Finland gets a taste for cricket

Quite surprisingly, the traditional British sport is no newcomer to Finland. The first record of a cricket match being played in the country is from 1953, when a team from the then visiting British Navy destroyer Agincourt played against British expatriates living in Finland. In the decades following, cricket was played by independent groups on a small scale – mainly by teams of friends and the British Embassy.
The forming of a national association in 1999 followed rapid growth and there is now an active nationwide league.
There are currently around 400 cricketers, competitive and social, and the number is growing. The main stage is in Kerava, where the Finnish Cricket Association is developing an international level cricket ground.
The chairman of the Finnish Cricket Association, Andrew Armitage, says the development of the Kerava field started in 2006, when Finnish cricketers began talks with the city council there. The talks ended with the Association being offered a patch of set-aside land, which now houses a ground. Foundations for a pavilion have been laid and construction should be finished next winter.
"At this moment in time we're looking at establishing the Kerava National Cricket Ground for a long future for cricket in Finland", Armitage says.
A lot of the groundwork for cricket’s popularity is done by reaching out to junior players. The Finnish Cricket Association is currently starting a pilot project to attract more young people to the sport.
"Finland is one of six nations who have been picked to run this project called Street20," explains Maija Scamans, Finnish Cricket Association Operations Director. "We are hoping to take it to schools in the Autumn and targeting certain schools, and in that way building a pathway for young players to enter the clubs and then become even national team players if they like. We’re putting a lot of emphasis on that."