For the Carrollton Cricket Club, the seasons of 1997 and 1998 stand alone as a solitary mountaintop amidst the fog of mediocre cricket clubs in Texas. CCC cricketers were able to rise to the challenge of powerful opposition with some high-octane Cricket. Dallas County Cricket Club, Lanka Sports Club, and the Fort Worth Lions were among the clubs that faced the wrath of CCC during the regular season, and then again in the playoffs. Winning four trophies in two seasons, made this young Club a revered competitor and to say the least, explosive cricket team to have assembled in the North Texas region.
The star studded annual banquette hosted by North Texas Cricket Association (NTCA) featured several local dignitaries including the Mayor of city of Irving, local radio personalities, and city officials from Irving and Carrollton. It could have easily been called the CCC show. The club collectively picked up seven trophies in several categories. The raw talent, discipline, and sportsmanship displayed by this young club not only drew accolades from various clubs but also from the president of NTCA. The shear dominance of the club on the landscape of North Texas Cricket is going to be remembered for years to come.
It would only be fair to share this limelight with City of Carrollton. From the very beginning, the City of Carrollton has been accommodating by providing the test class field to CCC (which is time shared by two other clubs). The field has been instrumental in the drive to bring the Championship to the City of Carrollton the officials of the parks and recreation department was able to recognize the potential and was pivotal in organizing the drive. It has opened the horizons further more this year when City of Carrollton extended the 1999 season for four extra months. It gives the club an opportunity to bolster its efforts in keeping the championship where it belongs. In Carrollton.
The perception to the game of Cricket has gone through a lot of changes since its days of aristocracy. The long five-day tests, with launch and tea time is destined to become the thing of the past. As fans across the globe demand an exciting form of Cricket the ICC (International Cricket Committee), constantly strives to make it fast paced and interesting to fit today’s lifestyle. It is now the game of fierce competitors with raw hunger for excitement. It is the fast pace of today’s cricket that makes it so popular among cricketers and spectators all over the world. This fever has brimmed over the geographical boundaries and has spilled over into U.S. and Canada. Canada has hosted three major tournaments in the last three years. The days are not far when U.S. will be hosting an International Cricket event right here in North Texas. And who knows, it could be right here in Carrollton.
In North Texas the game of Cricket has ultimately taken on a new meaning. With a pool of talents flourishing in this region, it is undoubtedly competitive and world class. It is not just a cup of tea, anymore.
