HOWARD COUNTY, MD — The county's sixth cricket pitch and first designated youth cricket pitch has been unveiled at Lake Elkhorn Middle School. The county entered into an agreement with the Howard County Board of Education last summer to construct and maintain the new cricket pitch.
“Cricket’s popularity has boomed over the past several years in Howard County, and this new pitch is foundational for the growth of our youth cricket league,” Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said at a ribbon-cutting event to celebrate the new cricket pitch. “We have some of the best sports fields and engagement in our state, and we look forward to expanding Howard County’s reputation as the place to play cricket.” The pitch at Lake Elkhorn Middle is the sixth cricket pitch in Howard County, helping to meet the growing demand for fields and facilities to accommodate the popular sport. Other pitch locations include Schooley Mill Park, Murray Hill Middle School, Faulkner Ridge Center and Lake Elkhorn Middle School. “This new pitch is the first in the county to be designated for youth,” Raul Delerme, Howard County Director of Howard County Recreation and Parks, said at the unveiling event. “It allows our younger players and teams the opportunity to practice eight months out of the year, including summer months and on evenings and weekends.”
HCPSS Superintendent Michael J. Martirano said he looks forward to "seeing the innovative ways our physical education teachers may leverage this new cricket pitch to teach their students a new activity that has become so popular in many cultures and countries around the globe."
The need for field space for cricket players became apparent more than a decade ago. In 2011, Howard County Recreation & Parks staff helped cricket players create a modified cricket pitch on the baseball fields at Meadowbrook Park. Soon after, in 2013, the county opened its first true cricket pitch at Schooley Mill Park.
In November 2020, the field and cricket pitch at Schooley Mill Park were expanded, increasing the artificial cricket pitch from 108 linear feet to 450 feet in size. The multi-use grass field was extended by approximately 80 square feet and re-sodded. These capital efforts helped Howard County secure the 8th annual National Youth Cricket League tournament in July 2021, bringing 93 teams from around the country to the area.
“I grew up watching my father play in the Howard County Cricket League and I am very thankful that my friends and I have and will have the same opportunities to compete in cricket. The sport is growing within Howard County schools and we now get to have games and practice on our own pitch here at Lake Elkhorn Middle School,” said Dev Patel, a youth player entering his senior year at Howard High School. “I will be representing Howard County as I compete in national tournaments and play Major League Cricket. Thank you to Dr. Calvin Ball and all of Howard County leadership.”
In addition to this new pitch, the county will improve and maintain the four existing baseball diamonds on the shared fields for Lake Elkhorn Middle and Cradlerock Elementary. To sign up for a HCRP cricket program, visit https://www.hcrpsports.org/adultcricket or https://www.hcrpsports.org/youthcricket.
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