MURRURUNDI laid host to a muck-about cricket tournament at the weekend to help farmers switch off from the doom and gloom of the drought, and enjoy a day of fun and laughter.
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On Sunday, eight sides gathered at Wilson Memorial Park for the event which was run by Doing it for Our Farmers, with children’s entertainment and free food and drink creating a carnival atmosphere.
Kids were excited at the sight of a bouncy castle, but that was nothing compared to the surprise visit from Santa who arrived on the back of a fire truck to hand out some early Christmas presents.
On the field it was an incredibly casual affair with players dancing, switch hitting and just enjoying the day out as opposed to worrying about the scoreline.
The 7-aside squads were mixed in terms of age, gender and location with many players that usually oppose each other in the Upper Hunter District Cricket Association joining forces for the competition.
However, there was still a winner and the Timor Terriers came out victorious over Nellie Bellies Cafe to claim the inaugural title.
Event organiser Justine Cooper said she hoped the participants walked away from the day knowing the community was behind them.
“This is just a thing we decided to do so the farmers could come in and have a social day and interact with other people that are going through the same thing and just know they’re appreciated,” she said.
People came from far and wide for the event, with a group from the Ku-ring-gai Netball Association coming up for the day.
They had heard about the event in October, showing how much preparation was put into the day, and said they were immediately interested in returning to the Upper Hunter for the weekend.
“We’re just here to have some fun and meet the locals, it’s been great so far and it’s really well organised and it’s been really good,” said team member Roslyn Roots.
Every side there got involved with the spirit and it became evident the purpose of the day was fulfilled, with not one of the smiling faces giving a thought to the drought.