Kilikiti

Kilikiti ("syn." kirikiti, Samoan cricket, pronounced "ki-ree-kiss") is one of several forms of cricket. Originating in Samoa (English missionaries introduced their game of cricket in the early 19th century), it spread throughout Polynesia and can now be found around the world in areas with strong Polynesia populations. The game is the national sport of Samoa, it is played in Tuvalu, and is particularly popular in New Zealand.

Form of the Game

Equipment

The ball is made of a very hard rubber wrapped in pandanus. Players are not protected by any padding or masks, and will often wear only a lava-lava. The sennit-wrapped wooden bats, which are shaped to individual players' likings and can be over a meter long, are three-sided, which means that the path of a hit ball is extremely hard to predict.

Rules

The rules of kilikiti are flexible. Indeed, the majority of reports written on the game simply say that the rules can only be known by those playing.

imilarities to cricket

There is a batting team and a fielding team, and a pitch (sometimes of concrete). The bowl alternates between two bowlers, one at each end of the pitch; accordingly, there are two wicket keepers (this as opposed to the single bowler and wicket keeper in cricket).

Major points on which kilikiti differs from cricket

There is no limit to team size, and teams are made up of whoever turns up regardless of gender or age (tourist accounts referenced below mention that strangers are often welcomed). Players are typically all-rounders. A kilikiti game is a multi-day community event full of singing, dancing, and feasting. Entire villages will compete and everyone will be involved, whether as player, cook, or spectator. (According to one source (see India Engineers Cricket Club in "External links") the only universal rule is that the host team forfeits if it cannot provide enough food.)

tandardization

The New Zealand Kilikiti Association (NZKA) is working to standardize the rules of kilikiti. In 1999 the NZKA started a national tournament, called the Supercific Kilikiti Tournament, and in 2001 it introduced the international World Cup Kilikiti Tournament. Games have been cut to a television-friendly 70 minutes (2 innings, the first being 30 minutes long and the second bowling the same number of balls as the first). The NZKA has also added the scoring of 4's and 6's.

ee also

*Trobriand Cricket

External links

Recommended Articles

*Simon, Liza (text), and Haar, Tom (photography). [http://www.hanahou.com/cricket.htm "South Seas Cricket: The staid British sport gets a Polynesian makeover"] . "Hana Hou." Retrieved September 5, 2005.:The magazine of Hawaiian Airlines ran this article, which is illustrated with photographs of kilikiti in Hawaii.

*Leilua, Iulia (January 18/19, 2002). [http://www.eventpolynesia.com/events/samoa/archive/NZ3_page_supercifickilikiti02.htm "Supercific Kilikiti Tournament"] . Retrieved September 5, 2005.:This article provides some general background on the sport, information on the development of this national tournament by the New Zealand Kilikiti Association (NZKA), and several photographs.

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*A photograph featuring [http://www.globaltravelwriters.com/gs26.html a kilikiti bat]
*A [http://www.wnsstamps.ch/stamps/WF017.05/WF017.05-full.jpeg stamp of Wallis and Futuna presenting kilikiti]

Further sources

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A2026982 "Independent Samoa: Its Culture and Atmosphere"] . h2g2 at bbc.co.uk. Retrieved September 5, 2005.

* [http://www.ieccjapan.com/newsletter/newsletter43.htm "Kirikiti - 37 for the loss of 19 wickets ?"] (September 2, 2004). "India Engineers Cricket Club Newsletter" (43). Retrieved September 5, 2005.:(A compilation of snippets without citations.)

* [http://www.australiatravelling.net/samoa/samoa_culture.htm "Samoan Culture"] at australiatraveling.net. Retrieved September 5, 2005.