Wickets galore

The National Sports

By MARTHA DERUAGE
Cricket PNG has received AU$400,000 (K981,761) funding to start a facility enhancement project to build fields that would benefit 48 communities in 11 provinces in the country.
The funding came through the joint partnership of International Cricket Council, Cricket Australia, Cricket New Zealand and the Australia government to support Cricket PNG with the community project.
“This enhancement project is two years into making, it’s not only for cricket but it is a community project to change the lifestyle of kids who can be more involved with sport,” Cricket PNG chief executive officer Greg Campbell said.
Campbell said the fund made by AC and NZC was to invest in enhancing facilities in the East Asia Pacific for the ICC World cup held in Australia in 2015, which Cricket PNG with the help from the Australian government could use to build good facilities around the country.
Campbell said the fund was not only to boost the participation rate of cricket but to help people get more involved in sports to keep healthy and fit.
“One thing we at Cricket PNG lack is good facilities, but now we are going to have more pitches for that.
“The next step is to build the wickets, which cost aboutK25,000 to K30 000 a wicket, a huge expense that is going up.”
He said the project would start in two to three weeks where there would be six pitches in NCD, 11 around Central, five in Lae, five in Popondetta, some in Western Highlands, Southern Highland we might look at Bougainville and other provinces,” Campbell said.
“We will probably start with UPNG, and in the next six weeks we should have six pitches up and move to Central province.
“The fund is not going to the national teams but into grassroots level. Communities will now have wickets they would call it their own and learn to manage.
“I am excited about this project, eight years I have been here, we have done a lot but this is most exciting project we could embark on,” Campbell said.
Australia High Commissioner Bruce Davis commanded Cricket PNG for the initiative to bring cricket to other provinces for the benefit of the sport.
“Congratulations for the initiative, the perseverance, hard work and good advocacy and now it will be taken to the next stage in extending and enhancing cricket facilities in other provinces for the betterment of cricket throughout the country.”