Berlin Cricket Club

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So what is the BCK anyway?

Logo of the Berliner Cricket Komitee

BCK stands for Berliner Cricket Komitee

Lots of cricketers have been asking me about the BCK recently. So, I did a bit of research to make sure I could give the right answers. And the truth is that the BCK goes way back further than I thought. But before we delve into the history of the BCK, it’s useful to know what the BCK is and how it jigsaws into Berlin’s cricketing landscape.

Cricket in Berlin has pretty much always been played at the Olympic Stadium complex. And this is why our links to the stadium authorities go way back to the post-war period.

The BCK is actually a committee of the Berliner Fußball Verband (Berlin Football Association). Hence the name. Or in other words, it is part of the biggest and most powerful sporting community in Berlin and has been since even before the birth of today’s German Cricket Federation (Deutscher Cricket Bund, DCB).

As cricket expanded throughout eastern Germany after the demise of the GDR, it was eventually decided that an umbrella organisation was needed to meet the needs of clubs outside Berlin. All the other regions in Germany have their own regional associations and it was time for the eastern regions to follow suit.

The articles of association of the Berliner Fußball Verband referencing the BCK

But the problem in Berlin was that, as the BCK is part of the BFV, it couldn’t easily be integrated into the DCB. It also didn’t really have the authority to act on behalf of clubs in, say, Saxony or Brandenburg. So, with the kind help of the DCB, the ODCV was brought to life to take on that role.

And so we find ourselves in the rather curious position of having two organisations, the BCK and the ODCV, looking after cricket in the region. Since the vast majority of DCB matches in Berlin are held on the Maifeld there is an overlap of jurisdictions there, too.

But there’s no conflict of interest and indeed the ODCV and the BCK have a good relationship. After all, both are working towards the development of cricket in Berlin and the wider region.

If you’d like to get in touch with the BCK or find out more, please message them on their Facebook page.

European Cricket News

Well, what a week it’s been for Berlin CC. Having qualified easily for the second round of this year’s ODCV T20 league, losing only one game to archrivals Rehberge (or DSSC if you prefer), we joined the other Berlin clubs down in Dresden for a week-long carnival of T10 cricket. The whole event takes place at venues around Europe throughout the summer and is broadcast live on YouTube. More info on their website here.

We won 7 of our 8 matches in the first round to top Group B going in to finals day.

In our semi-final we came up against old friends and tournament hosts, Dresden. Bowling first, Imran led the charge conceding just 14 runs and taking 2 wickets in his 12 balls. The rest of the wickets were spread around, so a strong all-round performance with the ball meant Dresden struggled to make inroads, ending up with just 85 for 9 wickets from their 10 overs.

Berlin started well with the bat and despite a wobble in the middle overs, came back to finish strong with Awais and Sahil putting on 33 in just 2 overs to wrench the momentum back our way.

In the end we won the semi-final easily with 5 balls to spare.

So, on to the final where we met Britannia who we’d beaten twice in the group round – admittedly once by default because they couldn’t get a team to the ground on time. This time, Britannia won the toss and decided to bat first on a moist pitch with plenty of sawdust. Despite starting well, Berlin couldn’t keep up their good form, with a number of chances going down and an extraordinary ‘recall’ of their batsman Panjwani who was stumped by a mile having walked past a ball from Karan. Britannia complained that the bowler had tape on his fingers and it should therefore have been called a no ball. Remarkably, the umpires upheld the ‘appeal’ and the batsman was allowed to continue.

Confusion as opposition successfully ‘appeal’ a decision from the dugout

So, Britannia ended up posting 109 for 7. In reply, Berlin lost wickets at regular intervals and struggled to cope with the scoreboard pressure. After 4 overs, we’d slumped to 22 for 6. Ivan and Manish put on 28 in the last 4 overs to give our score a sheen of respectability. But sadly, there was no coming back and Berlin CC finished Runners Up at their first ever outing in the European Cricket Series in Dresden.

Congratulations to all the players who took part. You all put in an excellent performance and can be proud of what you have achieved. Berlin CC played the tournament in an excellent spirit and we are all looking forward to getting our revenge next year.

All photos by kind permission of ECN. Photographer is @diana_oros.

Addendum: BSV have denied that they ‘complained’ about the protection on the bowler’s finger which led to the recall of batsman Panjwani. They say the decision was taken solely by match referee Robert Kemming. We are still unable to find any stipulation in the ECS playing conditions that a ball bowled by a bowler wearing protection on his fingers should be deemed a no ball. Law 28.1 of the MCC Laws of Cricket merely states that “…protection for the hand or fingers may be worn only with the consent of the umpires”.

And that’s stumps.

As the curtain falls on the most extraordinary season cricket in the modern era, we look back on a mixed yet remarkable season for Berlin CC.

