By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
WEST WINDSOR — West Windsor cricket players can rejoice — Township Council has awarded a contract to an Allentown-based construction company to build the township’s first permanent cricket field at Community Park.
Council awarded a $260,495 contract to Viviano Construction LLC at its Sept. 15 meeting. The company beat out two other bidders to win the contract, whose bids ranged from $268,735 to $392,100. Money for the project is available through the township’s open space tax.
The project calls for a cricket pitch that measures 10 feet by 90 feet. It will have a reinforced concrete base, artificial turf, and an asphalt path. The field will be re-graded and an irrigation system will be installed. A second cricket pitch, which will serve as a practice field, will be built.
Similar to baseball, cricket is played on a grass and clay field. Both games feature a pitcher or bowler, who throws a ball at a batter who — in baseball — is trying to defend the strike zone, or who — in cricket — is trying to defend a wicket.
The cricket field has been in the works for several years. An ad hoc committee was formed that included Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh, Council Vice President Linda Geevers, former Township Councilman Kamal Khanna, Patricia Ward, the director of Community Development, and Kenneth Jacobs, manager of the township’s Division of Recreation and Parks.
“It’s going to be nice. It’s going to be a quality project,” Ms. Geevers said.
“There is a great demand for a cricket field in this area. It is a competitive sport and it is a lot of fun to play. Families go out on the weekend to watch. Community members will enjoy playing on the field,” she said.
The contract calls for the project to be completed in 45 days, Ms. Geevers said. The plan is to do the work this fall, so it will be ready for play in the spring. This is the perfect time of year to do the work, she added.
Cricket, which has been compared to baseball, has its origins in 16th-century England. The first official laws of cricket were codified in 1744, and the sport grew rapidly throughout the late 1700s and early 1800s, according to the website, http://iml.jou.edu — “An American’s Guide to Cricket.”
Cricket expanded to England’s colonies, including the American colonies. The first international cricket match was played between the United States and Canada in 1844. But baseball, which has less equipment and is both faster to play and easier to learn, eclipsed cricket in this country.
