Englishmen and the midnight sun

Cricket's most bonkers game in the world - in Liverpool

Just a quickie to remind you that the second ever Sefton Park Cricket Club Solstice Cup – that’s a 20/20 cricket match played when the sun comes up if you haven’t been paying attention – kicks off tomorrow at 4.43AM.

Quite a few hardy souls turned up to watch last year’s game so if the idea of sitting at a cricket ground while the rest of the world sleeps appeals you can head down to Sefton anytime between sunrise and around 8.30am to watch what’s probably the most unlikely game of cricket since, er, last year.

Here’s a snippet of last year’s press coverage, with a press release after the jump.

Sefton Park Cricket Club Summer Solstice Game Returns…..

After the huge success of last year’s inaugural Summer Solstice game, which attracted both Granada News’s cameras and inspired a cartoon in the world famous Wisden Cricketers Almanack, Sefton Park cricketers will once again be preparing to play a Twenty20 cricket match starting at the crack of dawn.

The two teams, made up of cricketers from the club, will set their alarm clocks in time for a scheduled 4.43am start on Tuesday June 21 and will be donning gloves and pads in time for sunrise.

The match is scheduled to last for four hours, and Sefton – known locally as The Shack – expects a small, but hardy, group of supporters to be in attendance for the solstice game.

“I’ve often been told I miss out on the best part of the day,” declared Robin Surtees who came up with the scheme. “Well, what better way to test this theory than by using every shred of light on the solstice whilst playing cricket! The only downside is I have to go to work afterwards!”

Cricket Chairman Stuart Lomas added “Last year’s game saw a huge amount of media attention focused on the club and it’s 150th anniversary with a memorable TV appearance on Granada News and being named club of the month in Wisden Cricketer magazine, as well as live coverage of the match on BBC Radio Merseyside.

“In spite of the unorthodox time we hope members of the club and the community will come down to Sefton to enjoy this curious match; one of the quirks which help to make cricket the great game it is.”

The Solstice Cup promises to be a unique event in Liverpool and a celebration of one of Liverpool’s finest sporting institutions.

Solstice Cup
Sefton Park CC
4.43AM, 21 June