Morocco stages first official cricket tournament

The famed Moulay Rachid Sports Institute played host Sunday to the first official cricket tournament ever held in Morocco under the aegis of the Moroccan Cricket Association (MCA) with the participation of a Moroccan team.

Although the young players of Rabat's "Stade Marocain" failed to win this first trophy, they behaved very well fighting for every point but losing their two games against the Casablanca "Indian XI" and the Emirates' "Friends XI" of Rabat.

The final game, a true display of talent and technique by both teams ended in favor of the squad representing the Hindu community of Casablanca with 103 runs for 2 wickets down in 15 overs, and 85 runs for 9 wickets down in 15 overs.

This tournament sponsored by HIST, a group building a sports complex in Tangiers including cricket fields meeting international standards, is the first event of a series to be staged in the coming weeks before the start of a genuine national championship and the selection of a national squad from cricket teams blooming within major existing clubs in the kingdom thanks to technical and material back-up by MCA.

The association, working in coordination with the London-based "ICC" is giving out a first batch of equipments and outfits including bats, helmets, balls, to several clubs to help provide opportunities for young amateurs and proven players alike to practice and play cricket.

MCA is targeting large numbers of young people looking for a break and keen on playing a new game to make of cricket a sport as popular and successful as football, field and track, and tennis.