Members of the Winkler Cricket Club hope that a new pitch will help grow the sport in the region. While a team has been practicing and competing for a few years now, a recent agreement between the Garden Valley School Division and the city will make way for a facility at Northlands Parkway Collegiate.

Vice Captain, Gary, says cricket is the second most popular sport in the world after soccer and while it is played mostly in eastern countries, the game starting to show up in parts of Canada however, it hasn't yet caught on in rural/regional areas of the country. "That's why our community is playing cricket here. We want cricket to build up here...and (we want) every community to join in."

He adds the game is a great way for people to develop leadership and teamwork skills. 

President, Zahid Zehri, says there is a lot of potential for more teams to form in the Pembina Valley and this opportunity is worth exploring.

He adds this new pitch will not only allow the Winkler team to practice more efficiently - the group has to travel to Winnipeg on a regular basis to practice and compete - but will also provide others in the community the chance to learn more about the sport.

"So local people, who have a very busy schedule, they can come and enjoy the game so that they love it and have a passion for this."

In order to make the new facility a reality, Zehri says the club will need the community's support, adding the cost of this new pitch will run in the thousands of dollars. He notes there are some funds available through various provincial organizations but says it isn't enough to get the job done.

Zehri explains the grand plan for the facility is to include a pitch, a pavilion and beautiful grounds where spectators can relax and enjoy the game. He adds the club would like this pitch to be state-of-the-art and in accordance with international standards.

"We want to be host for the league tournament next year, and we also would like to invite some U.S.A. teams and also some other provinces teams to play and enjoy."

Zehri says another phase in the club's plan is to create a cricket academy for area youth.

In order to help people better understand the game of cricket and to encourage donations for the pitch project, the Winkler Cricket Club is hosting a Cricket Festival April

29th starting at 3 p.m. at the Winkler Arena. Zehri says the celebration will start off with an introduction to the game through demonstration and offer people a chance to test out some of the equipment. The second portion of the event will see four cricket teams, three of which are local, face-off in competition.

Vice Captain, Gary, says the whole family is invited to take part in the festival.

Meantime, the Winkler Cricket Club is starting to make a name for itself at the provincial level. Treasurer, Gary, says two years ago the team placed third in the league and last year it placed second.

The game of cricket was explained and demonstrated at the tournament in Winkler Saturday afternoon.