It is said that nostalgia is a thing of the past – so it was with my trip home to Mombasa. Having lived here all my young life into my early twenties coming back at the beginning of December was destined to be a trip down memory lane. Indeed it has been just that – from a long chat with a teacher from my old school through to yet another New Year’s Eve at The Mombasa Sports Club. January 1 always arrived with the sun coming over the grounds as you desperately tried to finish that last Tusker.
When I entered the club it was a time warp so much the same yet so different. The Mombasa Sports Club for any colonial who lived in Mombasa was mandatory. A lively club which brought bowls, football, tennis and above all cricket to Mombasa.
The Mombasa Sports Club has retained a vibrancy that is heart warming. The enthusiastic Chairman Vivek Mehta speaks of plans for the Club. A lease which is about to expire will revert a large tract of land to the Club with meetings already discussing the possibilities this will offer. In the meantime there is always cricket. There is a strong Asian membership and as any cricket lover knows, this bat and ball game is very close to their hearts.
The cricket pitch defies the 33 deg heat and the 72% humidity that rages most of the year and annual rainfall average of 25 inches/64cms, keeping the 22 yards British green is no mean feat. But there it sits rich, deep and tenderly cared for by the dedicated groundsmen. Mr Mehta has been nurturing the idea of upgrading the cricket ground to qualify for international one-day status. Thus giving Kenyan cricket a tremendous boost as it struggles to maintain its world ranking. Mr Mehta was only too happy to explain the ICC’s strict rules for cricket grounds. The Club had applied some 3 years ago, however, there were several criteria missing. The Club’s Committee put their heads down and met the demands. Rooms for both teams, umpire rest rooms and most importantly the boundary width has been extended. I am not so sure what the umpire’s ruling would be if the 200 year old Mango tree made a clean catch of a six! So why should this little club in some far flung corner of the world be worthy of ICC qualification? Perhaps a look at the Cricketing history of the Club will help.
Cricket has been played in Mombasa since 1881 and it is generally accepted that the Mombasa Sports Club’s pitch is the oldest ‘proper’ pitch in Kenya. Much of the cricket played at that time was with the barracked military personnel. Indeed one of the first reported games appeared in the Zanzibar Gazette on October 14 1896 when a local team played against HMS Sparrow. Yet what constituted a ‘proper’ pitch in the tropics was not exactly what you would find on your village green in Britain. More often than not it was bare earth or matting would be put down.
If the game of Polo has been associated with the British in India, then cricket belongs to Kenya. But numbers were always a problem which led to some innovative teams – there are reports of games against – Cleanshaven vs Moustaches; More vs Less than 3 years in East Africa! Perhaps one of the more unusual – bearing in mind it was 1905 – was the game against the women. Even the handicapping was fun – the men had to play left handed using broomsticks! Winning the toss was all important as the afternoon sun could severely interfere with batting as it sank between the enormous Mango trees. Many of which still loom large and magnificent in the grounds.
As the century moved on so too did the Club. Additions were made and the cricket pavilion in the 20s was a grand affair. Other clubs were opening up in competition but The Mombasa Sports Club maintained its prestige. However by the 30s it was an all White club, this despite many ‘non-Europeans’ being involved at the outset and more importantly the fact that the land had been bequeathed to the Sports Club by Salim bin Khalfan, Liwali of Mombasa. Who together with his son Ali bin Salim were made the first honorary life members in 1898. Cricket continued to be played throughout the 20s and 30s, however, other sports such as tennis and rugby began to vie for popularity as luminaries of the time visited Kenya. A memorable rugby game was held against the South African Stellenbosch University in 1935, whilst in the same year Miss Cilli Aussem a one time World Ladies Singles Title tennis star helped to promote this sport.
The war years saw a lot of activity at the club for Mombasa was an important bunkering and resting port it was also a mustering centre for the Burma Campaign. Thus with such a plethora of military personnel around, they needed to be kept busy and so The Mombasa Sports Club provided that recreation, devising special membership rates for the visitors.
With the ever-improving grounds the visiting teams improved too. Over the years there have been laudatory visits from all the big cricketing nations – Britain, India, Pakistan and South Africa. Whilst in more recent times several British county clubs have played at the grounds – to name two Warwickshire and Lancashire and visits from the Sri Lankan and West Indian Teams. By the 1970s the Mombasa Sports Club had raised a sufficiently strong team to qualify for the Kenya Cricket Association, where they continued to play until 1985.
Today The Mombasa Sports Club maintains its friendly open door atmosphere. A strong membership base, ensures that there are always plenty of activities taking place. Christmas parties for children who are under strict instructions to ‘keep off the grass’! Friday BBQs are great events for young and old. The Club’s original notice board has team lists for all the sports, the ancient gold lettering bearing testimony to just how far back this club stretches.
As the dawn filtered through the mango and baobab trees on January 1 2005 for all the previous night’s revelry the precious cricket square had remained untouched. I made my New Year’s resolution – same time, same place next year.
ãJacqui Canning 2005-01-05