Considering that back when the corona pandemic first hit, no one quite knew if would play any cricket at all. We have been very lucky to get in a full T20 season. The club is very proud of its 1st XI which played outstanding cricket all year, only to trip up at the penultimate hurdle. To end up in the top 4 teams in the whole of Berlin bodes very well for future seasons. In the 2nd round of matches, we managed a respectable 3rd place, losing only to Chemnitz and eventual ODCV champions and losing DCB Pokal finalists, Britannia.

Berlin 1st XI finished 3rd in the second round, qualifying for a quarter-final slot.

The story was somewhat different for our 2nd XI. With only 7 games in the first round, 1 of which was cancelled at short notice by the oppo, the season was always going to a much harder slog for the 2s. Nevertheless, despite a string of early defeats, we finally found our mojo, winning 2 of our last 3 matches. Though, sadly, this late surge was not enough to make it through to the 2nd round.

Truncated season: only 6 competitive matches for the 2nd XI

If anything the loss of the 50-over matches has led to an IPL-like boost in the popularity of the T20 format. Not only does it help ease the organisational headaches of trying to fit in a full season of all-day games with only limited availability of the Maifeld. But it also means matchdays are less time-consuming and physically draining for players – although playing two T20s in one day is oddly more strenuous than playing one 40-over game.

We’ll have to wait and see what the format will be for next season. It’s very likely that pandemic restrictions will still be in place and we may have to endure another truncated season.

Nevertheless, we are lucky our sport is non-contact so we were able to have any games at all. Thanks and recognition must go to the DCB & ODCV for organising a successful season and putting the necessary COVID safety restrictions in place so we could get the backing of local authorities to play and train.

On the flip side, there were some disciplinary issues this season, which, in our view, exposed serious failings in the disciplinary process at ODCV and with the DCB appeals process in general. More on this in another post.

So, as one season ends, another begins – we will soon start our indoor season. Though with the current rise in COVID cases, we do not know what the next few months will bring in terms of restrictions and safety measures.

Stay safe. Wear a mask. Social distance.

Two Scorching Defeats and One Damp Squib

2nd XI suffer two straight, sun-soaked defeats, while 1st XI endure disappointing washout.

With the Bell Tower at Maifeld undergoing renovation work and the stands being totally rebuilt to house an incredibly costly exhibition, there is now no respite from the punishing Berlin sun. And temperatures scraped 32° on Saturday, as the 2s faced a double header of T20s to kick off the truncated season.

In the first match, new skipper Vimal got off to a great start by winning the toss and electing to bat first. But after a bruising start – with Ivan and Yuvraj punishing anything loose – the innings began to stutter. Despite a solid middle-order contribution from Martin, we lost 5 wickets for just 14 runs to post a below-par 72 all out.

With some laser-targeted bowling up front, TAG e.V. got off to a slow start. And it looked like BCC might turn the tables when Yuvraj pulled off a one-handed return catch out of nowhere. But it was not to be – as the bowlers lost their lines and started bowling wides under the pressure of defending such a low score. Tim took two classic millionaire wickets – caught by Ivan on the long-on boundary – but TAG knocked off the required 73 with a full 5 overs to spare.

By now the sun was really beating down. In the second match against last season’s arch rivals, the Eagles, BCC were asked to field first. But conceded 146 thanks to some tired bowling – with 18 wides in 20 overs. The catching was also sub-par, giving the batsmen a stiff task in the searing heat.

Vimal and Ivan gave it their best shot – with 28 and 24 respectively. But the spinners bowled tight lines and restricted BCC to just 97 for 7 off 20 overs.

On the Sunday, the 1st XI were due to play Viktoria im the afternoon – but after the heavens opened up, only 2.2 overs of play were possible. Enough time, however, for Saddam to smash a four and a six to get us off to a great start. But the rain never really went away and, in the end, we had to settle for a no result.

… to rain-drenched

in just 24 hours.

So, after such a long wait, our start to the season was somewhat of an anticlimax. Nevertheless, there are plenty of matches left – and a top 4 position at the end of the first round will ensure either team goes through to the next round.

I’ll post more about the new format shortly. And talk about some of the teething problems we’ve had to deal with. Until then, try not to get injured at training.

Two Groups of 12

So, it’s happened. We’re finally back training again after nearly nine months. And what a great feeling it was.

The sun was shining, the grass was green, our hopes were high. It was good to be back.

Rules
But, of course, Covid-19 hasn’t gone away so there are still plenty of rules to adhere to. Up to 24 players are allowed to train at once, but these are restricted to two groups of 12.

No changing facilities and no kit storage – which means lugging it nearly 20 minutes by foot from the nearest parking spot and 40 minutes from the nearest public transport.

A golf cart would come in really handy. But despite all these inconveniences, playing cricket is clearly better than not playing cricket.

And at least we don’t have to beg the guard for the key anymore.

