Latschach was the venue on 12th-13th July 2003 for the first CC Velden 91 International six-a-side cricket tournament. The competition saw teams from Italy (SS Lazio Baseball and Cricket - from Rome and Milan CC), Slovenia (Ljubljana CC) and Carinthia Cricket CLub join the hosts in the tournament. AUCUS umpires Graham Tebb and Walter Blaschke officiated at the tournament, and both will be in action at next month's ECC Notts Sport Trophy in Seebarn and Markommannenstrasse.
The group stage saw a number of very close games with the Carinthian Derby between Carinthia CC and CC Velden 91 seeing the hosts win by 22 runs. The experienced Carinthia CC side put up admirable performances against Ljubljana and Milan, but but unfortunate to lose both encounters. Hosts Velden lost to Lazio off the final ball (team totals 86 vs 84), but made amends against Milan CC on the Sunday morning, winning by 8 runs, thanks mainly to the batting of Eric Holmes and Stefan Schauss.
Ljubljana CC had qualified first for the final, by virtue of having won all three group games, with Lazio edging out the hosts, having been level on points, to qualify for the final. In the final the compact Ljubljana team came out winners, scoring 124 to Lazio's 116 in reply. The ecstatic victors were able to take home a replica of the Ovedasso-Casinogastromie Cup, with their copy of the cup crossing the Karawanke after lengthy celebrations in Velden, with the main trophy remaining in Velden until a team wins it outright with three victories in the tournament.
The final standings were as follows:
Winners: Ljubljana CC Runners-up: Lazio CC 3rd: CC Velden 91 4th: Milan CC 5th: Carinthia CC
The tournament was organised by CC Velden 91, by Club Chairman Michi Tschernitz, Stefan Schauss, whose idea it had been to stage the tournament, and Eric Holmes. Once again the spectacular backdrops of the Karawanke led visitors to praise the outstanding location of the ground, and they promise to return.
It is hope that the 2004 VELDEN SIXES will be a six team affair, with six nations represented, with the Latschach/Velden ground once again being the venue. For preliminary information about the tournament, please contact CC Velden 91 via their website at www.ccv91.at or alternatively send e-mails to the Secretary of the Austrian Cricket Association, who will forward all equiries to the club.