NUBS cricket match raises awareness on social justice issues

In a departure from tradition, the final game of the Business School staff cricket season featured a match against a team of Maasai warriors.

The Maasai Cricket Warriors have swapped their spears and shields for bat and ball and use cricket to work for social justice, particularly on issues such as early forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

The Warriors, who play in their traditional Maasai clothing, are currently on a tour of the UK, hosted by the Mojatu Foundation and playing some of the top cricket teams in Nottinghamshire.  Indeed, they recently performed at the world-famous Trent Bridge ground during the India-England Test match.  So it will come as no surprise that the opponents chosen by the Warriors for the first match of their tour was none other than the NUBS staff team!

The cricket was the climax to an excellent and thought-provoking Modern Day Slavery and Survivor Voices conference, an event featuring the Warriors as well as representatives from the Nottingham University Rights Lab.  The state of the pitch was not quite up to Trent Bridge standards so the two captains agreed on a Kwik cricket softball format, played in pairs. 

Batting first, the staff ended up on a respectable score of 188 but were well and truly outclassed by an impressive Maasai team who amassed 201 in an innings that featured numerous fours and sixes, assuring a comfortable victory.

It was a privilege to play against such a wonderful team and the defeat did nothing to detract from a great day where the true winner was the awareness raised about Modern Day Slavery.

Our very best wishes go to the Maasai Warrior Cricket team for the rest of their UK tour.

More about the Maasai Cricket Warriors
More about the Nottingham University Rights Lab