THREE lusty blows to the boundary saw Tamworth’s Country Boys downed by the Wyong Warriors.
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There’s more cricket than you could poke a bat and ball at in Tamworth presently, but as the defeated’s shoulders slumped and the victors jumped for joy and stormed the pitch when the Warriors slammed the ball to the boundary, you could see this game meant a bit more.
“Cricket is just in our blood,” Country Boy Titus Alias told The Leader.
Monday marked a milestone for multicultural cricket in the New England with local cricketers hoping to grow the game for migrants living in the region.
The Country Boys and the Wyong-men have faced-off a number of times in recent years, but this was the first time the Warriors had come out to play in Tamworth.
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It’s also the first time multicultural cricket has been hosted here and local organisers have their eyes set on kicking-off a regional competition which could look like a mini-World Cup, if it comes off.
“We thought we’d have one competitive game in Tamworth and see it how goes and then develop it into a bigger one in the future,” Mr Alias said.
“There’s lots of people from cricket playing nations like India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan [in Tamworth]; all of these guys could put up a team and we could have a multicultural comp.”
Made-up majorly of Indians now calling Tamworth home, the Country Boys can usually be found playing in the colours of various cricket clubs in town.
While the multicultural games have a social aspect, their hearts are on their sleeves beating with blood steeped in the sport they love.
“It’s one game we’ve grown up watching more than any other game,” Mr Alias said.
“We love cricket and especially when it’s closer matches.”
The push to establish the new cricket competition in the New England has garnered support from Multicultural Tamworth.
“It gives them something to do … they’re cricket-loving nations, we know that because we get beaten by them from time-to-time,” Mr Whitham said.
“It’s a good way of getting people together.”