Berne Cricket Club

Contact: Mr. Abraham Koshy or Mr. Ken McKeown

Berne CC constitution: Click here

Berne Cricket Club pursues the goal of bringing cricket closer to people of every age and to let them take part in training and competition.

It took an Irish cricket enhusiast plus a few optimistic British expatriates to start a cricket club in Berne during the summer of 1977. Over a beer in the local pub on Friday night, plans were formed to get a local side together and the first practice in Marzilimoos was scheduled for the next weekend.

Cricket in Switzerland existed only in Geneva (1815) and Zuoz (1924), according to local records, so Berne did well to make third place before clubs in Basel, Zurich, Wintherthur and CERN joined the ranks of the Swiss Cricket Association in the laste seventies

The first operative commite of Berne Cricket Club comprised of:

John Mackenzie, Chairman

Keith Hewlett, Secretary

Greg Rimes, Treasurer

Peter MacLaverty, Captain

Geoff des Ligneris, Member

Louis Adhihetty, Member

Geoff Issott, Member

Their pioneer word included organizing a field to play on, a cricket mat, club equipment, balls, post box, score book and scoreboard, and up a constitution.

The private premises of the Australian embassy members served as a meeting and fundraising venues, including casino nights (later the marine house) for much needed financial funds.

BCC soon became one of the most cosmopolitan cricket teams in Switzerland with representatives from seven nations drawn from local institutions including UPU, Hasler AG, the English church, the local pub and surrounding embassy staff, to mention a few of the expat havens.

Berne Cricke Club has always been privileged to have distinguished patrons from embassies of most cricketing nations represented in Switzerland. The very active committee organized tours to Southern England (Kent and Surrey), Porlezza (Italy), Zuoz plus participation in all local league and cup competitions.

The following members contributed to BCC’s club activites on and off the field during the first years of Berne Cricket Club. Not only has the club flourished, but its success has encouraged others to follow its example.