by Nadia Laws

For the past eight years, Bermudian Andrew Males has found himself a passenger onboard the Uber Vida’s Cruise to Cup Match. The luxury vessel takes him from the heart of Hamilton to the centre of the game day action, in splendid style. 

Start

10:00am: The day starts with lots of anticipation and excitement as Andrew makes his way to the dock to begin the fun and festivities.  The Cruise to Cup Match is always sold out, so vessel staff must ensure those getting on board have a ticket. They try to make this on-boarding process as swift and pain-free as possible, so everyone can relax and have a great time.

10.30am: Once Andrew gets settled aboard, he enjoys a drink with friends at the open bar as the boat makes its way to the Cricket Club field in Somerset or St. George’s. He tries his best to take in the atmosphere, as Bermuda’s beautiful, turquoise waters and bustling maritime culture are on full display.  When journeying to Somerset it’s a 60-minute cruise, heading out around Dockyard and on to Mangrove Bay. However, the route to St. George’s is about 90 minutes and takes you down the North Shore.

12:00pm: By noon, the yacht passengers are finally at their destination. The best part is they’ve avoided all the stress and worry that people on land have to deal with. When you travel to Cup Match by boat there’s no need to find parking or deal with traffic. You arrive in style. The first thing Andrew does when he gets to the cricket club is pick up a Bermuda fish sandwich because that’s a huge part of the Cup Match tradition. He enjoys seeing so many friendly faces. In his view, that’s what the holiday is all about – community and camaraderie. 

1.30pm: After he has eaten his fill, Andrew tries to take in all the sights and sounds at the field. He normally grabs a cold drink and then heads to the Crown and Anchor tent to try his hand at a few games. This is one of his favourite parts of the afternoon. 

2:00pm: As a cricket fan, and former cricket player, Andrew makes sure to follow along with the game as much as possible during the afternoon. Telling by how it’s gone over the last decade or so, you usually know by around 3pm on the Friday which side is going to take home the cup. That makes it easy – as the Uber Vida usually heads back to town after giving people three or four hours at the field. You are there for an impactful period of time, but the day doesn’t drag on for too long, which is good too, Andrew said. 

3.30pm: By this time, people are returning to the boat and wrapping up the day with a little celebration on the way back into Hamilton. One thing Andrew loves about the Uber Vida is they take the scenic route back, and you get to enjoy the sights while listening to some of the Island’s hottest DJs playing in all their glory. There’s an energetic vibe on board for sure. The best part? You meet people from all walks of life who are just looking to have a great time and party responsibly.   

Finish the day

This article was originally published in the 2019 edition of the RG Cup Match supplement

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Photographs by Akil Simmons

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Luckily this is Bermuda and you will always find people who will patiently explain this wonderful game. The host club will always have experts on hand who will enthusiastically tell you the “ins and outs” of Cup Match.

Here are 9 facts about cricket, as it pertains to Cup Match:

1. The team:

Each team has a total of 11 players, however, there will never be more than 13 players on the field — 11 payers from one team (nine fielders, on bowler and one wicketkeeper) and two batsmen from the other team. The objective of the game is to score the most runs, and the team that does that wins the match. Although at Cup Match if it ends in a draw the team holding the cup “wins”.

2. The Batsman:

The batsman’s job is to score as many runs as they can for their team. They can do this through three means — running between stumps after hitting the ball to any part of the field, hitting the ball along the ground to the boundary rope (four runs), and hitting the ball over the boundary rope (six runs). You will no doubt hear air horns going off at Somerset Cricket Club when a six is hit.

3. The Bowler:

The bowler’s job is twofold: restrict the number of runs and get the opposing batsmen out. In Cup Match, he has an unlimited number of overs (a set of six tries). He can also get the batsmen out by knocking down the stumps, hitting the batsman on the pads if it is in line with the stumps (lbw), or inducing the batsman to hit the ball straight to a player who catches it. Again, when the bowler gets someone out, air horns blast from the crowd.

