Vatican cricketers beat Archbishop’s XI in Rome

24 October 2015 • Persistent link: iarccum.org/?p=3012

Anglican and Vatican cricketers met for the second time in Rome today in a match that saw the Vatican team win.

This morning’s match was played at the Capanelle Ground in Rome, coinciding with the conclusion of the Roman Catholic Church’s Synod on the Family.

St Peter’s XI reached 147 for 6, the Archbishop’s XI were all out for 105 runs.

Last autumn, in a historic first match between Vatican and Anglican sides, the Archbishop’s XI narrowly triumphed with five balls to spare in a memorable showdown at Kent County Cricket Club ground in Canterbury.

Played in front of a 1,000-strong crowd including Archbishop Justin Welby and the Papal Nuncio, the match raised money for the Global Freedom Network, a joint anti-trafficking initiative.

The Anglican and Vatican teams will attend Mass at St Peter’s this weekend, where Pope Francis will preside.

The Vatican side comprised seminarians studying in Rome, many of them from India and Pakistan.

The Anglican side was made up largely of ordinands and young priests who answered a search by the Church Times (sponsor of clergy cricket in the UK). Its captain, the Revd Steve Gray, is Chaplain at Bradfield College, Berkshire.