Faiths come together for all-ages friendly cricket

About 200 people including many children showed up for the 17th annual Interfaith Cricket Tournament at Boyne Hill Cricket Club on Sunday.

It was organised by the Windsor and Maidenhead Community Forum (WAMCF), which seeks to strengthen friendship and trust among the different faiths within the Royal Borough.

The first interfaith cricket tournament started out as a friendly rivalry between All Saints Church and the Maidenhead Gurdwara.

Competing teams are a mix – not just representing one church, mosque or other place of worship.

Since then, the event has grown year-on-year and is attended by ‘a good mix’ of local dignitaries, councillors and parents, many of whom stay all day to watch their children play and assist coaches and organisers.

More and more young children are showing up to enjoy a day’s cricket, said Karnail Pannu, chair of WAMCF.

Children’s games started at 10am, with boys and girls turning up ‘in large
numbers.’

The adults’ 25-overs match started at 1pm between teams Dad’s Pods and Young Avengers.

Dad’s Pods batted first and scored 150. Captain Guni Chahal scored 60 for Dad’s Pods and retired. Young Avengers scored 152 for 5 in 20 overs.

Captain Jaivir Pannu was presented with Gurdeep’s Memorial Cup by Cllr Christine Bateson, the Royal Borough’s mayor.

Boys and girls’ trophies and medals were presented by Rev Jeremy Harris, the vicar of All Saints Church.

“[The event] is still going very strong with little kids taking part,” said
Karnail. “It was an absolute delight, we’re so pleased and proud. [Everyone did] an excellent job.

“Thanks to Boyne Hill CC for hosting the tournament. The club is so positive, year after year.”

The club is happy to carry on the support. Any girl or woman interested in joining should contact Jack Spencer Jones at the club on jack spencerjones@yahoo.co.uk 

Two councillors have clashed over a photograph of the WAMCF cricket tournament in which the face of an opposition member was blanked out.

On Sunday evening, Cllr Gurpreet Bhangra (Con, Boyn Hill) tweeted a picture including opposition councillor Gurch Singh (Lib Dem, St Mary’s) in the background.

But Cllr Singh was unhappy to see that his face had been scribbled out with a digital marker, asking for the reason via Twitter, and saying he found it ‘rude and offensive’ and not ‘in the sprit’ of WAMCF.

Later, the pictures were tweeted out again by Cllr Bhangra without the edit.

Cllr Singh complained further that he had been blocked by Cllr Bhangra.

Cllr Bhangra said that he had never intended for Cllr Singh to be in the photo and removed him because he did not have Cllr Singh’s consent to post a picture of him.

He expressed regret that the incident had been ‘highly politicised’ and apologised for any upset ‘to those of genuine concern’.