The ninth Anglican Church Cricket Festival (ACCF) was held on July 13 at Creditview Sandalwood Park in Brampton. More than 150 people from parishes in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area enjoyed the festivities. Special guests included Bishop Andrew Asbil, Bishop Kevin Robertson, the Rev. Canon Dr. Stephen Fields, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, and MPP Charmaine Williams, Ontario’s associate minister of women’s social and economic opportunity and a parishioner of St. Joseph of Nazareth, Bramalea. Ms. Williams presented a Government of Ontario recognition scroll to the ACCF in honor of its outstanding contributions to fostering community spirit through cricket.
Nine church teams competed at the festival. Westney Heights Baptist Church, Ajax, won by defeating St. Joseph of Nazareth, Bramalea in the final. Prominent Toronto cricket commentator Amaresh Rajaratnam’s ball-by-ball commentary brought extra excitement to the event. The ‘Clergy and Friends Cricket Team,’ led by Canon Fields, included media personality the Rev. Michael Coren and former West Indian national cricket player Keith Semple. The team demonstrated a blend of leadership and cricket skill. The participating teams were: CSI Church, Toronto; St. James the Apostle, Brampton; St. Bede, Scarborough; Clergy & Friends Cricket Team; St. Joseph of Nazareth, Bramalea; St. Jude, Bramalea North; St. Thomas a Becket, Erin Mills South; Holy Family, Heart Lake; and Westney Heights Baptist Church.
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