Bourg Mulatresse Community Cricket Club is a long-established club which has been inactive for more than 20 years. The BMCCC restarted participating in this cricket competition to promote sports and the game of cricket among the younger members in our community. It serves the Santa Cruz areas which includes Febeau Village, Santa Cruz Old Road, Bourg Mulatresse, La Canoa and Upper Santa Cruz. Its objectives include involving the many aspiring young cricketers from the community in matches and training sessions; and bringing the community together to celebrate their many talents. BMCCC have seen many young talents of the area succumb to negative influences which have plagues this lush green agricultural community in the hills of the northern range.
Spurred on by West Indies post war winning of a test series in England with names like Ramadan Valentine,Weekes and Walcott, many local community cricket competitions created the avenue for players to express their pride in battling with the Imperial Masters at theirown game. The Raja League was one such community-based competition that spawn the Bourg Mulatresse Cricket Club.
In the 1960s when Rodriguez, Carew, Derek Murray, and Brian Davis were making their names as Trinidadians playing for the West Indies, players from the Bourg Mulatresse were competing among players in the community Leagues. Some dreamt of the uphill task of breaking into the elite clubs’ domain for Trinidad and West Indies selection.
In an interview with Malcolm Paul Constantine “Tolo” Fachactie, He recalled making the team as a 15-year-old in 1960 playing among “big men” in the area. At that time, the home ground was near Ms. Singh’s parlour in Sun Valley. Players of note included Devon Charles – a wizard with the bat – and Henry Peters – as Malcolm recalled “…he could have turned a ball on glass”.
Ignatius Britto, Aga Britto, Clyde Pena, Leon Modeste, Stephan Murray, Gerald Cross, Christopher Merries, Myron Coward, Earl Edwards, Keith Peters, Leroy Studdard, Ancil Danclair, Franco Daniel, George Kangalee Jr.,ManuelCiprianiand the Juman brothers were players of note in that era.
In the 1970s, houses were being built on the ground in Sun Valley and the former cow farm at Granwin Parkthen became the Home of cricket in the area. The rebuilding of primary school (1974) and the San Juan North Secondary School (1982) saw further development of the community ground now known as the Ato Boldon recreational ground which is used today.
Bourg Mulatresse Cricket Club over the years competed in the East zone of the TTCB competitions. They won many competitions in the lower divisions and in the Knockouts. They were well respected as a competitive team. Some of the opponents included Caroni Conquerors, Moosai, Esmeralda, Riversdale, Eddie Hart, Curepe, Aranjuez, WASA, and San Juan United.
The re-arrangement of the Zonal boundaries saw them competing in the North Zone with teams the likes of Maple, Invincible and even a team of staff members of the St Ann’s Hospital where games were played. Michael Watson recalled being away on national duties when Bourg Mulatresse was trounced by Merry Boys. Their next opponents, Maple Club, teased them by calling them a “parang side” which angered the lower Santa Cruz team who restored their pride when they beat Maple by an innings.
Over the years the Club activities fluctuated as older players retired and younger players were saddled with responsibilities. The high cost of playing the game also became a huddle that the mainly lower income members were unable to bare.
In the 1980s and early 90s the club was led by maturing players such as Michael Walker, Michael Watson, Andrew Peters, Curtis Larah, J.J. Cross. Their efforts to grow fresh talents saw them nurture players such as Kapil Subran, Wayne Gulston, Danny Lynch, Nicholson and Kevin Baptiste, Mark Aparicio. Some of whom are the core of the team today. Sadly, in the late 1990s support for these efforts dwindled.
In 2018 with the efforts of Watson and Walker the team re-emerged and participated in the North Zone. BMCCC has always been a community team. In the early days, people in the area looked forward to supporting their neighbours and family members as they gloried in their encouragement. In rebuilding the current era, players have come from as far as Diego Martin to lend their efforts to revive the teamwork that close-knit group of players with mutual respect can foster. As our motto says “Building a Community with Cricket”