The Revelstoke Cricket Club batted the ball short of victory against its talented Salmon Arm opponents last Sunday but looks forward to making new memories with one of Kelowna's teams next Sunday.
In its Interior Social Tournament debut for 2025, Revelstoke swung the season to a start April 20 on the Salmon Arm Cricket Club's home turf of Safeway fields.
The fixture between the friendly rivals, better known as the Shuswap Derby, proceeded under wet, cool and windy conditions as skipper Nagender Kanwar won Revelstoke the coin toss and chose the first bat in the 40-over-a-side game.
Revelstoke opener and club president Matthew Bramall made a steady start before hauling out a 19/1, followed by teammate Gaurav Joshi rebuilding momentum before misjudging a full toss that left the score at 42/2.
"A huge batting collapse followed, with the next eight wickets falling for only 26 runs," Bramall recounted. "Revelstoke were all out for 68, leaving Salmon Arm with only 69 for victory."
Revelstoke's Chris Wills later took three quick wickets in his four-over spell, which featured a spectacular stumping by keeper Joshi.
"Early wickets were key for Revelstoke, and they started strongly in the power play," Bramall said.
Alas, eight boundaries inside nine overs saw Salmon Arm claim the day's win by seven wickets. They took two points, sending them to the top of the table for Round 1 of the tournament.
Salmon Arm captain Karan Dhillon told Black Press Media the match went very well, adding that his team would've let Revelstoke bat first either way.
"We were in favour from the start," he joked, noting that it's great to keep the healthy rivalry going with Revelstoke.
After playing informally since 2021, Salmon Arm launched its club in 2023 and lost its first match against Revelstoke.
This year, "we came back with a good comeback," Dhillon remarked.
Bramall acknowledged Salmon Arm for a great first match of the year, as Revelstoke looks to improve their game and drill more back at Centennial Park with the fields opening up after winter.
"It's tricky when we can't get on the pitch yet to practise," he noted.
Next up, Revelstoke travels south to face the Kelowna Smashers on April 27 for the clubs' very first match together.
Salmon Arm also faces Kamloops Cricket Club, which has remarkably been playing since 2012, while the tournament's remaining clubs play their first fixtures of 2025.
