For the past few weeks students at the American Academy have been meeting on Wednesday afternoons to play cricket.

This is not a traditional Cypriot sport. Many of the students had not even heard of cricket before they came along for the first Wednesday practise. But they have taken to it like a goat t o the hills, learning the skills and folklore of the game and enjoying the simple pleasure of hitting a ball with a bat as far as they can.

Cricket is a game always associated with the British empire and despite it or even because of it other countries have either adopted or rejected it. India, Pakistan, Australia, South Africa, West Indies, here cricket is the national sport. But Italy, Greece, Israel, Libya, Iceland?

Cricket is spreading throughout Europe and The Middle East, partly through the efforts of the European Cricket Council who promote and support new cricketing countries, but mostly because it is a game that is fun to play, whether on ice or on desert sand.

And now it has reached Cyprus.

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It is a natural hot weather game, relaxed and sociable, unlike football. To play well a person does not need to be an athlete or fast runner, unlike in football. All you need is natural rhythm and a good eye. Which is why boys and girls at the American Academy in Larnaca have taken to cricket so easily.

The American Academy is the third school to take up cricket. St Johns and Heritage in Limassol have been running cricket coaching for over a year.Now we have to help other schools to come to the game. There must be students out there who can badger their sports teachers into organising the odd game of cricket. We can provide equipment to start you off, bats and balls. This summer we may even have some inter school competition. Contact us at Cyprus Cricket. Email info@cypruscricket.com.