By Nelson Belen, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – This coming weekend, Saturday, November 11th and Sunday, November 12th, the São Fernando Polo and Cricket Club near Itaguaí will once again be the center of Brazil’s cricket scene as Rio’s Carioca Cricket Club (CCC) hosts the Finals of the 2017 Granado National Cricket Championships.
As in previous years, the tournament includes six teams competing in three T20 group matches, with the championship set for Sunday afternoon.
The CCC have two teams participating: the CCC Lions and the CCC Tigers. They join four other teams in the tournament, including defending national champions and current favorites, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Distrito Federal, and a team of young Brasilian players from Poços de Caldas.
As expected, in the first round of Nationals on June 3rd and 4th, the powerhouse club from São Paulo overwhelmed the competition. “São Paulo won all their matches, and beat Brasilia CC convincingly in the final [in round one],” explained CCC Chairman Tobias Hanbury. “Many of the São Paulo squad play for the Brazil National team.”
But, despite São Paulo’s dominance over the past several years, including round one this year, Hanbury is still hopeful for an upset this weekend. “São Paulo are clear favorites, having won the National championship every year but once over the last decade!”
“But,” he added, “we will keep reminding them that the CCC won in 2011 in Curitiba!”
Aside from the action and excitement on the pitch, this weekend’s festivities will include plenty of fun activities for all ages including tennis, swimming, and of course, food.
Lunch will include burgers, sandwiches, pasta and freshly made crepes. Vegetarian options will also be available, as will a bar selling alcoholic (beer, caipirinha) and non-alcoholic drinks.
“Please bring cash for drinks and lunch, and suntan lotion,” Hanbury advised, “because it always shines in the ‘corridor of suncertainty!'”
For this weekend’s Finals, the CCC will provide free transportation from Praça General Osório, Ipanema, to the grounds at Itaguaí. Buses will depart at 7AM and return at 5:30 PM on both Saturday, November 11th and Sunday, November 12th.
Anyone interested should RSVP on the CCC Facebook event page to reserve a seat on the bus and stay up to date on all other CCC developments.
For more information and the most up-to-date news on the CCC, visit the club’s Facebook page.
* This is a Sponsored article for the Carioca Cricket Club.