Woodbridge 'pitch' scores with DC-area cricket fans

People visit Veterans Park in Woodbridge each weekend. Some go to the water park to swim or lounge by the pool. Others come to enjoy a picnic.

There are also those who come to play their favorite sport: cricket.

Cricket has become a popular activity at Veterans Park since the Prince William Park Authority board granted permission for Washington Cricket League teams to use the field for matches on Saturdays and Sundays.

Matches are played at the park's Jim Weakland field. They began in May and are expected to run until Aug. 15. A total of 28 teams are in the WCL and various teams throughout the league have used the field at one point or another.

The WCL is based in the D.C. metro area and is a member of the United States Cricket Association.

"This is one of the better fields in the league," said Anurag Sharma, captain of the Bengals during a recent Sunday when his team played the Titans.

"There's other fields where you don't have such a smooth outfield," Sharma added. "Having a field like this allows people to play more naturally."

Prince William County Park Authority executive director Jay Ellington said the process began "two, two-and-a-half years ago" to begin looking to use Veterans Park for cricket.

In the past, those who played cricket would do so in the parking lot at Gar-Field Senior High School.

But members of the Washington Cricket League asked the park authority board if they had a field in Prince William County which could be used to play cricket.

Board members suggested Veterans Park and began exploring how it could accommodate a pitch. The pitch is the strip that runs lengthwise down the field and is where the pitcher bowls the ball to the other team's striker.

"We're sports-minded, so we're always looking into how we can introduce a new game into our system when we have the opportunity," Ellington said.

Tanvir Ahmed, president of the Washington Bengals and match secretary of the Washington Cricket League, said it cost $1,800 to purchase the playing area. League officials were responsible for paying for the field.

Ahmed said the field is 70 feet in length, 12 feet in width.

The field is also flat and does not have rocks dug into the ground, making it easier for fielders to field balls cleanly. Trees surrounding the field provide a nice shade for people to watch matches in lawn chairs.

"The evenness of the field helps the batting team and fielding team," Sharma said.

It's become a familiar site for people to watch a match at the park and take their children to the water park. Fans also build camaraderie with each other while watching a match.

"It allows people who come from many parts of the world to socialize with each other," Sharma said.

The field has provided a convenient venue for those who play cricket in Prince William County. Sharma says over 2,000 county residents have become interested in playing cricket.

In the past, though, their desire to play forced them to travel to fields in Baltimore and Washington.

"This makes it a lot easier," Sharma said.

Ellington anticipates the pitch will stay in its location.

He also hopes Veterans Park remains an adequate field for WCL teams to return to in the future.

"I hope they'll use it for many years to come," Ellington said.

The field, however, is also used for baseball, softball, soccer and football.

Staff writer Robert Daski can be reached at 703-878-8049.