The San Ramon Nawaabs were crowned the Tennisball Cricket Association-San Ramon Cricket Association (TCA- SRCA) 2010 Winter League Champions when they beat the Piccadilly Pacers in an exciting final that was enjoyed by a sizeable crowd that had gathered on a sunny Saturday morning at the picturesque Monarch Park in San Ramon to watch this encounter between the top two teams in the League.

The game was followed by an award function and presentation of the Winner's Trophy by San Ramon Mayor Abram Wilson to Sandeep Harigopal, the Captain of the San Ramon Nawaabs team. Mayor Wilson also presented medals to all the members of the San Ramon Nawaabs as well as the losing finalists the Piccadilly Pacers. It was not the first time that Mayor Wilson had done the honors, but it was the first time since the start of the TCA-SRCA League that a team other than the San Ramon Tigers, were the champions.

The presentations were watched and enjoyed by a large crowd of over three hundred including a lot of friends and family, who were treated to a delicious Indian lunch, sponsored by Peacock Indian Restaurants, one of the many sponsors of the League. It was clear from the turnout that the TCA-SRCA brings together not just the players, but also their families, including children, spouses, and parents who find a sense of community from the sport of cricket.

Interestingly, San Ramon is the only City in the Bay area that has dedicated a field specifically to cricket, and that has been one of the factors besides the terrific schools and great new infrastructure and facilities that have attracted so many to move to the City to live and raise their children. Yet, a recent study by the City found that on a per hour per person basis, the Cricket League which has over 300 regular participants, an overwhelming majority who are San Ramon residents, lags far behind sports such as Baseball and Soccer in the number of fields and field hours available for participants.
The TCA-SRCA is looking forward to working with the City officials to rectify this imbalance, and recent meetings and hearings have indicated that the City too sees the tremendous need for such facilities.

The TCA-SRCA has already started a summer cricket coaching camp for kids, and in the future would like to reach out to the larger community to bring this vibrant and family friendly sport to many more residents of the City. In a sense it would be homecoming for the game, which some historians believe was first played in the newly emerging nation of the United States of America by George Washington and his men at Valley Forge, as they fought for our Independence, which we will all be celebrating is a few short days.

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