Croatia Online - Cricket (Yes Really!)

Only the mountains and the impromptu pitch help to give a clue as to location: yes it's a cricket match in Croatia. Expats driving along the main Kaštela road from the airport could be forgiven for a double take, and curious locals were no doubt a little perplexed. The whole event might have passed us by were it not for the fact that our good friend Nigel (www.sailingschoolcroatia.com) happened to have a member of the visiting team aboard one of his yachts last week. The Further Friars, on tour for a week in Croatia, made a sterling effort to hold up England's end but were not quite a match for Croatia's "b" team who took the last wicket with just a few runs to spare. They go on to hone their skills at the next fixture on Vis Island. Vis's cricket club had its heyday in the early 19th century, led by Sir William Hoste, but now has a new lease of life thanks to Nikola Roki who returned to Croatia after 30 years in Australia and decided to revive the game.

We had just a short time to try and establish the history of cricket in Croatia but have been assured that it is a growing sport. We hope to have more news on future fixtures, and Croatia's place in the cricket world, in a few weeks time.

Check out our sister site, www.croatiacruisingcompanion.blogspot.com, for the latest nautical news, including the Split Boat Show, and a great blog we've just properly discovered.