Pitch & facilities
Both pitches are actually in surprisingly good condition and have not been damaged at all over the winter – probably because the weather wasn’t too harsh.

The grass has been cut – also around the edges of the strip – and there are two new portacabins near the boundary of Maifeld 2.

These contain toilets, which we are allowed to use, and changing rooms, which we are not allowed to use (yet).

Maifeld 1 – grass cut, but still plays like a bread pudding.

Berlin CC merch
We’re pleased to announce we’ve set up a Facebook shop to sell BCC merchandise and other cricket related items.

But beware: stocks are limited; so if you want something, get in there before someone else does.

We’ve got hoodies and caps on sale right now – but we’ll soon be adding items like pennants, trousers, polo shirts and so on.

Blast from the past
Whilst delving deep into their cellars, and under their beds, members have posted some absolute memorabilia 💎.

Most impressive are these trophies and plaques from some of our past successes:

New members
And finally, if you’re new to Berlin (or old, for that matter) and want to join the club, we’ll be gradually inviting new players to join us for training as the season progresses.

It might take a while because of the current restrictions – we have to give priority to current members – but please be patient and we’ll do our best to get you involved as soon as possible.

If you’re not that bothered about playing and just want to be part of our community, you’re very welcome to get in touch – we’re always looking for umpires, scorers and organisers in general to make the BCC machinery run…

And… we’re back!

The news came through the wire early on Wednesday: Cricket is back on the Maifeld.

And we’re so happy to announce the news, that we’ve overlooked how stringent the Corona rules are.

Of course, the Corona rules apply to all organised outdoor sport in Berlin, so this includes football, basketball, hockey and so on. But, as most cricketers are surely aware, these rules are easy to implement for cricket.

During net practice, as long as bowlers use their own balls and keep 2 metres apart while queuing to bowl, there can be little chance of passing on the virus. Batsmen are well advised to buy their own kit, though, and not share. No licking or using sweat to polish balls, should go without saying.

The trickiest rule for us will be not allowing more than 7 players plus trainer to train together during a session.

With a membership of around 50 and approximately 35-40 regular players, it means a player might only train once every 4 weeks – which seems utterly counterproductive. Though, on the bright side, the training restrictions are likely to ease as the season progresses.

According to our contact at the Olympic Stadium, full league games may begin again from 25th May – though there will be an understandable lag as a fixture list is quickly cobbled together. So, we expect to start week beginning 1st June.

Which is of course very good news indeed for everyone who’s been cooped up inside for the last 2-3 months.

But it does beg the question as to why only 8 people are allowed at training but 24 during a match? Though these are mere details that will be sorted as the season rumbles on.

Other good news, for Berlin’s cricketers at least, is that mass events such as the Pyronale and the Lollapalooza festival will almost certainly not take place on the Maifeld this year. Presumably paving the way for us to use it all the way through until October. We can but hope.

We’ve also had some instructions passed down to us from the DCB. It seems their long-awaited Bundesliga proper has been postponed until 2022 and the usual 50-over competitions have been suspended in the regions until next year.

So, although a season of T20 is better than no cricket at all, the club very much hopes it can organise some longer-format friendlies later in the season, perhaps at Werder.

If you’re a member of Berlin CC or want to become one, I suggest you get your subscription fees transferred sharpish because there’s going to be a lot of competition for places and that will be the number 1 criteria for inclusion.

Keep calm, play cricket, don’t drive to Durham.

Lockdown: Week 3

Well, that’s week 3 done. Now we’re heading into week 4 with a little less of the sense of impending doom we had in the first couple of weeks. Not necessarily because the virus is receding, but more because we are slowly adjusting to Lockdown2020. People are pretty much moving their lives online and/or into their gardens (for those lucky enough to have one). Of course, let’s not forget that a LOT of people are dying. As I write, the figures are still scarily high: Germany just hit the 100,000 mark, with 1,500 deaths and nearly 29,000 recovered.

People who have until now taken many things for granted are slowly beginning to understand how fickle life is and how things can come crashing down within just a few weeks. For instance, it has been reported that UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has just been admitted to hospital because his symptoms have now persisted for longer than 10 days. Even the rich and powerful aren’t safe.

I also notice on my daily exercise outings that people are at least making an effort to stay 2m apart. People will make more of an effort to avoid you – even more so than before the pandemic. But doing so with no malice aforethought, they might even flick you a smile or a nod in acknowledgement of our joint goal to keep ourselves safe from infection.

And to top it all, this has been one of the warmest springs I can remember. The sun is blazing. Temperatures reaching 22°. Impossible to stay inside under those conditions.

We all want to be outside playing cricket.

But we are where we are – and without the incredible talents of healthcare professionals around the world, we’d be in an even darker place. So, although there is no way of knowing for sure how much longer we’ll have to stick it out, I’m hearing Austria is contemplating loosening restrictions next week. Hopefully, Germany and the rest of Europe will follow shortly afterwards.

