The Sarasota International Cricket Club is located on Florida's Gulf Coast, about 45 miles north of Tampa. The total lack of snow and plenty of sunshine permits cricket for roughly nine months of the year, starting mid-September. The club patron is none other than Richie Benaud. The legendary Australian cricketer takes time off from his busy schedule to vist the club as often as possible.

SICC has about 25 playing members and 15 social members, which brings the membership strength to around 50. Majority of the members are originally from cricket-playing nations, including England, India, West Indies, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. There are also a few local players.

The club has its own clubhouse, mat-on-concrete wicket and practice net. The ground is almost regulation size. There is also a full time umpire as well as a dedicated scorer.

The highlight of the SICC season is its 'Thanksgiving Festival' (November 21-25, 2001) that is hosted every year. It is a six-a-side tournament that attracts teams from all over the Western Hemisphere as well as England, Australia and South Africa. It is indeed a popular event what with lot of participation from local and foreign teams.

Besides the festival, limited-overs matches are played on the weekends on the club's ground though there are occasions when the club team travels to various parts of the state and country. Every other year sees the SICC travel to neighbouring countries like Canada, Bahamas, Mexico, Belize, and Cayman for cricket tours.

Patron Richie Benaud and the club president Laurence Parry met in 1963 in South Africa. Richie was covering the Australian tour as a journalist; Laurence was a young manager at the Langham Hotel in Johannesburg. His wife Daphne and Laurence's wife, Valerie, come from the same area in Derbyshire/Cheshire (UK) and the four have been friends ever since.

Over the years, they have met at many sporting venues and have visited each other's homes in Sydney, London, South of France and Sarasota. Richie opened the clubhouse in 1994 and rates Sarasota as one of his favourite spots. A very keen golfer, he loves the Sarasota courses and enjoys an early morning walk on the beautiful pure white sands of Siesta Key.

He still keeps up-to-date with club activities and is expected for the six-a-side 'Festival' in November 2001.

To learn more about the SICC, one can visit its web site at www.sarasotacricket.com

Those interested in getting in touch with the Sarasota International Cricket Club may do so by contacting any one of the following people:

Laurence Parry, president
Tel: (941) 365-1900 e-mail: LHP@webtv.com

Yogi Jani, Captain
Tel: (941) 921-6110 e-mail: bazookayog@aol.com

Sagar Dastidar, Committee Member
Tel: (941) 355-4555 e-mail: sdastidar@yahoo.com

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