Cracking pace: Pte Kyle Potter takes to the Pakistan pace attack during the Boxing Day cricket match between Australian and Pakistani personnel at Camp Smitty. Photo by Flt-Lt Trevor Grant

Inset: Tpr Ben Redman bats for Australia in the match against British troops at Camp Smitty, Iraq. Photo by LAC/W Kim Eager

By Cpl Andrew Hetherington

THE Australian tradition of playing international cricket sides on Boxing Day has been upheld in two unlikely locations.

Cricket matches were played by personnel on Op Pakistan Assist, based at the aptly named Camp Bradman on the Pakistan side of the Kashmir Line of Control, and AMTG2 in Iraq.

Flt-Lt Trevor Grant, a Public Relations Officer at Camp Bradman, said personnel played Pakistani soldiers from 28 Bde and the 25th Mountain Regt, who had their barracks totally demolished in the earthquakes.

“Over here the Pakistanis are really keen on their cricket, more so than what I would say Australians are,” he said. “No matter where you go, even in some of the remote villages in the mountains, they will play cricket where they can fit a cricket pitch. Even if they have to field down the side of a cliff, they will play.”

Flt-Lt Grant said the Pakistani soldiers were so keen for a game with the Australians, they even went to the trouble of building a concrete cricket pitch.

“It took them two days to dig out and build a pitch two thirds the length of a normal one, on the helicopter landing zone,” he said.

Flt-Lt Grant said the game was taken seriously but was played in a very friendly spirit.

“The crowd was very involved as well, it was a great game,” he said.

Australia narrowly won the 15-over match with a final score of 7-142, with Pakistan’s score of 8-141.

“The Australian side gave the Pakistani team a gift of a large bag with a full cricket set–they really appreciated it,” he said.

“The cricket match just enhanced the already high respect we have for each other.”

The other Boxing Day match was played in the Al Muthanna province in southern Iraq between AMTG2 soldiers and personnel from the British Army 2nd Bn, Para Regt (2 Para) at Camp Smitty.

The match was played in chilly conditions on a concrete and matting pitch, on an oval without a blade of grass in sight.

The Australians batted first in the 20-over match, and played spiritedly to set a respectable target of 178 runs for the British side.

In chasing the target the British side could only manage 112 runs.

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