Most of us on the North Coast are fortunate to be part of a small-town community where we find belonging.
Being a region dotted with small coastal towns and an expansive farming community, we naturally gravitate towards forming small tight-knit communities, each with their own unique cultures and quirks.
Community is where we find our tribe, the people that help us in times of crisis but also celebrate the good times with us.
We share personal experiences, support each other and live life together, the way life should be lived.
The disconnect of communities is one of the reasons why people struggled since Covid.
Sport is a great unifier though, and a recent event in Darnall reminded me of how lucky we are to live this community-based lifestyle not found in the city.
An old friend invited me to the inaugural Darnall vs Doringkop Valamoba cricket match held at the Darnall Primary School on December 16.
With rain already having derailed our early morning off-road motorcycling plans, the weather wasn’t great and the field was soggy.
But with live music, a slip ‘n slide and the best chicken prego rolls served up by an amazing farming community with lots of “gees”, we were in for a treat.
The 20-over cricket derby between the Darnall Destroyers and the Doringkop Drinking and Sporting Association (DDSA) – a team name born out of banter around a braai – was serious business.
The Destroyers batted first “fiercely protecting the two wooden stump castles on either side of a strip of dead grass” as Australian comedian Jimmy Rees described it,while the Doringkop Drinkers attacked with ferocity.
Expert coaching tips and pearls of wisdom gained through years of cricketing experience came flying from the peanut gallery of batsmen eagerly waiting their turn.
The waterlogged clay field made for some spectacular sliding antics as the boys relived their glory days on the pitch.
With both teams wearing white, I’d like to see if the Omo slogan “dirt is good” rings true. I doubt those uniforms will ever be the same again.
Serious community matches call for a serious on-field fines system. What better way to spice things up than with a drench of mystery mix administered to players’ mouth via a livestock dosing device.
Running onto the field at least once an over to administer a dose or two, there was debate whether the fines master was recording more runs than the batsmen. Either way, she was rewarded with a good dose herself at the prize-giving.
I’m not sure if the mystery livestock doser had anything to do with it, but at changeover the Doringkop Drinkers appeared to have drank too much and lost their grip on the game and were unable to meet the winning target.
But regardless of the outcome, the community was the big winner as entire families spent the day socialising, connecting and strengthening their tribe.
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