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ABOUT THE EMIRATES T20 ARCH TROPHY
THE CONCEPT
The ARCH (ARabian CHallenge) concept is simple, to offer sporting tournaments in safe destinations with clement weather and utilising high quality sporting facilities.
Cricket is the first sport to be offered by Sport Arabia Ltd (the owners of the ARCH concept) and to date Pro ARCH Cricket and School ARCH Cricket are underway. In time, Corporate and Club events are planned as well as other sports.
THE HISTORY
November 2006 – James Kirtley and Roger Myall are introduced to Matthew Jackson. James play professional cricket for Sussex CCC and is the business partner of Roger. Matthew owns Arabian Cricket Ltd, specialising in sporting tours to the UAE.
December 2006 – Roger & James, having discussed the cricketing facilities in the UAE with Matthew, suggest approaching Sussex CCC & Essex CCC about a pre-season tour. Historically, pre-season for the counties involved either a trip abroad in March to Spain or Portugal where the facilities where poor and the opposition non-existent or somewhere further afield to somewhere like South Africa at a time of year where the weather was unpredictable.
Both Counties are receptive to the idea of a pre-season tour to the UAE which is only 6.5 hours away, where the good weather was a guaranteed (25 degrees in March) and the time difference only 4 hours.
March 2007 – Sussex & Essex venture out for pre-season in the UAE culminating in a match against each other – the Pro ARCH Trophy is born.
July 2007 – now with a track-record and testimonials from high profile County cricket clubs, Sport Arabia approach other counties with a view to organising a larger event in 2008.
January 2008 – final approval for the 2008 Pro ARCH Trophy is received from both the ECB and ICC and Sussex, Essex, Somerset, Lancashire & Yorkshire are announced as the participating Counties at a press launch in the offices of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority in Knightsbridge, London.
March 2008 – using world class facilities in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi the 5 English Counties are joined by the UAE national side in the inaugural Pro ARCH event which sees Yorkshire CCC crowned winners.
June 2008 – Sport Arabia is approached by additional Counties, all of whom are interested in participating in the 2009 event. The event is limited to 6 English Counties because of the limitations set by the number of suitable facilities in the UAE and the commitment (taken to ensure a sporting legacy in the UAE is assured) by Sport Arabia Ltd to include the UAE national-side and a local XI.
October 2008 – Sport Arabia Ltd is delighted to announce Emirates Airline as the headline sponsor of the 2009 Pro ARCH Trophy.
December 2008 – Sussex, Essex, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Surrey & Middlesex are announced as the English participants in the 2009 Emirates Airline Pro ARCH Trophy at the press launch at the Brit Oval and will be joined by the UAE National-side and the Fly Emirates XI.
March 2009 – The Largest Emirates Airline Pro ARCH Trophy take places across the UAE.
16 games in 8 days between 6 counties, the UAE and Fly Emirates XI.
Essex are crowned champions after defeating Middlesex in the final.
October 2009 – Emirates Airline agrees a 3 year deal with Sport Arabia as headline sponsors of the Emirates Airline ARCH Trophies. This includes, for the first time, a T20 weekend and 40 over competition for the pros and an expanded School ARCH Trophy tournament. Emirates will host the majority of matches over the 3 years at their new cricket ovals at 7he Sevens in Dubai.
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