With just over two weeks to go before Port Alfred’s institution that is Pineapple Cricket Week hits off on Saturday March 8, preparations are on track for the 121st hosting of the historic tournament.
Pineapple Cricket’s incoming committee president, Peter Amm, says all fields to be used for the annual festival of cricket are in good nick for the tournament. However, fields where pitches have been vandalised such as the Hilpert Fields, will be fixed up in time for the tournament.
The venues that will see 28 teams involved in over 50 fixtures in a week of exciting cricket, are Port Alfred High School A & B fields, PA Country Club, Hospital Fields, Hilpert Fields, Airschool Field, Southwell CC and Shaw Park. PAHS hosts the A & B division finals on Saturday March 15.
Amm who has an acute knowledge of turf wickets and pitches, and who manages them for Pineapple Week, is upbeat about their state of readiness.
“All the fields have been cut and levelled and they are certainly looking in fantastic condition. From hereon, we cut the fields once a week. A week prior to Pineapple, we will cut them twice so they can look well-manicured; so we are very excited about that side of it.”
Amm says the fixture schedules and participating teams have all been finalised.
“We have 28 teams this year, including three new invitational teams, Nottingham Rd from KZN, Jeffrey’s Bay Cricket Club and Standard CC from Cradock, so we are very, very excited about that. I must say, there’s always a waiting list of teams wanting to play at Pineapple and the list just gets bigger and bigger each year.
“We are going to be playing four sections this year on a strength v strength basis; it’s always competitive and we know it (tournament) will be played in a great spirit.”
The Monday of each Pineapple week as tradition dictates, throws up a legends game where all the big names of yesteryear grace the fields of the Port Alfred Country Club in an East Legends v West Legends fixture.
“We’ve got two legends teams probably over-50s managed by Walter Biggs and Justin Stirk … we are playing from 10am at the Port Alfred Country Club. At 3pm we will be having a lunch where AD Birrell (former Ireland, EP, Proteas assistant coach, and Sunrisers EC coach) will be our guest speaker.”
On Friday March 14 Pineapple Cricket Week hosts a lunch for the sponsors at Port Alfred CC, said Amm.
“We’ll watch some cricket too in between … it’s an opportunity for sponsors, stakeholders and friends to get real value through interacting with each other and to ensure support of the cricket is a benefit and not just a donation,” he added.
Rosehill SuperSpar and Kowie Toyota Port Alfred are the main sponsors of Pineapple Cricket Week and Amm is thankful for their ongoing commitment and other smaller sponsors who have come on board to give their support to the spectacle
Pineapple Cricket Week is an organisational feat, with all role-players from the committee to club administrators and sponsors having to work together to ensure its success. Amm says this collaboration has once again been of the usual high standard.
Everyone has been so committed to assist and committed to making it a great spectacle. It’s been a great pleasure being a part of it and everyone has collaborated beautifully.
Amm who still plays in Salem’s 2nd league side, has been associated with the game for many decades – from administrator to pitch management and now in his new role of committee president.
“It’s been intimidating at times but having Dave Duncan (former president) who has stayed on as part of the committee and Megan McCallum (marketing/PR) have been an absolute game-changer. “So what we’ll do is to make sure that with the next incoming chairperson, that the outgoing person will stay on to assist the new incumbent so it doesn’t become too intimidating in the beginning. “Because, quite frankly, without Dave and Megan and the rest of the committee, I would have struggled. I am really enjoying the role though, together with the few co-opted members … everyone is hands-on.”
Amm says the plan is to further develop Pineapple Cricket locally and in other regions of Ndlambe.
“The more we can develop our facilities in Port Alfred the more teams we can invite but we are not only going to develop facilities here; we’ve got plans to branch out in to Kenton-on-Sea and Makhanda to help develop community cricket in those areas.”
Amm is high in his praise of Cricket South Africa who over the years have dug deep in to coffers to develop and support Pineapple Cricket Week.
“The Pineapple Cricket community are extremely grateful for the generous support of Cricket SA who have put in really a lot of money to assist with the tournament … it’s great that our Mother Body is interested in what we are doing to develop cricket in our communities.”
