Anglicans, Catholics and Muslims do battle... on the cricket field

The Hollies Stand at Edgbaston cricket ground was swaying. Raucous renditions of Hey Jude, Delilah and Sweet Caroline rang around the packed stadium as the teams locked horns in a tense battle for the ultimate T20 prize.

That was nearly four weeks ago for the NatWest Blast finals day.

But on Thursday the famous Birmingham ground played host to another entertaining, if slightly lower profile T20 tournament.

The rivalry between the Archbishop of Canterbury's XI and the Vatican XI, now in its third year, received an added element with the addition of Mount cricket club's Muslim team.

The annual match between the Anglicans and Catholics took place on Tuesday in Canterbury with the Anglicans taking the victory and a 2-1 lead in their three matches. Both teams then travelled up to Birmingham for Thursday's triangular tournament with Mount CC adding an inter-faith element.

Although it was a slightly more subdued Edgbaston that greeted the teams this week than in late August for the counties' final, the "Unity through Cricket" matches are symbolically significant. 

They are designed to "enjoy the good relations that already exist between people of different faiths, and also to demonstrate how divisions within the Church and differences between faiths can be overcome most effectively by playing together."

Mount CC's involvement began after they challenged the Vatican XI to a match and travelled to Rome to play them last year.

Suleman Motala, secretary of Mount CC, told Christian Today the main purpose of the tournament was to "promote love between people of different backgrounds and beliefs."

He said he wanted to promote the model of inter-faith sport around the globe.

He sees it as an opportunity "to make everyone aware we are all human beings even if we hold different beliefs. We can all love each other and enjoy a game of cricket together."

He added: "Sport is a thing where everyone can join together and mix together.

"Look at the England team. They have two Muslims players in Ali and Rasheed – if they can do it I don't see why anyone else can't." 

Father Eamonn O'Higgins, team manager for St. Peter's Cricket Club, told Christian Today the tour "above and beyond the cricket is an opportunity to witness to our Christian faith". He added the "real finality of the tour" was "the people we meet and the good that we can do". He made special reference to the "communion with the Muslim faith".

Michael Angell from Ecclesiastical, one of the tour's sponsors alongside the Church Times, said: "Sport is a fantastic vehicle for bringing people from different backgrounds together and we are delighted to be associated with such a successful and well run event." 

Lord Patel of Bradford, part of the England and Wales cricket board (ECB), agreed and said the Light of Faith tour acts as a strong symbol of inter-faith unity.

"I believe that sport has the ability to break down boundaries and bring communities together.

"Cricket, particularly with its rich and diverse history, is a great example of this," he said according to the Dewsbury Reporter.

"As a lifelong cricket fan and a member of the ECB, I am pleased that cricket has been the catalyst to bring these communities together."

But the tournament gave one local vicar in Birmingham the difficult decision of which team to support.

After some coercion and lobbying, he was persuaded to back his local team.

But it was a tweet from St Mary's Catholic university in Twickenham, who hosted the visiting Vatican team, that raised the ultimate question.

Whose side is God on?

Far be it for me to judge.