Keep at it fellas and visualise that hundred you’re going to score, or 5 wickets you’re going to take when this is all over.

The C Word

So it’s finally time to talk about the C word. The coronavirus pandemic is about to hit Germany hard and we are all hunkered down waiting for the wurst käse scenario. Organised sport has been banned, schools, kitas and playgrounds closed. We’re in a self-imposed lockdown waiting for the infection tsunami to hit the shore. And while some of us are wandering along the beach marvelling at the receding tide, blissfully unaware of the awaiting danger, the rest of us are running for the hills.

Pandemic’s are a very rare occurrence. The last human pandemic was Spanish Flu back in 1918. Over 500 million people were infected and it is estimated to have killed at least 17 million people. The latest figures for COVID-19 now stand at 287,000 infected, just under 12,000 deaths and nearly 90,000 have made a full recovery. Startling figures indeed. And it’s only going to get worse as it sweeps its way across Europe and the rest of the world.

The atmosphere in Berlin is slightly weird. Other than those selling essential items, the shops have been ordered to close. The selfless enforcers of order have donned their police-like uniforms and are prowling the streets looking for non-essential businesses ignoring the ban. These include bars, cafés and restaurants. Although supermarkets are still open, of course, toilet paper is still not widely available because of morons stockpiling it, along with hand disinfectant – most of which are not resistant to viruses anyway. When you do venture out to forage for food, there is a palpable sense of distrust in the air. People are finally beginning to respect others’ personal space and trying to keep a distance of at least 1.5 metres – so you won’t get someone poking you in the back with their trolley in the queue, at least. And people are starting to be wary of one another. You can see them looking at you wondering if you might have it, eyes darting left and right to make sure they don’t bump into anyone and get infected. Through three layers of clothing.

Well done to all those who have survived the first week of lockdown – especially if you have children. And please remember to keep a safe distance from others and only go out if you really have to. No sneaking out to the pub – grab your booze from the supermarket and maybe even organise a Skype drink with your mates.

You can, of course, continue to train indoors. It just takes a little imagination.

Remember: Wash your hands. Stay safe. Stay at home.

Just Not Crickit

The fight against misperceptions of our sport in Germany and Europe is still a very real one. Here are some of the most common myths:

That cricket is somehow played on horseback.
That cricket is croquet – “just like in Alice in Wonderland?”
That we drink tea all day.
That it’s not a proper sport, just something to pass the time.

And it’s one thing to not know the basics, but then to actually show off your ignorance and use it as a backstory on your website, is something else. Like this Hamburg company did:

“Julia’s husband Michael, who’s responsible for the day-to-day running of the company, has a passion for cricket. Not only does this equestrian sport dispense with referees, it also stands for fairness, reliability and decency.” (Translated from the German).

We are sincerely concerned for the well-being of Michael and his horses – and indeed the other members of the team who, presumably, are running around on two legs instead of four. Surely a disadvantage – especially when it comes to LBW? Mind you, without a referee does it matter anyway?

International Women’s Day

We think it’s brilliant that more and more women and girls are getting involved in cricket. And we would like to actively encourage more of you to join our club. If you are reading this and thinking, I’d love to play cricket – then drop us a mail or click the ‘sign up’ button on our Facebook site. You’d be very welcome to make our club, your club.

Another Great Meeting

Sadly, Berlin CC’s Annual General Meetings tend not to enjoy huge attendances. There seems to be a misconception that they are a bit stuffy, drone on and on and don’t actually achieve much. But if you want to air your views about issues arising during the season – this is the best time to do it. They are also a great source of information about the day-to-day running of the club. And it lasted just 3 hours!

Only 14 members were present this year. Nevertheless, there was plenty of healthy discussion about the state of the club and its future direction. Some of the issues debated included:

The club providing more financial support to pay the entry fees of prestige indoor and outdoor tours/tournaments. Including, for example, Dresden, Bucharest and possibly others. 💶
Growing pains. The club has plenty of keen new members wanting to join but is unable to offer training and/or playing opportunities due to the lack of facilities. How do we manage this without turning prospective members away? 🚷
Maifeld accessibility. The Bell Tower entrance to Maifeld will be closed this year due to the reconstruction work going on. Not only will we have to use the far entrance, there are also no showers or storage facilities.👃🚿

If you are a member but were unable to attend, please read the minutes (they’ll be sent round) to find out more or ask someone who attended.

And congratulations to…

Karan who recently passed his Level 1 trainer qualification. He will now be taking our Tuesday training sessions until the end of March. Thanks for stepping up, Karan!

Also well done to Martin who was awarded Best Fielder in the Regionalliga by the ODCV! He only managed 10 catches all season but apparently that was enough… 😳🏆