A46 Friday, April 20, 2012, Tri-City News
www.tricitynews.com
TRI-CITY SPORTS
CONTACT Larry Pruner, Sports Editor email: sports@tricitynews.com phone: 604-525-6397 • fax: 604-944-0703
Centaurs rough up Riverside
COLLEEN FLANAGAN/BLACK PRESS
Thomas Venos of the Coquitlam-Moody Rockies prepares for the catch while the Ridge Meadows Phillies’ Patrick McConnell takes second base in a recent Peewee A minor baseball game at Pitt Meadows Athletic Park.
Tamara Derby set up two goals before striking for her team’s final pair herself as the Centennial Centaurs thumped the shor tstaffed Riverside Rapids 6-0 in a Fraser Valley North AAA senior girls high school soccer league game Wednesday at Cunnings Field. Nicole Foreman also scored twice on back-toback boots in the 30th and 41st minutes to push Centennial to a 3-0 margin, then later set up Derby for the final goal for a header off a corner kick. Sier ra Leung and Amy Kirby also tallied for the Cents, who got shutout netminding from Veronica Aguiar. Olivia Aguiar and Brooklyn Doucette supplied assists. On Monday, the Cents meet Terry Fox at Gates Park while Charles Best visits Heritage Woods, with Riverside getting a bye.
SuperStrikers cricket kids bat at Mackin By Larry Pruner THE TRI-CITY NEWS
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mack in the teeth of the National Hockey League playoffs, an entirely different game completely new and unique to many young Tri-City athletes is eagerly being chewed up at Mackin Park. Cricket. When Kevin Bridgens spawned the SuperStrikers Youth Cricket Club five years ago, three children showed up to the initial session. When the new season begins April 30, he’s expecting more than 30 to be registered. And that’s plenty –– at least for now. Bridgens, the SuperStrikers head coach, and his assistant Patrick Davey have their hands gladly full teaching youngsters aged 6 through 15 the finer points of the game that is most popular in countries such as England, Australia, the West Indies, South Africa, India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. “It’s really about enjoyment,” said Bridgens, who, now 50, played eight years professionally in South Africa before moving
competition, similar to what to Canada with his wife, Kitty, they go they through in rugby 13 years ago. “It’s promoting and soccer,” he said, adding that the sport, that’s predominantly another hurdle locally for his it. It’s just a matter of giving sport is securing adequate fakids the opportunity to play.” cilities, as a traditional cricket Added Kitty: “We are very revenue takes up more space than laxed, [there’s] no pressure. We two soccer fields. want the kids to have fun and Athleticism is key to masterto learn a new sport. Cricket is ing cricket, Bridgens said, espesuitable for all types. Some kids cially for the position of wicket who don’t shine in other sports keeper, which he held during do really well in cricket.” his playing days. Yet there’s Bridgens said Canada is conroom for everybody regardless sidered second tier in cricket ALEX BRIDGENS globally but the sport is expanding in the of size or shape, he added. “It doesn’t matter who you are and what country annually, largely due to immigrants playing from other parts of the world where you are, there’s a position for you,” Bridgens the game is incredibly popular. For instance, said. “Cricket has a lot to do with co-ordinathe government in the Caribbean’s Trinidad tion... running, catching and hitting.” In SuperStrikers, those aged 6 through 11 and Tobago declare a national holiday for learn on a Kanga ball, made of plastic, while certain key cricket matches. “The whole island shuts down for it,” those 12-15 employ the traditional hardball, which Bridgens describes as “cork covered Bridgens said. Canadian cricket doesn’t get near that type by leather that’s smaller and harder than a baseball.” of attention, Bridgens conceded. For more information, visit www.super“There’s a lot of talent in Canada but it comes down to [travel] distance and finding strikers.ca.
SIMPLE RULES OF CRICKET
• Cricket is played between teams of up to 11 players each. • The centre of the action is a pitch 22 yards long with wickets (three cricket stumps) placed at each end, though a shorter pitch can be used by children. The pitch is roughly in the centre of the playing area. • Two batsmen play in partnership to score runs against the bowling (pitching) of the fielding side. • The score is counted by runs, which are the number of times the batsmen run from end to end of the area between the two “popping creases” –– lines across the pitch four feet from each wicket. • Runs are usually the result of a hit by the batsmen, with a hit across the boundary scoring four runs, or six if it crosses without touching the ground. • The most common ways of dismissing a batsman are “bowled” (bowler hits wicket past batsman), a catch off the bat and the run out of a batsman while attempting a run. • A match consists of one or two innings by each side.
COQUITLAM METRO-FORD SOCCER PLAYERS of the WEEK JACOB HANAVELT JULIA BELMONTE e! n Coquitlam Metro-Ford HOTSPURS Coquitlam Metro-Ford STOMPERS S...forcyoourrCeMFSO am Te C JACOB HANAVELT moved to the Tri-Cities area from Texas in 2010 and began playing for the Metro-Ford Soccer Club at that time. Since then, he has been a conscientious, consistent, and productive member of the Under 16 Hotspurs team. Jacob works very hard at practice and has developed into a rock-solid defender and a key member of the Hotspurs. The coaching staff is extremely pleased to have Jacob on the squad and enjoy immensely working with him, along with all the other Spurs players! For his immense contribution to his team’s successful season, JACOB HANAVELT has been selected as Coquitlam Metro-Ford Male Player of the Week!
THE ALL NEW
This past weekend, the Under 14 Metro-Ford Stompers defeated the Burnaby Selects and thus advanced to the quarter-finals of the Coastal Cup. Not only did JULIA BELMONTE score a great goal against Burnaby, but she also turned in yet another stellar performance to lead her team to victory. Playing as a midfielder, with responsibilities to push forward into a right wing position whenever the opportunity arises, Julia has become one of the key ingredients that have made the Stompers one of the top Metro teams in the Under 14 Division. In the Cup game against Burnaby, Julia posed a constant threat down the right flank and provided numerous dangerous crosses into the penalty area. For her amazing performances during her inaugural season with the Metro-Ford Soccer Club, and especially this past weekend, JULIA BELMONTE has been named Coquitlam Metro-Ford female player of the week.
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