Few traditions carry as much meaning as Cup Match for us.
More than just a cricket game, it is a celebration of heritage, resilience and community – a time when families come together to honour the past while creating new memories.
For Kenten Trott and his family, Cup Match is not simply an event on the calendar: it is a deeply rooted tradition that blends history, family bonding and the rhythms of island life.
Mr Trott, a police inspector and longtime Cup Match participant behind the scenes, describes his connection to the holiday with both pride and reflection.
He grew up in St David’s, and acknowledges the unique, sibling-rivalry-style phenomenon that compels many St David’s Islanders to support – and even play for – Somerset during Cup Match.
But he supports St George’s.
Having a similar story myself, I endorse his choice.
For Mr Trott’s family, however, the real heart of Cup Match lies beyond the cricket field. Their tradition centres around camping at Turtle Bay, a ritual they have built and refined over the years. Preparations begin long before the holiday, with permits secured early to ensure their place. Then, at precisely midnight on the Wednesday before Cup Match, the family arrives – flashlights in hand – to set up camp.
“It’s pitch black, but we’re out there setting up tents, getting everything ready,” Mr Trott said. “That’s part of the excitement.”
The campsite becomes a temporary village. Multiple tents house immediate and extended family members while cooking areas, tables and coolers transform the beach into a home away from home. Though some modern conveniences have crept in – thanks to a cousin’s generator – Mr Trott prefers to keep things simple, embracing a more traditional, unplugged experience.
“I’m old school,” he asserted. “I don’t need all the extras. It’s about being out there, enjoying nature.”
From Wednesday through Sunday, the family lives by the rhythm of the holiday. Days are spent swimming, relaxing and listening to the cricket on the radio. Meals are shared, stories are told, and children roam freely between the tents and the shoreline.
Even unpredictable weather can’t dampen their spirits. Mr Trott remembers one year when heavy rain lashed the island, yet the family stayed put, covering their tents with tarpaulin and riding out the storm together.
“It’s all part of it,” he declared. “You just make it work!”
Balancing his professional responsibilities with family traditions adds another layer to Mr Trott’s Cup Match experience. As part of the policing team responsible for the event in St George’s, he often works shifts during the holiday. Even so, he finds a way to return to the campsite, ensuring he remains connected to both his duty and his family.
At its core, Mr Trott believes Cup Match is about far more than sport. It is a living reminder of Bermuda’s history – particularly the legacy of emancipation and the resilience of those who came before.
“People don’t always realise the significance,” he explained. “Our forefathers took a stand; took time off work and created something meaningful. That says a lot about who we are.”
The quiet moments at the campsite, away from all the distractions and pressures of modern life, offer Mr Trott time to reflect on that history, and to pass its meaning on to his children. Though they are drawn to technology more than any generation before, the experience of camping helps ground them in tradition.
“It’s family bonding,” he said with a warm grin. “It’s teaching them what Cup Match really means.”
In that space between AI encroachment and historical heartbeats, Cup Match continues to thrive – carried forward by families like the Trotts, who ensure its spirit lives on year after year.
