solid footing.

The new scoreboard provided by the ICC created a fair bit of interest as too did the article in the "Fiji Times" announcing that Brian Ulrich (actually Brian Aldridge, New Zealand Umpiring Manager) was in attendance at the event, at the initiative of the FCA/ICC, to conduct umpiring forums and stand in the Final. 35 people attended his first session and all sorts of questions were fired from local players, National team members, honorary administrators and paid FCA Development Officers alike. One attendee actually jumped at the opportunity to put into practice what he had learnt that morning when a vacancy popped-up at a match that afternoon. The other umpire at that game, 22 year FCA Secretary, Peter Knight, wished he'd worn his shorts. As for the players, they all started looking exactly like cricketers in fresh clean whites. But 10 to 15 overs in, many had turned to "blacks" and some guys opted for the shorts and bare feet.

Cricket is played in great spirit in the Pacific Photo © ICC

Young teenage players, who also attended Brian's presentation, admired the talents of the senior players, all whilst clutching their copies of the ICC's "Spreading the Field" Development Newsletter that they had received. They occasionally pointed out the paragraph stating that the East Asia – Pacific Under 19 World Cup Qualifier would be held in Nadi in August. Whilst speaking a different language, their tone told you they had every intention of making that team to take on Papua New Guinea and Hong Kong for a place against the big guns in New Zealand in 2002.

It's not just on-field activity at the Crompton Cup. The FCA held its Annual General Meeting and processes for local Association input into National constitutional reviews and strategic plans were resolved. Other issues were hotly debated. New faces on the scene publicly stated their commitment to making a contribution acknowledging that all the plans and support mechanisms in the world are nothing without the manpower to implement them. All the philosophical arguments, and relevant practicalities, of cricket development were discussed at length – in transit, in official meetings, watching play and over a drink in the evening. The new Fiji Cricket logo featuring the crested iguana, indigenous to Fiji, was launched.

Locals lamented the level of media support in comparison to the importance of the event. The undeniable tourist in the "Cricket is Life. Nothing Else Matters" t-shirt wandering through Nadi town, oblivious to what was happening a five minute stroll down the road may have justified this observation. It was noted that all District competitions had to get stronger, larger and more regular and then they would then be much easier to sell in comparison to their competitors. Strategies were put in place. After all, whilst it was once a major feature of Fiji society, and still is on many islands, despite the outstanding efforts of many (but, as is often the case, too few for what is required) cricket has been through some hard times there. Fiji cricket has really only started to significantly move towards where it once was on a nation-wide basis since the establishment and impetus of the ICC's Program.

Back to the event itself, there were displays of great power (one island side batting first on an enormous wet ground in a 30 over game was struggling a bit at 7/75 off 21 overs but at 7/100 off 22 things had changed), there was politics (well, obviously, where would a sporting competition be without it?), there was pleasure (Suva Warriors eventually took the title), and there was pain (Fiji representative, Joji Bulabalavu, bowled on with a broken toe after sliding into the concrete pitch in bare feet, in the wet, to stop a quick single).

The Final was a marvellous game in the best tradition of the islands. The weather had improved, the local town council had at last been able to get on the ground in the rest day and worked wonders with roller and mower - the outfield was fast and level and the sun shone all day. What a change from the first two days. Suva Warriors batted first in the 50 over encounter and at 144 all out in only 30 overs the Moce team were in with a real chance. This looked even better 20 overs later with Moce at 3/109 and two of their best batsmen at the wicket. Every run and wicket was greeted by cheers and songs from the large Moce contingent, and over 300 people were present in all. Then the collapse – 6 wickets for only 3 runs and Suva won by 32 runs.

Throughout the tournament, spectators spoke with excitement at the rumours abounding that, after 36 years of sitting idle in a bure in the remote island of Lakeba, the most historic of all Fiji cricket trophies will again be competed. Suva had made the challenge to travel to the island and meet it on its home soil for the Dewar Shield, which was presented in 1928 by the whisky making family and is made of solid silver and stands over a metre high. FCA officials confirmed that dates had been set for October. Now that will be another story.

The Pacific is a pleasant place to play cricket! Photo © ICC

Most pleasingly, against all the odds, in just a long-weekend, along with opportunity, the most crucial aspect of cricket development - progression - was clearly being made. The fact that this could occur was definitely due to the most evident factor on display, a wholehearted passion for the great game of cricket.

Pacific Passion.

© ICC