With cricket already popular in southeast Asian nations, including in India and Pakistan, and continuing to grow in popularity in towns across the U.S., Vernon Township officials broke ground recently on a youth cricket pitch so local kids can play the sport.
Federal, state and local officials, along with area residents and business owners, attended the July 29 groundbreaking ceremony for the cricket pitch that will be next to the Vernon Township administrative building in Buffalo Grove, township officials announced in a news release.
According to the release, the aim is to have the field ready for play by mid-September.
The project was initiated by Vernon Township Supervisor Jonathan Altenberg, who received a number of requests from township residents over the years to provide an opportunity for local youth to learn and play cricket, the release states.
The release states that construction was to begin “soon” on the youth cricket pitch, and once completed, would include a concrete pad covered with a thick artificial turf as a cover. A 22-yard pitch (a central strip) will be in the center of the field where temporary wickets can be placed at each end and spaced so the ball used in the game can’t pass between them.
The field orientation is planned to be designed so that usage on most of the current baseball and softball fields on township property can continue, the release states.
“I’m very excited to add something new to the Township’s offerings for our residents that promotes both mental and physical well-being and health,” Vernon Township Trustee Gowri Magati stated in the release. “The youth Cricket Pitch will add to our other family-friendly recreational offerings, such as our athletic fields, parks, the picnic shelter, the Jacob Grossman Pool, and the Township’s summer camps.”
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game that is played between two teams of 11 players. The game helps to increase muscle strength, flexibility, coordination and agility, and team play. As with many sports, it also encourages strategic thinking and social interaction, the release explains.
Altenberg and township trustees Gowri Magati, Phil Hirsch and Marc Sender, were among those attending the groundbreaking. Township Clerk Tim Kobler and Assessor Curtis Perlman were also in attendance, along with Buffalo Grove trustees Andy Stein and Joanne Johnson, state Sen. Adriane Johnson, D-Buffalo Grove, state Rep. Dan Didech, D-Buffalo Grove, and U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park.
“Community members and local business owners also came out to show their support,” the release states.
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