Historic rivalry between Kelowna and Revelstoke cricketers renewed after 84 years

Photo: Revelstoke cricket club

The Kelowna Cricket Club is hosting a revival of sorts this weekend.

It’s been 84 years since the Revelstoke Cricket Club played a competitive match. But they will play a pair of friendly games this Saturday, the first one goes at 11 a.m.

Matt Bramall originally hails from the United Kingdom but now works and lives in Revelstoke B.C.

“The club folded back in 1938, however, a group of us, here in Revelstoke are on a mission to build the club back to its former glory.”

Brammall says cricket is a big part of his life so when he moved to Revelstoke last September he decided to try and rebuild the former club.

“It's all very much grassroots based. We don't have a place within Revelstoke to call our home we don't have any place where we can actually play proper cricket matches we just play in a patch of dirt in one of the parks,” Bramall says.

Bramall says Kelowna and Kamloops are way ahead of Revelstoke and he’s hoping this weekend's games will help renew cricket relationships, “Kelowna and Kamloops are the only two surviving clubs in the Okanagan, but cricket is seeing a resurgence across Canada and Revelstoke are keen to play their part.”

The Revelstoke club will play two T20 matches to celebrate the comeback, “you know, the opportunities for it (cricket) moving forward, I think are endless. And that just adds to the excitement of it all.”