Eindhoven Cricket Club (ECC) is growing, and that’s why the cricket pitches at Sportpark Dommeldal Zuid have been renovated. The sports club has long been striving to expand and improve its pitches, especially now that the first team has been promoted to the Premier League.
It was already apparent that there was a demand for more space to play cricket. The sport is particularly popular among Indian expats, which is why it’s growing rapidly in the Brainport region. There are now an estimated 700 cricket players in Eindhoven, approximately 120 of whom play at the ECC. The club’s star players were recently promoted to the ‘Hoofdklasse’, the second-highest league in Dutch cricket, just below the top division. This requires good facilities for the players.
The ECC is still operating a players’ freeze due to a shortage of fields. They share indoor facilities with other clubs and have a few outdoor playing fields of their own. These fields weren’t very suitable. There was only one net, and it wasn’t properly installed. New, renovated fields, with two properly installed nets, will open on Saturday, September 20th. The renovation will primarily improve the quality of play, but also provide some playing space.
Additional play space will also be created at Bokt Sports Park in the city’s Woensel neighbourhood. According to ECC chairman Ravi Patel, this could also solve some spatial planning issues.
Previously, there were tensions between the cricket club and the football club VV Gestel. Since then, there has been more contact between the clubs. “There’s mutual respect now”, says Patel. “If there are problems, we talk it over”.VV Gestel chairman Herman Brugmans confirms this: “We’re trying to make the best of it”.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Seetha
