New cricket pitch honours Butch Blake as Stratford Festival narrowly defeats Shaw in this year’s exhibition match

Stratford Festival cricketer Evan Mercer sits with his teammates as they take in the words of the annual Stratford-Shaw game's opening ceremony.

Stratford’s first official cricket pitch opened Monday, Aug. 25, and while the day began with light rain, by the time the first ball was bowled, the sun was shining on spectators.

The Stratford-Shaw match – a rivalry dating back to the 1970s, when both companies had Mondays off, is now in its 51st year and continues to bring players and audiences together. This year, the game concluded at 6 p.m., with Stratford securing a close win over Shaw, 158-157.

The new field, although not formally named, is already fondly known as the Butch Blake Memorial Cricket Ground. It was dedicated in honour of Mervyn “Butch” Blake, a man who gave much to Stratford, both on stage and on the cricket pitch.

Blake was a Stratford Festival actor for more than four decades, performing in 42 seasons, 118 productions and 132 roles, including Shakespeare’s entire canon. But to many, he was just as legendary for his devotion to cricket.

“Today we continue a bizarre and beloved tradition of theatre people playing cricket on a mutual day off,” said Emilio Vera, captain of the festival cricket team. “The Beacon Herald archives tell us one of the earliest recorded cricket matches in Stratford ended in a fist fight. We hope that doesn’t happen today – but no promises.”

Vera said Blake’s enthusiasm for the game “never wavered,” adding: “He encouraged the best and the worst of us. It is because of his extraordinary contribution to our community that we honour him here today.”

The dedication drew local leaders, including Mayor Martin Ritsma, who spoke about the potential to welcome cricket teams from across Ontario to Stratford and was practicing right before the game for his first pitch to open the event.

“We’re embracing our wide demographic of local families in our community,” he said. “If I bowl well today, CeCe was a great teacher. If I bowl poorly, I was a poor student.”

Festival artistic director Antoni Cimolino remembered Blake as an actor who could transform any stage he walked onto.

“Butch was proof that good things come in small packages,” Cimolino said. “When he got on stage, no matter how good the performance was, suddenly it became better. He believed in theatre, he believed in community, and he knew that being part of a company meant not only creating art, but also playing together.”

For Blake’s family, the recognition was especially moving. His son Andrew shared stories of his father’s lifelong love of the game, which started when he was a boy in India.

“It’s commonly believed that he came to the new world to promote what he had learned about the theatre,” Andrew said. “The truth, however, is not entirely that. His prime reason for crossing the Atlantic was to teach North Americans how to play the game of cricket.”

He recalled his father’s catching ability, his dedication to the team even in his 80s, and his joy in seeing the Stratford-Shaw tradition continue year after year.

“Love was the motivating force of his life – love of people, love of the theatre, love of work and love of life itself,” Andrew said. “Since 1997, Shaw has won 13 games, Stratford has won 11, and there were two draws due to rain. The team’s motto is ‘It shall be so.’ I hope the Stratford team wins against Shaw today.”