The ICA has fully embraced the European Cricket Council's Spirit of Cricket initiative, and has announced a number of events that will be organised to mark the week.

The main activity will be the hosting of a youth mini-cricket tournament on Tuesday April 30. The day is a school holiday, as Israeli's celebrate the Jewish festival of Lag B'Omer. The holiday is traditionally celebrated by lighting bonfires in forests and open spaces the evening before, at which children and adults alike have an enjoyable time till the early hours of the morning. The tournament has been scheduled for an afternoon start, but the true commitment of each player to the game they have come to love will be easily judged by those who sleep walk their way out to bat and those who don't...

The tournament is not intended to be just another opportunity for the youngsters to enjoy themselves with bat and ball. Violence in schools and even on sports fields, whilst on the decline, is still an unfortnuate phenomenon in Israeli society. At every practice session the players are reminded as to the standard of behaviour demanded by cricket, and this will be emphasised even more so during this tournament, which coincides with the Spirit of Cricket week. Flyers handed out to each child informing them of the event include the following description of what the ICA beleives the spirit of cricket means for junior players - "Cricket is a sport based on friendly relationships between participants. We must always respect our opponents, the umpires and the players on our own team. It is not important whether we win or lose - good behaviour and playing with a smile on our faces will ensure enjoyment and success from the game we all love so much".

Activities will not just be limited to the junior players. An Israel X1 will meet an Israel A team on Friday May 3 as part of preparations for the European Championships in Ireland. This game will also be used to further promote the game in Israel, giving spectators a chance to enjoy as good quality a game as is going to be seen in Israel at the moment.

Division 1 league matches scheduled for May 4 will also be played under the spirit of cricket theme. Captains of the respective teams will be asked to spend a few minutes prior to each game to remind their players of the importance of playing according to the spirit of cricket, which will hopefully ensure not just a weekend of pleasant, competitive cricket, but will also rub off through the entire season.

The week will close with the launching of an U11 mini-cricket league. The league, following on from the formation of the U15 league last year, is intended to become the breeding ground for our future stars, giving the young players a chance to play a weekly competitive game against rival teams, which can only increase their enthusiasm and improve their skills.

© ISR