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2004 John Ross Robertson Trophy - A Look Back
3/16/05
After a couple of years the John Ross Robertson West trophy returned to Alberta in the hands of Gujarat Cricket Club. In the midst of a dramatic 2004 season, the E&DCL played host to the annual event. Gujarat CC did Alberta proud by picking up their second championship with wins over Manitoba and Saskatchewan
Click here for the tournament report
Alberta v Manitoba scorecard
Alberta v Saskatchewan scorecard
Ramkhelawan reigns in Edmonton
Ravin Moorthy
2/3/05
With all the excitement surrounding issues with Calgary based players and clubs over last year, the achievements of one Albertan was somewhat overlooked province wide. Edmonton's Jacob Ramkhelawan had one of the best season's with the bat in recent memory. Consistently getting the best of Edmonton's bowlers, Ramkhelawan picked up a century against Victoria Park and then 7 half centuries in the 14 E&DCL top division games he played. His average of 87.00 was tops in the E&DCL by a wide margin and was clearly the most productive batsmen in the province all year. He captained the 2004 Edmonton U25 squad that beat Calgary by 8 wickets in Calgary late in the Summer.
At a young age, Jacob already has a long list of achievements to his resume. In 2000 he was selected to his first E&DCL Senior team and has been a fixture ever since. He has represented Alberta in the Canada Cup 4 times and each time collected the team MVP trophy for the tournament. This achievement was reflected in his selection to the 2002 Canada U19 team that toured Jamaica in 2002.
2004 was an excellent season for Jacob Ramkhelawan and Alberta expect it to continue into 2005.
Schools In - Academy opens it doors to another year
Ravin Moorthy
1/17/05
 After an intense 5 month pilot program that ran in Calgary from May to September 2004, the Alberta Cricket Academy opened its doors for its first full session on January 15th.
As with the inaugural session last year, the 2005 Academy will emphasize fundamental cricket skill development. Academy head coach Mark Duncan, a student of body mechanics, has structured a 14 week technical program that will educate and push the athletes to achieve maximum precision and efficiency in their cricket skills.
High performance fitness training will continue under the direction of the Athletic Training staff at Mount Royal College in Calgary as it did in 2004. The world class facility and staff produced fantastic results during the pilot program and expectations are high to meet and exceed those results this time around.
This year's interview process identified prospective candidates for Alberta's u19 and Senior squads with future goals of selection to the national squads. It is expected that the younger athletes will continue within the program over the next 5 years, solidifying the Academy as an important step in the development of Alberta's future in Canadian Cricket.
2005 participants are :
Yawar Abbas (Crown CC), Mukul Ahuja (Cavaliers CC), Daniel Christie (Colts CC), Daniyal Fahim (Colts CC), James Flaherty (Glenmore CC), Romil Gupta (Colts CC), Shajib Jaidad (Colts CC), Talha Paracha (Crown CC), Talal Paracha (Crown CC), & Sumit Thapliyal (St. John’s CC)
Western Sticky Wicket
Ron Saywack
01/15/05
 PREAMBLE
The diligent connoisseurs of the game of cricket in Wild-Rose Country have still got their work cut out for them when it comes to creating a niche on the diverse Canadian sports mosaic. On the eastern slopes of the Majestic Rockies, after more than a century since the introduction of this British sport, they have only barely managed to carve out a toehold, while a foxhole is needed. The Americanization of sports in Canada, limited financial resources and a sequence of mediocre leadership tenures are all partly responsible for the state of cricket in Alberta. Precious little progress was made in 2004; and very little, still, is expected to change in 2005. But hope springs eternal.
THE INFORMATION AGE
The south remains lights years ahead of the north in the area of the information age. A main reason for this regional technological disparity is the gifted Ravin Moorthy who generously and freely contributes his time and computer expertise to the league's website. The site receives upwards of two thousand hits a month during the height of the cricket season and is a vital source of important information for members as well as assorted other interested parties. As of late 2004, there was no viable, operational website in Edmonton, but plenty of talk about getting one up and running with the help of computer experts in the Calgary league.
NEW INITIATIVES
Chris James, immediate past president of the Calgary and District Cricket League, who was elected three years in arrow before withdrawing his name from the running for a fourth straight term last October, was instrumental in implementing many new and innovative changes during his tenure, as well as reviving old ones. Some of the changes, inspired by this high-energy former president, include an annual open-house weekend, featuring a free bbq to the public with a quick lesson in the game of cricket, a large sign mounted atop the pavilion indicating the year the league was established (1908), league-paid umpires, and the installation of artificial turf. The annual dinner and award-presentation banquet is a restored event.
