Vatican cricket team takes on England Seniors
In a match at the magnificent Wormsley Estate, Vatican City take on the England over-60s team.
By Joseph Tulloch – London
On Saturday, the first day of their 'Light of Faith' UK tour, the Vatican cricket team took on England Seniors.
The venue was the gargantuan Wormsley Estate, home to one of the finest cricket grounds in England.
Wormsley Estate Cricket Ground
The Vatican team played two T20 matches, against the England senior first and second teams, both of which feature players over the age of sixty.
The England team had just returned from Chennai, India, where they had reached the World Cup final.
The games
Vatican City batted first in the opening match and started strongly, but struggled to capitalise on this early success. They set a final total of 105 runs, which England were able to catch up with after fourteen overs.
In the second match, Vatican gave up a few early wickets, but recovered in exceptional fashion, setting a final total of 133. The match ended in the last over, with England scoring the winning run just three balls from the end.
The game
Cricket in Naples
Most of those present at the matches were British or Indians (who make up the entire Vatican team this year), although there were also a few individuals from other cricketing nations, such as Australia.
Amidst all this, one man in particular stood out: Paolo Iorio, the England team doctor and osteopath, originally from Naples in southern Italy.
I asked him how a Neapolitan ended up working with the English national cricket team. Iorio admitted that before he was offered the job, he knew “virtually nothing” about the game.
“I had to learn how everything worked,” he said, “but it’s a very, very interesting sport, and once you get into it, it’s incredibly fun.”
He added that he was very surprised to learn that his team would face the Vatican, but that he really enjoyed the experience.
“I don't feel like I'm working with the opposition,” Iorio said, referring to the Vatican players whose injuries he treated. “I feel like I'm working with friends.”
Paolo Iorio
Final words
After the matches, both teams exchanged gifts.
The Vatican team presented the English with a pair of framed badges bearing the papal keys, and their opponents reciprocated with gifts including books, an England pennant and signed miniature bats.
Paul Bradley, the England manager, spoke of the long history of friendship between the Vatican team and the England Seniors, who have faced each other several times in the past.
Father Eamon O'Higgins, director of the Vatican team, thanked the English side for their hospitality, and in particular for their generosity.
He said that during the match he spoke to someone who was volunteering with the National Health Service, transporting blood supplies, and another who was running a prostate cancer awareness campaign.
“That’s what sport is,” Father O’Higgins said. ” That's life. »
The Vatican team meets on the pavilion
