Wickets, bowlers and bats now have a home in Hopewell Valley.
About a dozen residents joined the Hopewell Township Committee Tuesday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of a new cricket pitch at Independence Park.
Deputy Mayor Uma Purandare said the township’s growing Indian community has long hoped for a place to play closer to home.
An estimated 300 local residents play cricket, many traveling to Princeton, West Windsor and other nearby communities to compete. The new pitch gives those players a dedicated facility in Hopewell Valley.
Cricket, one of the world’s most popular sports, has experienced rapid growth in the United States in recent years and will return to the Olympic Games in 2028 for the first time since 1900.
According to Purandare, residents have been advocating for a cricket pitch for more than five years.
“We see this as just a start,” she said.
Mayor David Chait said the township has already set aside funding to design a more permanent cricket facility and is evaluating potential locations.
Township officials are also discussing the creation of youth cricket programs, and an exhibition match is planned for this fall as a community fundraiser.
