The Festival of Cricket (FOC) 2003 organised by the Srilankan schools old boys associations in UK opened its arms to the Srilankan public on the 29th of June at Shenley Cricket Centre. It was a sunny Sunday easily comparable to Srilankan weather but thousands of miles away from Srilanka. This event attracts thousands of Srilankans living all over UK to congregate in one place on a special day to enjoy cricket and each others company. The event, on its fifteenth year was the brainchild of old Anandian cricketer Mr. G.C. Perera. With the help of the Srilankan schools old boys associations in UK this event has grown from strength to strength and has the potential to grow even bigger.

This year was no different and thousands turned out to enjoy the day and the unique atmosphere created by the blend of trade stalls (Airlines, freight companies, insurance etc), food stalls, baila (Srilankan pop) and their love of cricket. In the past, cricketers from Srilanka, England, West Indies and Pakistan of past and present have taken part in a special one off game that used to be the climax of the day. Due to international commitments for their respective countries they failed to grace this years event. This did not dampen the spirit of the crowd because, some cricketers from Srilankan A team playing for their respective schools filled the void. The cricketer's who took part displayed their talents to the rapturous applause and cheering of those present.

This year, members of nineteen old boys associations took part in the event; a far cry from the inaugural event in 1989 when only six took part. As usual the limited over knock out cricket tournament was of extraordinary quality and was enjoyed by the young and the young at heart alike. As was in 1999 bad light forced this year's finalists to be declared as joint champions. The failing light did not deter the spirit of the public and the live band made sure of that by churning out the popular baila music and the availability of the Lion Larger (Beer brewed in Srilanka) and tasty Srilankan food/snacks helped in the process.

The Srilankan Prime minister Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe, on his message to the souvenir praised the work done by the FOC in raising funds towards the children's charity cancer hospital in Sri Lanka and the respective alma mater for educational and welfare purposes. He also said that,
"an event such as this has and would help to ease tension among the various ethnic communities living in the UK."

Premier Communications International (PCI) sponsored this year's event and Mr. Sam Seinthan, the managing director on his message to the souvenir said,
"A day like this has a tremendous part to play in renewing and strengthening our ties to everyone back home and each other."

Our reporter on the scene also identified few locals who were enjoying the atmosphere and the cricket on display. When asked by our reporter 'how did he hear about the event?' Richard Harris a local said that he was driving by and was enthralled by the crowd, cricket and music and wanted to join in. Mr Harris standing in glorious sunshine with Beer in one hand and spicy chicken on the other beamed at our reporter and said that he was glad that he came. Seven-year-old Daniel was also there with his dad to enjoy the atmosphere and soak up the sunshine.

This local enthusiasm shows that there exists an opportunity for the FOC to promote this event even more in the future and generate more local crowd involvement, so that they too can enjoy what Srilankans have to offer. This is an opportunity to let everybody know that we Srilankans are not just known for our tea, spices and cricket but also for our rich culture and hospitality. Everyone should make a note in their calendar not to miss
- The Festival of Cricket (FOC) 2004