As the population of Grande Prairie grows, so does the interest in the sport of cricket.
This year, the Grande Prairie Cricket Association’s membership has grown enough that they’ve added a third team: the GP Lions.
President Vijay Parmar attributes it to both immigration and more awareness of the sport in town.
“Some of the players who have joined, they were not aware that cricket was cricket here, because it’s just hard to imagine cricket being played in Grande Prairie. There’s a large immigrant population; they love and they’re passionate about cricket.”
Players hail from various South Asian countries, as well as Australia, the Caribbean, and England.
The season gets underway this weekend with the start of the Champion’s Trophy, as the Warriors face the Dinosaurs at 3 p.m. in Northridge Park Sunday.
Registration will remain open, however, and Parmer encourages people to check games out.
“It’s like any other sport; people who know the sport, they’re really passionate about it. People who don’t know about it, they find it hard to play initially, but they should come out, watch, and if they want to try out, try out.”
Friendly games are held every Saturday as well.
