Good Innings

In Bermuda, Cup Match is one of the most anticipated events of the summer, an opportunity for friends, families and tourists to gather and immerse themselves in Bermudian traditions and festivities. This two-day annual celebration, which falls on July 31 and August 1 this year, brings together the island’s rich history, culture and love of cricket—fusing a commemoration of the freeing of all slaves on the island with an exciting cricket match between two rival teams: St. George’s and Somerset.

Bermuda observes Emancipation Day on the first day of Cup Match because the game of cricket came to symbolize the efforts of the community to rebuild. In 2020, the second day of the holiday was renamed Mary Prince Day, in honour of a Bermudian who played a crucial role in the abolition movement. Born into an enslaved family, Prince was the first woman to write an account of her life as a slave. The History of Mary Prince, A West Indian Slave, published by the Anti-Slavery Society in London, England, in 1831, galvanized public sentiment against slavery.

St. George’s Corps decorated in celebration of Cup Match Sunday

Salvation Army corps in Bermuda celebrate these national holidays by holding Cup Match Sunday, a time for fun, fellowship and the Word. We invite our congregations to wear their team colours—blue/blue for St. George’s and red/blue for Somerset—and decorate the sanctuary with red and blue flags. Some people even bring along chairs and umbrellas.

In 2024, the theme of our service was faith, perseverance and freedom. Reflecting on 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 and Hebrews 12:1-2, I shared that win or lose, God is still on our side. When life is tough and we face stumbling blocks, God our heavenly Father is right there to pick us up and carry us to the finish line, where we have the hope of receiving the crown of life—one that will last eternally.

As part of last year’s festivities, Salvationists joined with Christians from all over the western end of the island of Bermuda for an open-air pre-Cup Match service in Somerset. The atmosphere was filled with the melodic sounds of the combined praise and worship team, along with energetic dance and flag worship and the delightful puppet ministry of the Army’s West End CC

I spoke of the faith and perseverance shown by our forefathers in Bermuda, and the joy of celebrating freedom. I also shared the importance of people such as Mary Prince and her determined faith in action, despite her circumstances. I believe from reading her autobiography that she was a woman of faith and quoted from her book: “God will find a way to give me my liberty.”

The theme of faith and perseverance was woven throughout the service, including our time of worship. It was an energetic atmosphere as we sang songs of joy, happiness and hope. The reflection song after the devotion was The Cause of Christ.

After the service, the celebration continued with food and fellowship in the hall. We even had blue-coloured cupcakes.

Even though the St. George’s team did not win, our spirits were not dampened. We came together, red and blue, and continued to celebrate the true meaning of Cup Match and all that it stands for: freedom, faith and love for all.

LIEUTENANT ALMETA WARD is the corps officer at St. George’s Corps in Bermuda.

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