Bit of a lie-in on the festival and final day of cricket for the CWB Cameroon Team. Breakfasted and ready for pick-up by the agreed time of 8:15, l'autobus arrivee at 9am!
Once delivered to the Festival site the bus heads off to collect one of the schools and we set up eight game-stations and start to organise teams and leagues. Roger's organisation of each session has been legendary and the festival is no different. It really does run like clockwork, with many returning team members stating after the event, that this festival is the best they have ever seen. Each station will host three matches, 24 in total and 160 children in a bid to find four group winners and one overall winning school.
Pictures are probably more powerful than words in conveying the competitiveness, the fun and the joy of playing and winning at cricket.
The four group winners from the day were;
Group 1 – Buea Town Strikers
Group 2 – Buea Town Allstars
Group 3 – Bokwongo Warriers
Group 4 – Molyko Goldstars
As Buea Town School topped two of the groups they were crowned the overall winners. Each winning team was presented with t-shirts and all participants were given a CWB wristband, plus the schools will be given some kwik-cricket sets to continue their development.
An 'end of season' feeling washed over the Team on their return to the hotel, and individuals spent time showering, blogging and a few even instigated a game of 'car-park-cricket' with a small number of children of the hotel staff!
More sensibly, Roger and David prepared for a session on mental strength with the local coaches, all of whom are also members of the Cameroon National Cricket Squad. Five squad members asked questions on techniques, practice and improvement and with David's management and linguistic help, Roger explained the four point training cycle of Skill Practice 1, Skill Practice 2, Test with potential forfeit and Review. At 5pm we met with the Victor, the President of the Cameroon Cricket Federation, to discuss with, and debrief, him on our experiences of the last two weeks. A very positive meeting it was obvious that the volunteers and local coaches held each other in high esteem, and that the experience of the last 14 days was not one that either nationality would ever forget.
