Aldergrove might be getting a new cricket pitch, with council exploring options as the only existing pitch isn’t in a good location.
A motion by Mayor Eric Woodward at the Monday, Nov. 6 council meeting calls for staff to report on potential locations, design options, costs, and cost sharing possibilities for a new pitch at Aldergrove Athletic Park, or elsewhere in the Township.
The motion passed unanimously with no discussion.
There is currently one cricket pitch in the Township, which is located in Brown Park at 51st Avenue and 240th Street.
The motion suggesting a new pitch notes it is a “partial” cricket pitch, within the shared spaces of two soccer fields and two baseball fields.
That means a very limited amount of time it’s available to use.
A member of the Langley Cricket Club, which plays in the B.C. Mainland Cricket League (BCMCL), said local teams will benefit if a new pitch is added.
“As you know cricket is getting very popular, we need more grounds as we have nearly three teams in just Langely,” said the club’s Barjinder Kular. “Due to lack of grounds in the area we usually have to drive out to Surrey for practice.”
A new cricket ground in the Langley area would allow the game to grow.
There are 37 cricket clubs under the BCMCL’s umbrella, including clubs from Abbotsford, Surrey, Richmond, Mission, and the Okanagan.
Earlier this year, Minor League Cricket (MiLC) announced it was considering expanding into B.C. The MiLC is known as North America’s top development league, and feeds players into Major League Cricket, a North American league that just started playing in July.
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