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International Cricket in Split as Mediterranean Cricket League Comes to Town

Split to host the MCL this weekend (Photo credit: Swedish Nomad)

Cricketers from all parts of the world are gathering in the Dalmatian city of Split today as the 3rd Mediterranean Cricket League (MCL) is poised to get underway.

The 3rd MCL will be held from 7-10 June 2018 at the home of Sir Oliver Cricket Club in Kaštel Štafilić, which is located just up the road from Split Airport. This year’s tournament will feature teams from the UK, Australia, Thailand, Estonia, India and Croatia.

Sir Oliver Cricket Club in Split

One team who will be taking part in the tournament for the first time is The Boomerangs, a team of mainly Croatian heritage cricketers from Australia. The Boomerangs are a new team which formed by the group ‘Friends of Croatian Cricket’ (FOCC) which aims to foster and develop players of Croatian heritage in Australia.

The tournament will provide the squad’s large touring party an opportunity to also get back in touch with their roots.

The 4-day, T20 tournament has attracted a number of top cricketers over the last three years including former Indian test player Abey Kuruvilla.

Playing shirts for this year’s MCL

It will be the second taste of international cricket in Croatia in as many months. Last month teams gathered on the island of Vis to play the annual Vis International Sixes tournament.

Whilst cricket was first played over 200 years ago in Croatia, when Napoleon’s naval forces ruled the Mediterranean prompting the English to send Captain William Hoste and his battle armada to the Croatian island of Vis to set up base and play in their spare time, it has only been since the late 1990s that the game has really been played.

2017 MCL winners Saaremaa Kriketi Klubi from Estonia

Entry to the ground, which is located at Resnik Resort – Njiva Sv. Petra 6, Kaštel Štafilić – is free throughout the tournament. Former Australian cricketer Simon Katich, who is of Croatian heritage, is the MCL Ambassador.

You can follow the results of the tournament on the Mediterranean Cricket League’s Facebook page.

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