Cup Match Fever

It’s late July in Bermuda, which means the only thing on most islander’s minds is Cup Match—a two-day cricket tournament that turns into a four-day rum-soaked weekend. Each year on the Thursday and Friday before the first Monday in August, St. George’s and Somerset cricket clubs face off in what becomes a much-anticipated spin on New York’s Subway Series (for all you non-baseball fans out there, that’s when the Yankees play the Mets for five-borough supremacy. Let's go Mets!). Here in Bermuda businesses shut down, families congregate and the island grinds to a halt for two days as east and west battle it out for local cricket dominance. It’s the most competitive match of the year and one that brings with it loads of opinions regarding what team will take home the trophy. So, hoping to quell this year's debate is Bermuda’s own Houdini the Octopus, a distant cousin of Paul the Octopus who became famous for selecting the winner of Germany’s seven matches at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in addition to picking Spain in the final. Reports local web news agency Bernews, Houdini—who currently resides at the Bermuda Aquarium—appears to have chosen Somerset since the eight-legged creature hovered towards the dark blue and red ribbon (light blue and navy being the colors of St. George’s). I’ll report back next week to see if Houdini was correct, but in the meantime, I’m prepping for a long weekend. See ya on Monday!