A new synthetic grass cricket pitch was installed in late May at Beban Park and will play host to a number of games and training sessions in the summer months for the local Nanaimo Cricket Club. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

back at home

New pitch installed at Beban Park to support growing Nanaimo Cricket Club

Jun 4, 2024 | 4:31 PM

NANAIMO — Steady growth over the last six years has led to a “dream” outcome for a group of local cricketers.

The City of Nanaimo re-installed a cricket pitch at Beban Park fields for the first time since the early 2010’s, providing the burgeoning Nanaimo Cricket Club opportunity to host their league games in the Harbour City.

Club captain Shivam Mandloi told NanaimoNewsNOW the Nanaimo Cricket Club folded back in 2012, but its current iteration has grown substantially since re-forming in 2018 and playing in the Victoria District Cricket Association (VDCA).

“After having multiple meetings with the City, and thanks to the City who made this dream possible, because we were not expecting to get back Beban Park, because that’s a multi-use field. We’ll be supporting the community going forward and we’ll be having five league matches at our home ground.”

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Past ‘home’ matches had to be played at the cricket-specific Cowichan Cricket and Sports Club at Lake Cowichan, or the multi-use fields behind Ravensong Aquatic Centre in Qualicum Beach.

As part of the VDCA, Nanaimo plays in two formats of the game, based on the number of overs. An ‘over’ is framed as a mini-inning made up of six legal, hittable balls.

The shorter T20 format sees the two teams bat once for a maximum of 20 overs with games typically lasting between three or four hours.

A longer format, where teams bat for a maximum of 45 overs each will typically take six to eight hours.

The season began in April and will run through to September.

The new pitch sits in the middle of the expansive Beban fields, with a perfect backdrop provided by the Lions Sport Pavilion. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Mandloi said they had about 13 members when the club re-formed in 2018, but now there’s a roster of around 30 signed up to play.

Many more aren’t officially registered, but come out to some training sessions in a bid to better learn or get involved in the sport.

He said they might need to expand and field two teams in the future.

“We have about 70 per cent of players are Indian, we have about 20 per cent from the Middle East region and a few members from the Caribbean. It’s diverse and we are welcoming more people from the local community because they are very much interested.”

The City of Nanaimo said total costs for the project came in around $12,000, a small price to pay for a low maintenance piece of sporting infrastructure.

It was installed over a roughly three week period in mid to late May.

City manager of parks operations Charlotte Davis said getting additional use out of a facility like Beban was a win-win.

“The sports fields are truly a multi-use base. You’ve got a lot of softball and soccer for youth, which is the main reason why we have that facility to get the youth in and playing sports…but now when you’re here you’ve got other sports growing and coming along, it’s good to see it coming along.”

She added the City receives a lot of requests for additional sports and recreation infrastructure, and must weigh each request according to community need.

Davis also said the push from both Cricket BC and Cricket Canada was notable in recent months and presence of the sport at Beban Park won’t detract from other user groups.

“You can still have four games of softball at any one time, two soccer fields and now one cricket pitch. The sports fields are allocated based on youth first, and we have been communicating with the cricket guys on that fact, it’s all about getting youth playing the sport.”

Outside of Nanaimo and Victoria, teams operate regularly in Campbell River, Qualicum Beach and the Cowichan Valley.

The Nanaimo Cricket Club have grown from strength to strength in recent years, seeing a doubling of membership and restoration of their home field at Beban Park. (submitted photo)

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