To the very last minute, the Quesnel Cricket Club had the game in hand.
“All we had to do was get their last few battes out,” said Bik Bhangu, a member of the Quesnel Club.
A team of Thompson River Universtiy (T.R.U.) Students had come up to play at the Quesnel club’s request, a rare treat for a team who’s last game was two years ago against Prince George.
The T.R.U. team, mostly made up of international students, came down with the optimisim of youth, ready to win against the northern team.
“We surprised them,” Bhangu said.
The game started at 9:30 in front of 30 fans who had come out to root for the hometown team and watch this rare treat.
The Quesnel club started the game on a high note, winning the coin flip at the beginning of the game and opting to bat first.
Through the first half of the game, the Quesnel club built up their score, with Lucky Bhatti snaring the most notches on his cricket bat, adding 35 runs to the total of 99 the club got, just one shy of the magical triple digit number.
After the first inning, the game took an intermission for lunch, before the Kamloops team stepped up to bat.
In much the same manner as the Quesnel team, the Kamloops side rung up their points, edging closer and closer to the magical number. As the score got closer tensions heightened.
“It was a nail biter for sure,” Bhangu said.
Then, in the last minute of the game, Kamloops was able to breach the three digit mark, taking their 100 run to win the game.
The game finished up over five hours after the fateful coin toss, at 3 p.m.
Even with the loss, Bhangu was happy with the game,.
“We had fun and it was good competition,” Bhangu said.
The game was fun enough to encourage the Kamloops team to reciprocate and invite the Quesnel club down south to play.
Though no plans are concrete yet, Bhangu hopes the team will be able to make the trip before fall.
For those interested in learning more about the sport of cricket, or who want to join the club, contact Bhangu via email at bbhangu@hotmail.com.
The club practices on Sunday afternoon.