By Paul Davey

After a reportedly pleasant and uneventful trip from the quaint city of Poços de Caldos to the nation’s capital Brasília and a minor error in navigation, the days first (and as you are soon to discover, only) match got under way shortly after midday on a beautiful, hot summers afternoon, with a light breeze and barely a cloud in the sky.

After winning the toss Brasília’s captain Erika Reinehr elected to bat. Brasília got off to a great start with openers captain Reinhr and Elisa Carvalho amassing a partnership of 52 with the partnership broken by a slower ball on a great length from first change bowler Júlia (Surname) taking the wicket of Carvalho for 24 runs,  the wicket didn’t slow down the scoring as the second partnership made a quick partnership of 30.  Poços captain Roberta Avery took a routine catch at mid-on to dismiss the Brasília captain Reinehr for 33, this was the second wicket for Júlia.  Excellent running between the wickets from Brasília helped to keep the scoreboard ticking over and the excitement flowing with the very tight fielding of the Poços ladies almost producing some fantastic direct hit run outs.  Karina Lagoa was the next victim of the Poços attack after being caught on the square leg boundary by U-13’s national wicketkeeper Guilherme who was acting as a substitute fielder.  Lagoa had troubled the scorer for 12 runsat the fall of wicket and was just getting her eye in.

Sadly, shortly after the fall of this wicket, with the score at 112 for 3 and 17.0 overs bowled the Brasíliense weather, predictable only for its unpredictability changed rapidly and as the heavens opened a near pitch invasion occurred as all hands that were available to help sprinted on to the pitch to take up the famous coconut mat of Brasília to protect it from the rain.  The two captains and the organising committee decided shortly after abandoning the rest of the afternoon that the game will continue the next morning With Silvia Viana and Joana Lara carrying their bats over night with three overs to face in the morning.

After a short recess for tea and with the weather showing no signs of improvement and after the players and spectatators had watched almost dumbstruck as the banks at the side of the ground had channeled the run-off from the carpark in to three new waterfalls that cascaded on to the now unplayable outfield, players were left unpeturbed by the incliment conditions and in scenes of defiance the tenacity of cricket was shown by the quick organisation of an indoor tournament in which ten games of 6-aside were completed.  Much fun was had and many magnificent moments will be remembered, most noticably the skill and enthusiasm of 25 Players from Poços de Caldas whom 2 years ago had never even heard of cricket and whom had spent the preceding 24 hours travelling by bus to enjoy the weekend, many of whom had not slept since 0700 on Friday morning whence they had awoken for school.  The actual result of the indoor championship was irrelevant the only important score was this:
Cricket – One , Mother Nature – Nil