October was cricket month at York University. York is U, the University’s student alumni program, held its third annual Cricket Challenge Tournament earlier this month at the Tait McKenzie Field House located on York’s Keele campus.
Right: Team Pakistan, the 2004 champs
When it first began, the tournament had just six teams and an audience of 50 students. This year’s event boasted 10 participating teams and drew a crowd of over 225 people. The teams battled it out on the Oct. 1 weekend for the coveted York is U Cricket Challenge Cup.
Team Bangladesh took home the inaugural championship in 2003. Last year’s tournament saw Team Pakistan take the championship cup. This year, the crowds watched some great matches and in the end, Team Multicultural, led by Sachit Kanwar, emerged victorious over the defending champions from Pakistan.
"We weren't expecting to win," said Kanwa. Captain of a team made up of students from India and Pakistan, Kanwar was very proud of his crew. "The fact that we have [won] shows great unity amongst us as players and as people," he said.
Right: Team Multicultural, winners of the 2005 championship
Dignitaries in attendance included Ben Sennik, president of the Canadian Cricket Association, and Marcus Akhtar, manager, marketing & communications, for the Canadian Cricket Association. Both attended the competition on Saturday and were impressed by the level of play from all teams.
The Best Batsman award winner was Isam Baig from Team Multicultural, while Amithan Sebaraj from Team Bangladesh was crowned Best Bowler.
Participants praised the event, marked by good sportsmanship and friendly competition, and expressed anticipation at meeting again next year.