ROYAL WINS UK FESTIVAL OF CRICKET 2025 – By Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam
35th Annual UK Festival of Cricket took place on Sunday 6th of July at Hainault recreation grounds in east London borough of Redbridge. This venue has staged this event since 2015, except in 2020 & 2021 when it not happen due to lock down. It has eight turf ptiches to play cricket and ample space to park 1000 cars and stage a carnival of trade stalls and fun fair. The event is centered around seven-a-side cricket tournament among the constituent old boys associations, which also provides entertainment for visitors in the form of music from the band stand, food stalls dishing out Srilankan cuisine and trade stalls merchandising srilankan goods, leading to fun and cameraderie among those of varying vintage. Traditional pomp and pageantry associated with the festival was staged with the hoisting of national flags and singing of national anthems of Srilanka and UK. Weather was kind with light shower lasting half hour in early afternoon, which kept the temperature at pleasant level.
This year 33 OBAs participated and due to the odd number of competitors, tournament format had to be modified. Preliminary round was conducted on round robin basis among 11 groups of three teams each. Winners of each group progressed to the main tournament and runners up vied for the plate. Second round was conducted on knock out basis and winners moved to super six stage with two groups of six each and conducted on round robin basis. Winners of each group met in the finals. Royal won their group in preliminary stage defeating Ananda and Kingswood. In the second round Royal beat Joseph Vaz and in the super six stage, Royal beat Nalanda and St. Thomas’ Matale. In the final Royal beat Maris Stella to be crowned champions. Zahira became the plate winners.
