Bashers. It's Shanghainese for Cricket

Swire and a bit of history FYI

In a moment of madness my company Swire Group agreed to be a Bashers sponsor this year. Having said that there is method behind the madness. Swire has a history in Shanghai going back 147 years during which it has provided a number of former Past Presidents of the Shanghai Cricket Club and Shanghai Rugby Club as well as a few Interport team captains. Up and until 1948 we played cricket, football and rugby matches on a regular basis. Our greatest sporting rivals at the time were HSBC, Jardines and British American Tobacco. This year Swire (“Taikoo”) and HSBC (“Wayfoong”) celebrate a Centenary of sporting rivalry on the rugby field (the cricket goes back to 1899) and to mark the event we are rekindling the old Taipans Trophy with a cricket game and rugby game against each other later this month at the SRFC.  The significance of the event has not been lost on the Shanghai Govt as it looks like the Mayor will pop out for a while. (more…)

“You make take our lives but you will never take our FREEDOM!”

The SRFC is hosting some historic football, rugby and cricket matches during April. More on the cricket later which will feature relatives of Shanghai Recreation Club and and Shanghai Cricket Club players pre WW2 and some of the guys who organised , played and umpired in the first game in the modern era in 1994. Much more importantly the Shanghai Scottish are reviving a 100 year + tradiiton against the English.  We have challenged the English to a a number of sporting encounters (which may get violent) and God bless them they have accepted. It all kicks off with a massive football game in April followed by a huge rugby match and cricket double header in Oct. The golf  game is a foregone conclusion which we we will enjoy.

Cricket For Smiles wins ICC Award

Last year quite a number of Bashers stood up and supported Japan Cricket’s Cricket For Smiles programme. If you recall Cricket For Smiles was set up to bring a bit of joy to kids in the Tsunami affected areas. several thousand kids have now benefited. The ICC have just awarded the 2011 Spirit of Cricket Award to Japan Cricket. Alex Miyaji the CEO of Japan Cricket has asked me to pass on his appreciation to the Bashers for their support. In 2010 Alex made the long trip to Sichuan with Badabing, Woodstock and myself to support the school in Sichuan and last year some of you will recall he sent Ema over here to spend a week coaching Chinese kids in the SRFC’s Sport For All programme. They are good people over there at Cricket Japan who totally get how the power of sport can be channeled for the greater good and as such no surprise to me that they won such a prestigious award. It was good to see the Bashers get behind them in their hour of need.

Bashers Squash Ladder

SCC Debenture from 1934

One of my colleagues whose family has some stuff in the attic from the SCC in the 20′s and 30′s gave me a copy of this debenture issued in 1934. $1000 (there were 50 of them)  paying 6% a year and redeemable in 1964. Obviously they never got their money back. Below also this photo of the Taikoo and Wayfoong teams from 1923.  Comparing photos across the years some of the money raised in 1934 clearly went towards extending the clubhouse and particularly the bar presumably at the behest of the Gentlemen. The guy in the middle in the suit is the head of HSBC who built their buiding on the Bund.

Roots & Shoots thank The Bashers

At the Roots & Shoots Board meeting a couple of weeks ago special mention was made of Latex for helping put together the R&S Donors Drinks evening last month.  Also thanks to all Bashers that turned up at that evening.  Again last night at the Marriott Fund Raiser for R&S big thanks to all Bashers who fronted up to contribute RMB 10K for a table as well as those that bought items in the auction and of course for the Bashers on stage performance. Latex’s new skull ashtray was the auction bargain of the night. Special mention was also made of those Bashers who have volunteered time to help with the tree planting and visit the school in Inner Mongolia. R&S Chairperson Tori Zwisler said “the Bashers are always the life and soul of the party”.  Last night the Bashers logo had equal billing on the stage backdrop beside Fortune 500 company logos.

Yesterday afternoon Barcadi, who are a major donor to R&S, spoke to me about putting together a big party earlier next year together with the Bashers for all R00ts & Shoots contributors/donors and staff etc…..Bacardi, Babes and Bashers type thing which could be very big. Bacardi will source a great venue.

So on behalf of everyone at Roots & Shoots a big thank you. Bashers are way ahead of both the rest of the cricketing community and most sports clubs in Shanghai when it comes to getting behind good causes.

Pusher (Roots and Shoots Board Member)

1st Fifty Years of Shanghai Cricket (Part #4)

Last part of the 1914 newspaper article. Reference to concerns about ” modern decadence”  were prophetic.  The reference to men of today “manfully upholding traditions” clearly refers to the gentlemen of the Leisure. Also interesting 1st eleven standard players were excluded from playing in the League.

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The First Fifty Years of Shanghai Cricket (Part #3)

3rd part of the 1914 artcile below.  Yet more Scots. We also find out that the Leisure were not the first time to bowled out easily by schoolkids so Dags and Latex can rest easy… and judging by the scores the Leisure were not the first team to play under the heavy influence  of alcohol. Also things get going with Japan.

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The First Fifty Years of Shanghai Cricket (Pt 2)

2nd part of the same 1914 North China Herald article.  Note that Gentlemen should really not play in the heat which clearly explains the Leisure’s regular mid season slumps.  It was a (Major) Turner that started the Interport games. The Bokhara tragedy…… I wonder if the stained glass window is still here.

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