Brunei authorities keen on the game despite lack of facilities

Tony Munro

April 21, 1999

Cricket in Brunei is still very much an expatriate sport - very few Bruneians have taken up the game on a regular basis. This is unfortunate and the cricket association (PKNBD) has been cooperating with the Brunei Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports to develop and promote the game among Bruneians, starting at primary school level.

This has been problematic for 3 main reasons:
i] the economic downturn in South-East Asia, with fewer potential sponsors and delays and cutbacks to projects such as the development of a dedicated field for cricket in the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB).
ii] the air pollution (haze) that hit the region in 1997-98, causing all cricket activities to be suspended for a time.
iii] lack of facilities: only two cricket fields in the whole country, both located in Seria, 70 miles from BSB. Games can only be played on Sundays. One of these fields is now under threat from football interests: football is popular among locals.

Despite this, there is a league of six teams who play each other twice a year, a knock-out cup and six-a-side tournaments, and trips by the national squad to play in the Malaysian league, against the neighbouring Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak and (in 1997) in peninsular Malaysia also.

Teams:
Cavaliers CC (won the league in 1997 and 1998), Royal Brunei Yacht Club CC (won the knockout cup in 1998), Panaga Club CC (won the knockout cup in 1997), Manggis CC, Menglait CC, Brunei Shell Recreation Club CC.

These teams are currently playing the first round of matches of the 1999 league season, which lasts until the end of April. Matches are one-day, 35-overs-a-side.

In November 1998 Brunei hosted Sabah and Sarawak for the Borneo Cup (one-day, 50-overs-a-side) competition. Sabah defeated Brunei by four wickets in the final, and thus regained the trophy they had lost to Brunei in Miri, Sarawak in 1997.

It's likely that Brunei will host the Borneo Cup every year from now on, having the best playing facilities at Panaga club, since this is the cheapest option for all States concerned.

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