TROUBLED WATERS
Surprisingly, there has been no such leadership continuity in Edmonton. Rather, in the past four seasons, three different men have been president.. There have been several complaints, recently, about poor leadership. For example, many veteran players alleged that they were not notified of last summer's Masters Games until two days before the event. The Masters is an inter-city competition played by seasoned and semi-retired Alberta players, over 45. The president of the Edmonton league was noticeably absent at October's ACA AGM at Red Deer, nor did he bother to prepare a written president's report. Consequently, vice president, Rakesh Patel, in an attempt to save face, gave an ad hoc verbal report, in stead, as Edmontonians vow to change this condition, beginning immediately.
FACILITIES
On a more positive note, the north continues to enjoy superior playing conditions much to the envy of the south. Beautiful Victoria Park is to Alberta what Lord's is to English and world cricket, and what Yankee Stadium is to baseball. It remains one of the premier cricket facilities anywhere in the country. Players in Calgary long for, and cherish, the rare opportunity to play there. By contrast, the Calgary league continues to be mired in an apparent losing battle with the City of Calgary in their ongoing struggle to gain concession in improving playing conditions at Riley Park. Put mildly, playing cricket at this venue is synonymous to asking ice hockey players to skate on cement. Each season players inevitably complain about the frustratingly high grass (about four inches in some parts), management engage in regular dialogue with the City but, in the end, regrettably, it appears to be an exercise in futility. However, 2005 promises to be a little different, as the league has elected a special committee to work closely with the City in hope of resolving the impasse. But it will certainly be an uphill struggle.
UMPIRES
After many years of substandard umpire training programs, Alberta is now producing many new CCA-trained umpires at all levels. This was made possible by the diligent pro bono work and inspirational tutelage of Toronto-based instructor Mr. Kantilal Patel, who held invaluable seminars in both Calgary and Edmonton in April, 2004. The ACA's primary objective is to field as many knowledgeable and competent officials as possible. Mr. Patel promises to hold annual umpire seminars in Alberta at Red Deer where the two main Alberta cities can simultaneously attend.
NATIONAL PLAYERS
For the first time in many years, two Alberta players were selected to the national team in '04. They were Easan Sinnathamby and Manzoor Chaudhary, both of Calgary. An important factor in getting the recognition and the opportunity is the fact that there is now an Alberta-based national selector in Christopher James. Nonetheless, it is a testament to the high level of cricket played in the province. Calgary has recently adopted an advanced training program for young players who demonstrate promise to better things.
ALBERTA CRIICKET ACADEMY
The Alberta Cricket Academy was instituted in Calgary last year under the auspices of the talented Rathan Moorthy. It was held at Mount Royal College and the Infield Sports Training Facility. The Academy is reserved for elite talented young players with potential to play high-level representative cricket. All participants came out of the inaugural program in much better physical condition than when they went in. This, naturally, gives Calgary a slight advantage over their northern counterparts. Edmonton plans to establish a similar academy soon. In addition to the Academy in Calgary, there is a good youth development program in both cities. This program, led by the competent Mukul Ahuja, involves the use of kanga-ball cricket in the schools, as well as Saturday morning training sessions on league pitches.
SUMMARY
Though there is plenty of work to be done, the future of cricket in Alberta looks promising. In Edmonton, the need is for steady and reliable leadership; in Calgary, it is for improved playing conditions and the acquisition of new grounds. Albertans, and indeed all Canadians, are hopeful that the upcoming season will be brighter and sunnier than the wet and soggy one of last year.
CCA AGM
Ravin Moorthy
1/14/05
Past president Christopher James attended the CCA AGM in Toronto late last year. For the second straight season the CCA made some sweeping changes at the executive and committee levels. Click here to download the full report
Alberta Centennial year kicks off
Ravin Moorthy
1/4/05
The province of Alberta turns 100 this year and as the province's oldest sport Cricket will certainly be at the forefront. The ACA has several marquee events planned for this year including the ACA Intercity Series :
4 Matches between Calgary and Edmonton Senior Men’s Teams
2 Match Series between Calgary and Edmonton U18 Teams
2 Day Match between Calgary and Edmonton U25 Teams
2 Match Series between Calgary and Edmonton Masters Teams
2 Match Series between Calgary and Edmonton U15 Teams
The ACA will also host the annual Western Canadian U25 Tournament (May 2005 - Edmonton) as well as the Tahir Cup Championship (September 2004 - Edmonton).
Additionally the ACA will continue to build on its mandate to spread cricket around the province with matches planned for Red Deer, Ft. McMurray and Lethbridge.
The premier event of the summer will certainly occur on Wednesday September 28th @ Riley Park in Calgary when the venerable MCC arrives in Wild Rose County to take on Alberta. Further information will be available through your local cricket representative as well as this web site throughout the year
January 15th will mark the start of the second session of the Alberta Cricket Academy. After an extremely successful 5 month pilot program, the ACA gave the Academy a full go ahead for both Calgary and Edmonton at the Red Deer Meetings. The Academy also received a real boost at the CCA AGM where the presentation turned a lot of heads.
Happy New Year
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