The cricket season is just heating up and a new practice cage for the sport is welcoming the action.
The $120,000 cricket practice facility sits in the school yard outside Dakota Collegiate, taking up space that was virtually unused for years.
Now it’s becoming a popular gathering place for the high school’s cricket team and players in the community.
“If you come here on a regular basis anytime during the week, you’ll see people will be using this,” Garvin Budhoo, president of the Manitoba Cricket Association said.
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As newcomers arrive in Winnipeg from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, the interest in playing cricket grows.
“Cricket is the baseball of India, where you get a bat and a ball and you go play,” Keith James explained.
James has been coaching the Dakota Collegiate cricket team for the past five years and to him, this new practice cage is a game changer.
“We can run two completely different practices,” James said.
Half the players can practice catching on one bowling alley, the second half can be used to sharpen their skills with batting and bowling without the ball hitting everybody.
“This is a win for the community. People are smiling when they talk about it,” James said.
The practice cage is the first new addition to the school yard in years. It’s part of a larger plan to renovate the field at Dakota Collegiate.
A capital campaign began four years ago to revitalize the space. The plan includes a new turf football field and a basketball court.
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The vision was to create a place for students and people in the community to be active. A combination of private and public funds have helped cover the cost of the cricket cage. Fundraising for the football field continues.
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