Sports in Tamba- Tamba, part 2: Cricket.

The earliest sporting events held on Tamba- Tamba were cricket matches.
We know from the writings of Thomas Cock that the early settlers played informal matches, and when the English arrived in 1795 the islanders were still enjoying the game to the extent that matches between 'The Island' and ' The Garrison' were played on a regular basis. Matches were also played between combined Tamba- Tamba teams and the crews of visiting Royal Navy vessels.

The game developed more formally during the period when Sir Harvey Graves was Governor (1817-1834).
Sir Harvey had played cricket at Harrow, and developed a good playing field at The Meadow.
This site is just across the main road from The May 15th Oval where all of the important matches are still played.
In the latter half of the 19th century there was something of a mania for cricket on the island, and a number of small clubs evolved.
Rivalry between these clubs was great, this made for vibrant local competition but also led to Tamba- Tamba relinquishing its potential place on the cricketing map.
In 1900 the newly installed Clifton Gates Kakoy set out to cement his popularity with the islanders by arranging a match between Tamba- Tamba and a team from the MCC.
It was only natural that Clifton Gates Kakoy would captain the team (although at 40 he was past his prime he had been a decent player) as well as being responsible for selection.
Clifton played his club cricket for The Cricket Club, and leading players from Palmerston's other two clubs, Wanderers and The Sons of Dreadful, made themselves unavailable to avoid the potential snub of not being selected. Clifton, ever the diplomat, made it known that all three clubs should be equally represented. This led to further squabbles, with some Cricket Club players complaining that the team should be picked on merit alone.
The upshot of all this infighting was that when the MCC team arrived at Palmerston ( to a boisterous reception) Tamba- Tamba could barely scrape an XI, a couple of his Cricket Club teammates were inexplicably absent and reserves were drafted in from downtown Palmerston's The Sons of Dreadful club.
Despite the ill will that had preceded the Great Match nearly every inhabitant of Tamba- Tamba was at The Meadow on the morning of April 15th 1901.
The MCC team, led by Chairman of Selectors the legendary Lord Hawke, was something of a mixed bag, comprising a number of Young Gentlemen who would not have got a game against a more established opposition, and a handful of older pros.
It was when Clifton presented Lord Hawke with his team sheet that events descended into farce.
Tamba- Tamba's XI for the Great Match was as follows:

Clifton Gates Kakoy.......... (Cricket Club)
The Hon. Sir Hugo Gates.......... (Cricket Club)
Lady Cecilia Gates.......... (Guest)
Artemis Rowley.......... (Sons of Dreadful)
Frederico Cox ..........(Sons of Dreadful)
Davie Berry.......... (Sons of Dreadful)
William Stock.......... (Wanderers)
Jenny Berry.......... (Sons of Dreadful)
Francis ..........(Guest)
Thomas Paine Cox ..........(Schoolboy)
Vernon ..........(Wanderers)

William Stock was Black Tambanese, Francis and Vernon were both barefoot Wessel's islanders. Lord Hawke had some reservations about playing against 'natives', but what irked him most was the presence in the side of two females, Clifton's cousin's wife Lady Cecilia and 15 year old Jenny Berry. It was not unusual for young women to play in men's teams on Tamba - Tamba.
The crowd grew restless as Clifton and Hawke engaged in negotiations in the pavillion. Hawke insisted that 1) the game would not be reported in the English press, 2) it would not be recorded in the annals of the MCC, 3) that the MCC would not reciprocally invite Tamba- Tamba to play a return match in England.

MCC

Hawke won the toss and invited Tamba- Tamba to bat. Tamba- Tamba were all out for 23 (Lady Cecilia top scoring with 15 not out). The English batsmen adapted well to the coir matting and Hawke felt confident enough to declare on 351-2.

Lady Cecilia taking guard...

The following day MCC were unable to take to the field, victims of a stomach complaint that frequently affected new arrivals to the island. Clifton Gates Kakoy sportingly declared it a rest day, but a storm then ravaged the island for three days, bringing the scheduled date of departure for the MCC's steamer. The match was abandoned as a draw.
Cricket remains popular on the island and at a later date we will look at some players from the modern era.