Parks department and local cricket club partner on a low-maintenance option to add cricket to an existing parks complex
SPORTING GROUNDS
Parks department and local cricket club partner on a low-maintenance option to add cricket to an existing parks complex
Cricket has grown in popularity in Iowa, and with that increased demand has come the need for solutions to accommodate user groups.
The City of Marion, Iowa, was approached by a local cricket club that was seeking a space for practices and games. According to Brent Neighbor, CSFM, deputy director, parks & recreation for the City of Marion, the cricket club had previously utilized an area of their employer’ s green space. However, after losing access to that space, the group turned to the City of Marion as a partner.
Cricket play centers around a narrow rectangular“ pitch” that takes the brunt of traffic. Bowlers, batters and fielders
all focus their movement through this area, which is roughly 10 feet wide and more than 60 feet long. Traditionally, the pitch area of a cricket field is grass kept hard and smooth by rolling with a 3-ton roller.
However, Neighbor knew his department did not have the resources and staffing to maintain a grass pitch. The local cricket club suggested pouring a concrete slab for the cricket pitch.
At that point, the City of Marion Parks & Recreation department identified Lowe Park, its Pee Wee baseball complex, as a possible fit for the cricket pitch. The facility hosts baseball, flag football, special events, and now cricket.
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