COVID-19 may have decimated Bali’s tourism industry but it has failed to dampen the spirits of the Indonesian Cricket League (ICL) Bali organisers. Played under strict health protocols, the 2020 edition of the ICL Bali competition came to a successful conclusion recently.
The tournament was played entirely at Udayana Cricket Field, in the coastal fishing village of Jimbaran. The area is famous for its numerous resorts which would usually be filled with international tourists soaking up the sun at this time of the year. Instead, due to the effects of the pandemic, the cricketers were greeted with the eerie sights of deserted streets and empty stands.
In a fairly tight competition contested by eight clubs, the Papua based club, Cendrawasih Cricket Club successfully won the men’s T20 title.
Unfortunately, the final was a one-sided affair. Cendrawasih’s opponents Bali Lost Boys featured a strong batting lineup made up of expatriates and local players but put in a disappointing batting performance in the final. Komang Krisna played a star turn for Cendrawasih with his five wickets restricting Bali Lost Boys to 76 runs. Aided by Stanley’s contribution of 42 runs, Cendrawasih were able to chase down the total easily, for the loss of only three wickets.
The individual awards for best batting and bowling were won by Dharma Kusuma for his 222 runs and Agung Ariadi for his 10 wickets respectively. Meanwhile, Gede Darma Arta took out the player of the tournament award for his all round returns of 190 runs and seven wickets.
Women’s Final
It was a bumper tournament for Cendrawasih, as they also reached the final of the women’s edition. However, the women could not replicate the success of the men, coming up short in the final. In another low scoring affair, they lost to Gianyar Cricket Club by seven wickets.
Gianyar Cricket Club mainstay Dewa Ayu Trisna put in an influential performance with bat and ball, collecting 37 runs and two wickets. Sariani won the ICL Bali 2020 Women’s Player of the Tournament award for her 187 runs and nine wickets. Meanwhile, the best batting and bowling prizes were taken out by Nanda Sakarini (227 runs) and Dewa Ayu Trisna (nine wickets).
Chairman of the Indonesian Cricket Association (PP PCI) and the Deputy Chair of the Indonesian Parliament, Azis Syamsuddin, congratulated Cendrawasih Cricket Club and Gianyar Cricket Club for their ICL Bali 2020 performances. He was also particularly appreciative of the tournament committee’s efforts of maintaining strict health protocols during the duration of the tournament.
‘We instructed the committee to carry out very strict health protocols, despite Bali being a relatively safe location from a COVID-19 perspective. We ensured that all personnel were tested every match. We also limited the number of people in the area and did not allow spectators to attend.’
‘Alhamdulillah, everything went well. We had 0 cases of COVID-19 from the Bali League in the 2020 season’, he further added.
‘We are very pleased with the enthusiasm of our friends in Bali who want to continue to play in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic’, said Deputy Chairman, Abhiram S Yadav.
ICL Bali 2020 participants included:
(Men)
1. Udayana Cricket Club, 2. Cendrawasih Cricket Club, 3. Denpasar Cricket Club, 4. Badung Cricket Club, 5. Seminyak Barong, 6. Bali Lost Boys, 7. Bali Bandits and 8. Klungkung Cricket Club.
(Women)
1. Badung Cricket Club, 2. Gianyar Cricket Club, 3. Cendrawasih Cricket Club, and 4. Denpasar Cricket Club.
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