By a historic 4-1 vote on March 17th, Cupertino City Council approved the first turf wicket in the Bay Area.  The turf field will be located adjacent to the Cupertino library and will feature an outfield that will be mowed to exacting international standards.

California Cricket Academy will share the cost of laying the pitch and also cover any maintenance costs over and above the $5,000 that the city will spend.   The field, which is expected to be ready by June, has a shorter boundary which makes it ideal for junior and women’s cricket where a 55 yard boundary is deemed sufficient.

Pic (Right): The current cricket field adjacent to the Cupertino library will be upgraded to international standards with a turf wicket.  [Courtesy; Google Earth]

Hemant Buch, the Chairman of the Western Region for USACA, was among the leading proponents of upgrading the pitch to turf.   Expressing his thanks to the Cupertino City Council, the Mayor, the City Manager David Knapp and Park Director Mark Linder, Mr. Buch said “I am extremely pleased with the outcome.   It is a historic step for junior cricket in the Bay Area and we are open to sharing our experience with others in this region and in cities around the country.”  

Mahesh Nihalani, a member of the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce, was instrumental in obtaining support for the idea among the City Council.   Mr. Nihalani, a recipient of Cupertino’s Distinguished Citizen of the Year award in 2009, called the development a natural next step in the evolution of the game in Cupertino. 

“This is another milestone in a journey that began in 2003 when the first seeds of cricket were sown by California Cricket Academy (CCA).   The Councilmen, both present and past, have been supportive of the efforts to promote cricket,” Mr. Nihalani said.  Mr. Nihalani said that there is a lot of goodwill and cooperation for the sport, and that was because of the active canvassing for support by Cupertino’s grassroots volunteers like Hemant Buch and Ram Varadarajan.  

Cupertino resident Ram Varadarajan, who ran unsuccesfully for President of USACA in 2008, called it a good investment in the future of the city and in the future of cricket in the country.  “Cupertino is generally known as the headquarters of Apple, but among the cricket playing community, the city will now be identified with youth cricket.” 

In fact, that may already be the case!  A photo of a junior cricket match features prominently on the city's website alongside photos of headquarters buildings of Cupertino's more famous high-tech tenants!

Mr. Varadarajan reiterated that the goal must be to promote the game beyond its immigrant base.  “One positive consequence of this increased popularity of cricket here is that it becomes easier to take the next step, which is to introduce cricket to the mainstream,” he said. 

The same thing had happened to other sports like table tennis and badminton,  ‘Fees collected from those games are now producing a financial boon for the city,’ the San Jose Mercury News quoted Vice Mayor Wong as saying.

Calling the step a “forward thinking” one, Mr. Buch thanked Raj Padhi and Abrar Ahmad for offering their support in converting thought to action.  “Abrar Ahmad will be the consultant to the city for the pitch,” Mr. Buch said.

Raj Padhi already has plans for using the turf wicket for the national women’s tournament in June.  "For cricket players, playing on an official turf wicket is a dream come true. It's the real challenge," Mr. Padhi, USACA Director for the Western Region, told San Jose Mercury News.  The June tournament will feature four teams from across the country and will bring a lot of attention to Cupertino.   "My hope is that the tournament will spur a whole new energy about the game." Padhi said.