The slim green patch of artificial turf fenced off in Bridgwater may be a scenery change for Winnipeg cricket players accustomed to using parking lots and baseball diamonds.
“I have a lot of calls in the late hours of the night saying, ‘Look, what are these guys doing playing cricket on the shopping mall parking lots?’ ” said Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West) Saturday.
Lukes tried her hand at the booming sport Saturday and was among the first, likely, to test a pitch at Bridgwater Lakes Park.
GABRIELLE PICHé / FREE PRESS
Winnipeg South MP Terry Duguid (left) prepares to take a swing on the cricket pitch at Bridgwater Lakes Park Saturday.
The new regulation-size cricket pitch is set to open at 200 Bridge Lake Dr. next spring. Construction on the site, and at a youth pitch at Chancellor Park, could finish later this month.
It’s needed because there aren’t enough fields to hold all the teams wanting to play cricket, said Abdul Baten.
Baten leads two cricket teams and is involved with the sport’s provincial association and heads the Canada-Bangladesh Association of Manitoba.
“Cricket changed big time in Winnipeg,” said Baten. “If you drive by the south side, you’ll see most of the baseball (diamonds are) taken by cricket.”
He started playing in 2004. Then, there were 12 teams split between two divisions, he recalled. Now, there are approximately 60 teams and several divisions.
A typical team has 11 players and two substitutes.
The sport has exploded globally over the past decade. It’s partly because of a format change, Baten noted: instead of games lasting days, a new format was introduced that keeping game lengths to roughly 2 1/2 hours.
Meantime, Canada has seen high immigration in recent years. Migrants from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal, among other countries, have brought their love of the sport with them.
As they’ve arrived and formed teams, the space to play has gotten congested. This year’s renovations at Assiniboine Park’s field, which was the only regulation-size pitch in the city until Bridgwater, added further constraint.
“There’s a scarcity of the field,” Baten said. “Canada (doesn’t) have the infrastructure.”
Hence, the reason why avid players have taken to baseball diamonds and empty parking lots.
It can be an accessible sport for immigrants, Baten noted — it’s cheaper than options like hockey.
“(There’s a) need for new recreational opportunities that reflect the demographics of our community,” said Winnipeg South MP Terry Duguid near the Bridgwater pitch Saturday.
“This is going to be a great boon to our neighbourhood and meeting those recreational needs.”
Duguid said 57,000 people now live in the Waverley West neighbourhood. It’s larger than the city of Brandon.
GABRIELLE PICHé / FREE PRESS
Masroor Khan, president of the South Winnipeg Community Centre Board, speaks at a news conference announcing two cricket pitches Saturday. From the left, he’s joined by Terry Duguid, MP for Winnipeg South; David Pankratz, MLA for Waverley; and Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West).
The federal, provincial and city governments all contributed money to the two cricket pitches, which they announced Saturday. The total came to $207,500. A majority, $87,000, came from the feds; the city contributed $59,000 and the province gave $26,000.
The South Winnipeg Community Centre promised $35,500 for the Chancellor Park junior pitch.
Coun. Lukes said she met with the community centre board to determine what recreational facilities were needed in the area. Two cricket fields, two basketball courts and a tennis court was the final answer.
New cricket pitches will provide “immense value,” said Masroor Khan, the community centre’s board president.
Once complete, south Winnipeg will hold six cricket pitches. Prashant John and his son Reeyan trek to La Barriere Park to play. They’ll be able to walk to the Bridgwater field.
“It’s beneficial to the community,” John said. “We have a growing community… lots of immigration populations.”
At least 65 per cent of Waverley West residents identified as visible minorities in 2021, a 2023 Elections Manitoba document showcased. Forty-three per cent of the area’s population were immigrants.
Cricket games are also held in The Maples and Assiniboine Park. The park’s pitches, which are being redesigned, could be used for international tournaments, John said.
“That brings more business to our city,” he added.
The Bridgwater field will hold both the cricket pitch and space for soccer games. Leadership is deciding whether users will book games through the city or the South Winnipeg Community Centre, Lukes said.
gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com
Gabrielle Piché
Reporter
Gabrielle Piché reports on business for the Free Press. She interned at the Free Press and worked for its sister outlet, Canstar Community News, before entering the business beat in 2021. Read more about Gabrielle.
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