Cricket in Corfu
On the departure of the British from Corfu in 1864, two local clubs evolved, these being the ‘Gongakis’ company and the ‘Camvissis’ club. However, in 1893, due to the death of players these clubs merged and became known as the Gymnastikos club – at that time however, their only opponents were teams from visiting ships of the Royal Navy.
A high peak for cricket in the period before the First World War, was the season of 1904.
The commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean fleet attended the cricket festival with players from 30 – 40 visiting ships. In 1932 the Prince of Wales, on the battleship Queen Elizabeth, attended the festival and players from a total of 45 ships took part. In 1923 the ‘Ergatikos’ club was formed and in 1936 it opened its doors to members of the aristocracy and became known as the Byron C.C. in honor of the poet. In 1976 a third club was formed: Faiax C.C. and in 1980 a fourth one resurrecting the name Ergatikos.
Cricket is still a very popular game on the island. A new ground at Kontokali Marina has been added to complement the original ground, The Esplanade at Corfu Town, which has been reduced in size to accommodate the main car park. Cricket is still played here but is generally reserved for Colts matches.
Over 100 games are played each year, not only against touring sides but also between the various sides on the island such as Gymnastikos, Ergatikos, Byron and Faiax. The Corfu sides are made up purely of Corfiots although a recent regulation change does allow for four year residents to play in domestic competitions. Corfu Cricket Association has an active youth policy and tournaments are held at Under-14 and Under-18 levels.