Posted on CTV News Kitchener
June 8, 2024 – The crack of a bat and cheers from athletes echoed throughout Kitchener’s RBJ Schlegel Park on Saturday, as cricket players took to the grounds to practice on the city’s fourth cricket pitch.
“Cricket is a game where it’s a thrill batting and strategic bowling,” said Giridhar Shouri, president of the Southern Ontario Cricket Association (SOCA). “It all unites together to bring the community together.”
It comes just days after the City of Kitchener announced they would be opening a new cricket ground at Kiwanis Park.
The City of Kitchener says the Kiwanis Park cricket ground will help meet the demand of the growing popularity of the sport.
Cricket is the fastest growing sport in Canada with nearly 40,000 players and over five million cricket fans, according to a 2022 Canadian survey.(opens in a new tab)
“As Canada’s fastest growing community, and as an increasingly diverse community, Kitchener is committed to prioritizing its support for a more diverse sporting community as well and have engaged with local sports groups to understand and support their needs, today and in the future,” Mayor Berry Vrbanovic said in a news release.