A little background on SKK
SKK was formed in 1994 by a number of "cricketers" who at the time were too fat, lazy or drunk to play for the established Helsinki Cricket Club. It is a measure of the success of the club that despite these handicaps, it is now able to beat this venerable old club on a regular basis.
True to say, SKK has developed with cricket in Finland, and just as The Finnish Cricket Association (Suomen Krikettiliitto ry) was accorded affiliate status of the ICC in 2000, SKK has expanded considerably from its humble beginnings. It now encompasses a first, second and third team; and hosts an annual Six-a-side tournament which attracts over 100 cricketers from Finland and the Scandinavian/Baltic region.
SKK holds indoor winter training sessions every Friday evenings; summer training (which usually starts in mid-May) is held at Ruskeasuo on Tuesdays and Friday evenings (contact Paivi or Steve for details), and welcomes new members of all abilities and nationalities.
Development on the Cricket Front
Cricket in Finland is - in its own modest way - booming. For those of you who may be surprised that cricket is played in Finland at all this might seem paradoxical. But, elk stop play and snowed up run-ups apart, it is true!
In the late 80's, a tour was organized by the British Embassy in Moscow for Helsinki cricket club to play a game against a mixture of British, Australian, New Zealandic and Indian diplomats. This tour contained the first televised game of cricket on Russian TV and the tour was such a success that the Russian team toured to Helsinki the following year. However, the establishment of Stadi CC, Vantaa CC and Turku CC in the 1990s has meant that cricket had a firm base in Finland at the turn of the millennium. Other teams such as Tampere CC, Espoo CC, FPC, Empire CC and the first 2 truly "Finnish" cricket sides - MTS and the Naval Academy CC Finland - have shown an increase in teams playing in Finland on an almost yearly basis.
The Finnish national team has become a regular competetitor in ECC tournaments held every year in various parts of Europe and the squad contains a mixture of indigenous and naturalised Finnish players with long-term residents. Finland is also now an affiliate member of the ICC, with development at both grass roots level in Finnish schools as well as coaching courses in umpiring, cricket coaching and scoring.
So cricket in Finland has its serious side. But for 500 plus active cricketers in Finland it is mainly fun. For the growing number of indigenous Finnish players, who form a new and welcome part of the game in Finland, the attractions may well be cultural as well as sporting. But, cricket is no longer all cucumber sandwiches, warm beer and country houses. For a flavour of cricket in Finland, try batting on sand, refreshments of curry, rice and tea, with liberal helpings of number 3 at stumps (close of play). A truly multicultural combination, reflecting the fact that cricket in Finland crosses cultural boundaries.
Orginally created by Hugh Fitzpatrick; contributed to by Anand Seshadri and revised by Michael Shaw, Andrew Armitage and Shannon Merritt.
