The fruit of more than 20 years’ effort blossomed on Johnson Field in late July when the UNM Cricket Club took the field against visiting UTEP. For the UNM cricketers, this was their inaugural home game on their new cricket pitch, and the Lobos took advantage of their familiarity with the field, beating UTEP 178-72.
But the seeds for UNM’s victory were planted a long time ago.
More than two decades ago, the UNM Cricket Club was created, first as a group of friends and acquaintances from cricket-playing countries getting together on Johnson Field to play on Saturdays.
Those pickup games slowly evolved into an intramural sports team in 1995 when the players who were current students decided to create a UNM club to promote the sport to other UNM students, staff and faculty, as well as the local community.
Prior to the creation of the new Johnson Field cricket pitch, the team had to travel to Colorado Springs for their “home” games. In addition, members of the team had to pay for their own travel and stay in Colorado Springs. While the team will continue to travel to Colorado Springs for the upcoming season, it is hoped that they will convince some of the teams in the Colorado Cricket League to travel down I-25 and face the Lobos on their new home pitch.
“I am very happy with the way things worked out. We did not have great expectations based on people’s previous experience, but starting with the GPSA, the regents, the university president and Recreational Services, everybody was enthusiastic and supportive to bring us a cricket pitch,” said UNM Cricket Club President Amitabh Trehan.
The next test for the UNM Cricket Club and the new cricket pitch comes this Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 6-7, when the Littleton Cricket Club, the only team in the Colorado Cricket League to boast a cricketer who has played for the U.S. National Team, will visit UNM for a two-day cricket match.
To join the UNM Cricket Team or visit a practice or match, contact Amitabh Trehan at amitabh@cs.unm.edu
Media Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: bhendrix@unm.edu
Posted by scarr at September 5, 2008 12:36 PM