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The North Bay Multicultural Cricket Club meets every Monday at Amelia Park. It continues to welcome members of the public to join them and give the sport a try. The group is set to compete at the Northern Ontario Cricket Tournament this Saturday and Sunday. PHOTO by: Jazz Mathon
It’s a Monday tradition that continues to grow.
As North Bay’s population becomes more diverse, there is more interest in cricket, a sport that is really popular in many corners of the world. “It’s a little piece of home for most of us,” says team captain Joseph Lesanthan.
The group began meeting ten years ago in area gymnasiums for informal practices and to improve their hitting. However in the past three years, they’ve been able to field a team.
“We have a selection committee now, lots of players. When we first started out there was just a handful of players, but now there are more than 17. We have to do practice sessions like this to gauge players and put a team together. It’s really coming along,” shares team member Vikas Poni.
The group will take part in the second annual Northern Cricket Tournament at Amelia Park this weekend. They will take on teams from Toronto, Sudbury and Sault St Marie. Last year the group lost in the finals against Thunder Bay.
Despite their competitive drive, the group is just as focused on promoting the sport locally and invite members of the community to join them in their love of cricket. Those interested can join the team during Monday practices at Amelia Park, between 6 and 8p.m.
“We have an open door policy and we encourage drop-ins as well and if you’re curious enough to get inside the ground, you are more than welcome to give it a shot as well,” adds Lesanthan.
If one decides to officially join, there is an annual membership fee to help pay the cost of renting the field.
Dave Holloway played the sport as a young boy in England. The 63 year old is now a member of the club and continues to play in order to stay in shape.
“Everybody is in it together, we’re all from different backgrounds, a lot of different ages and everyone acts as part of the team, it’s very much a team effort.”
Vikas Poni was also introduced to the sport while in England and also played in Zimbabwe and Egypt. He says regular members are more dedicated to the club.
“The team has really come along the last two years as far as the camaraderie goes. We rotated a lot of decision making and how to develop the game. It’s not just one or two people in charge.”
The group also offers cricket clinics upon request and are optimistic the club will only continue to grow. “It looks like it will stay and develop with the popularity that it is getting,” says Vikas.
