THE Mt Clear Cricket Club is one step closer to realising its dream of creating a fully self-sufficient home, with construction of its first turf wicket well under way.
For the past 10 years Mt Clear has played its competition matches at the University of Ballarat’s cricket ground, but the approval of the Ballarat City Council in late September has led to the subsequent construction of the new pitch out at the Mt Clear Recreation Reserve.
Club president Anthony Tigchelaar is excited about the prospect of adding another important piece of infrastructure to Mt Clear’s fledging home-base.
“It was a lengthy process to get the wicket approved, but once it was we started digging the pitch up the very next day,” Tigchelaar said.
“Our spiritual home is the Mt Clear Recreation Reserve, and while the University of Ballarat has been tremendous to our club, we are still looking to drive towards the future and hopefully turn the Mt Clear Recreation Reserve into a bit of a hub.
“We’ve invested around about $50,000 into the club rooms over the past few years and spent a lot of time improving on what’s already there, but we’re hoping that when the turf wicket comes to fruition it will cap off everything we need.”
While only in the early stages of construction, the wicket has already seen its fair share of setbacks, with poor weather being the greatest detractor thus far.
The club is hoping the pitch will be ready by early next year, in time for the 2014 junior football season.
SOURCE: The Courier 6 November 2013