Led by rugby sevens鈥� inclusion in the upcoming Rio Olympics, abbreviated versions of sports have become a rage. But to quote the Tragically Hip, cricket was ahead by a century. Well, at least the VISAS six-a-side cricket tournament began in the last century.
Held every two years, VISAS celebrates its 30th anniversary with the 2016 edition, which opens Saturday at Beacon Hill and Windsor parks.
The inaugural tournament, in 1986, was created as a way to lure people to the Island after visiting Expo 86 in Vancouver.
鈥淭he cricketers just kept coming back for more,鈥� said Nick Grant, organizing chair of the tournament.
鈥淭his event really caught on and is now one of the longest-running six-a-side tournaments in the world.鈥�
The 10 teams coming this year to the Island for the VISAS tournament are from England, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, U.S. and sa国际传媒.
While most six-a-side cricket tournaments are five overs, VISAS is 10 overs, meaning games are about 75 minutes compared with about 45 minutes for other six-a-side tournaments.
鈥淲e found a middle, hybrid ground that allows for a higher level of strategy while maintaining the six-a-side element,鈥� said Grant.
The VISAS event was the first to pioneer the vibe that rugby sevens has plugged into so well.
鈥淟ike rugby sevens, as soon as one game ends, the next one starts,鈥� said Grant. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a beer garden 鈥� and Beacon Hill Park is such a fantastic place to watch cricket [where it has been played since 1852].鈥�
Admission is free.
鈥淲e have a number of players who have played at a good level, including Orlando Baker leading the Dallas entry here this week,鈥� said Grant, referring to the recently retired captain of the U.S. Twenty20 national team.
Round-robin pool games run 10 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Wednesday at both Beacon Hill and Windsor parks. The playoff rounds begin next Friday with the finals on Aug. 6.
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