By Nelson Belen, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – This coming Saturday, March 17th and Sunday, March 18th, Rio’s Carioca Cricket Club (CCC) will play host to the world-renowned Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) from London, England. The two-day event will take place at the CCC’s scenic grounds of the São Fernando Polo and Cricket Club, near Itaguaí.
It will be a big moment for the CCC as, over the course of the two days, the squad will be able to measure itself against one of the most respected and well-known clubs in the world.
“The CCC is honored to host such a prestigious club in Rio de Janeiro. Our players have been training hard these last few weeks, because we know that the MCC is bringing a strong side,” exclaimed CCC Chairman Tobias Hanbury.
“We will be putting out a big CCC squad this weekend to take on the might of the MCC,” added CCC Captain Nick Ellerby, who also noted that playing against the MCC will be a great opportunity for many of the CCC’s newer players to show their wares. “Some new CCC players have impressed in training, with Quaid a new fiery bowler, and John Singleton high up our batting order.”
The MCC’s visit to Rio this weekend will mark the final leg of the club’s fifteen-day, three-city South American tour that includes Santiago and São Paulo. In both cities, the club is set to take on the Chilean, Peruvian, and Brazilian national sides.
MCC Head of Cricket, John Stephenson, explained, “We have selected a squad that we believe will provide challenging opposition for the matches in Brazil and Chile, and we are hopeful that this tour will aid the development of cricket in both countries.”
At the São Fernando Polo and Cricket Club this weekend, there will be a total of four T20 matches between the CCC and MCC, starting at 10AM and ending at about 2AM each day.
“Our objective is to give the MCC a good match,” said Hanbury, “and at the same time show them some excellent Carioca-style hospitality after their more serious matches elsewhere!”
As has come to be expected from the CCC’s many events throughout the year, both at the São Fernando Polo and Cricket Club and at their training site at the Lagoa baseball field, this weekend’s festivities will include food, drinks, and a multitude of activities on the Club’s grounds, including a swimming pool, horses, cricket nets with bowling machine, and tennis.
Fans attending the event on Saturday will be treated to the CCC’s famous gaúcho churrasoco, with salad bar and vegetarian options. On Sunday, guests can expect a traditional Brazilian Feijoada with all the trimmings.
The price of admission for each day is R$40 per person and includes food and luxury coach transportation to and from the São Fernando Polo and Cricket Club. Buses will depart from the Windsor Hotel in Leme each day at 7:30AM sharp and arrive back at 5:30PM.
Availability for the big weekend is limited, so those interested in attending should contact the CCC through the club’s Facebook page.
Founded in 1787, the Marylebone Cricket Club is the world’s most active cricket club with 18,000 Full and 5,500 Associate Members. The MCC is the owner of Lord’s Ground in London, the definitive home of cricket worldwide, and is recognized as the sole authority on the Laws of Cricket.
The Carioca Cricket Club was founded in 2011, and has grown each year since. Cricket has actually existed in Rio since the mid-1800s, when Emperor Dom Pedro II opened Rio’s first official cricket pitch in 1860 on Rua Paysandu in Laranjeiras.
For more information on the CCC and this weekend’s event visit the club’s Facebook page.
* This is a Sponsored article for the Carioca Cricket Club.