4. The Fielder

The Fielder’s job is to help the bowler restrict the number of runs, and helps to get the batsmen out by catching a ball hit by them or by throwing the ball at the stump while the batsmen are running

5. The Wicketkeeper:

The Wicketkeeper’s position behind the stumps allows him to catch the ball or effect a stumping (knocking the stumps out of the ground when the batsman is out of his crease). He also plays the main cheerleader for his team.

6. The Umpire:

There are two on-field umpires who make the calls.

7. The innings:

The inning is complete when 10 of the 11 members of the batting team have been dismissed (all out— although one always remaining “not-out”), or when the batting team declares they have made enough runs — something which happens fairly often at Cup Match.

8. Runs:

Getting 50 runs is good for an individual batsman, getting one 100 (or a century) is better! And when that happens at Cup Match you will often see members of the crowd running out to give the batsman money — something you never see in games around the world. It is one of the things that make Cup Match fun and unique.

9.   Tea Time:

Of course, cricket would not be the great game it is without tea time. This is a break in play which allows the players to take on liquids and the like. They don’t actually drink tea but cool refreshments to help them stay hydrated. With the heat bearing down they really need those liquids. The tea break owes its origins to the tradition of English high tea that was usually taken at the particular time of the day and yes, it is possible that the cricket players actually drank tea during this break back in the day.

This article was originally published in the 2018 edition of the RG Cup Match supplement.

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We often take for granted the work that gets put into the stalls at Cup Match. Some of them have been around for years; so much so that we anticipate their mouth-watering tasty treats. Others are new to the game. Every single one of them has promised amazing menus and fun items to make your match days worthwhile. You can expect snacks, refreshments, toys, face painting, and other novelties to keep everyone entertained. So, get yourself down to the field and enjoy one of the reasons we love this holiday so much.

Here is a complete list of the vendors you will see down at the game:

Food Stalls

• Mako Grill
• Rosa’s Cantina
• Lina’s Fish Hut
• Anchor Bar & Restaurant & Lounge
• Off the Hook – Seafood & Grill
• Sensational Delights
• Secret Recipe
• J&B’s Wood Fired Pizza: J&B’s Wood Fired Pizza is relatively new to the Cup Match line-up, but with five delicious options catering to meat-eaters and vegetarians alike, J and B’s is always a good decision. The pizzas are made at the time of order and cooked in their very own wood fire oven. It’s fresh, it’s delicious, and it’s easy to eat while you’re walking around the grounds.
• Willow Cuts
• Country Kitchen: This island is known for its seafood, and Country Kitchen is known at Cup Match for serving it. During Cup Match, there is nothing better than fried food, and they have a variety of options for everyone of all ages to enjoy. Make sure you get it before it is gone — trust me, you do not want to miss out.
• Sid’s Seafood

Novelties

• Toy Express
• Sniggles Professional Face & Body Painting
• Keep ya Guessing
• Culture Wear/Revive Boutique

Refreshments & Snacks

• Jazzy Treats
• Ashley’s Lemonade: Ashley’s Lemonade is an island-wide favorite, and when the heat of the day starts to get to you, this stand is where you want to go. The lemonade or limeade is freshly squeezed in front of you and they offer a variety of add-in flavors. To top it off, the service is fantastic and every cup comes with a smile.
• Fluffy Stuff & KJ’s Snowball Stand
• Sweet SAAK Bakery
• Kustom Kones
• Cookies by Cross
• OM Juicery
• Duch Pops Bermuda
• Fruit Stall

This event is for everyone, young and old, to enjoy sport at its most loyal, family at its loudest, food made from real love and sun that will make you want to jump in. Come for the game but make sure to enjoy a tour of the Cup Match stalls to experience the smiling faces and the real tastes of Cup Match. Everything else will be closed!

This article was originally published in the 2018 edition of the RG Cup Match supplement. 

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