Archbishop of Canterbury’s XI beat Pope Francis’ cricket team

14 September 2016 • Persistent link: iarccum.org/?p=4005

Archbishop of Canterbury’s XI beat Pope Francis’ cricket team (13 Sept. 2016). Photo: Gavin Drake

The third annual cricket match between the Vatican’s St Peter’s Cricket Team and the Church of England’s Archbishop’s XI ended with victory for the Anglicans. Yesterday’s convincing win in the blistering heat of Kent County Cricket Club’s Spitfire Ground makes it 2-1 to the Church of England since the first match in 2014.

The Archbishop’s XI batted first and ended their 20 overs on 157 for four. In their reply, the Vatican side had reached 63 for four after 13 overs when Father Tony Currer, from the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, was forced to retire with injury.

It was all over a short time later when the St Peter’s Cricket Team finished on 94 for seven – giving the Archbishop’s XI victory by 3 runs! “Justin Welby will be pleased!” a Tweet from the Anglican Centre in Rome said.

The two sides will meet again tomorrow at Edgbaston in Birmingham, where they will be joined by a Muslim side from Yorkshire – the Mount Cricket Club.

They will play a three-way T20 series, beginning at 10.30 am when the Archbishop’s XI once again take on St Peters. This will be followed by St Peter’s taking on the Mount; before the Mount takes on the Archbishop’s XI. The day is expected to and at around 7.30pm. Admission is free and a collection will be taken for anti-trafficking charities.

Today, representatives from the three sides will visit a C of E school in Birmingham where the majority of pupils are Muslims. It is intended to be a demonstration that friendships can transcend faith differences.

The matches have been sponsored by the Church Times and Ecclesiastical Insurance with the support of Kent, Warwickshire and Yorkshire County Cricket Clubs.