New cricket pitch opens in Whitby

Whitby’s cricket community has a new place to bowl with a second pitch now open in Whitby.

Cricket expansion in Whitby has been in the works for a few years. Back in 2023, the town dedicated part of its master plan to more cricket and pickleball facilities amid many community requests.

“I have had multiple conversations just about cricket and learning about cricket,” Mayor Elizabeth Roy told Insauga last year.

The sport has long been minor in Canada, despite a notable Canadian victory in the first international cricket game in 1844 against the United States.

However, cricket is astronomically popular abroad, particularly in India and and the rest of South Asia. The Cricket World Cup is the third most viewed sporting event in the world, behind only the Tour de France and the Fifa World Cup of Soccer, with 2.6 billion viewers last year.

This dwarfs the Super Bowl’s 113 million viewers, while the Stanley Cup playoffs don’t even crack the top 16, per Road Trips.

While still under-appreciated in Canada, cricket has grown in popularity over recent years with Oshawa and Whitby announcing temporary facilities last year ahead of the construction of permanent pitches.

The move came as a result of significant lobbying from the Whitby Cricket Club, which has pushed for facilities for years.

On Sept. 11, the town announced a new permanent pitch is now open at Jeffery Park at 220 Jeffery Street. It features an artificial turf pitch and fresh line markings for the community and cricket leagues to enjoy.

The pitch is available for rent via email at [email protected] or 905-668-7765 from Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to check availability and book a permit.