MILDURA West Cricket Club has grand plans to run competition under lights after John Hall Oval was one of three of the region’s cricket venues to share in more than $740,000 in funding.
West, the Red Cliffs Cricket Association and the Ouyen Rams Cricket Club will share in $747,000 collectively to undertake facility upgrades to increase and improve participation, following a partnership between Cricket Australia, Cricket Victoria, Australian Cricketers’ Association and players, and Mildura Rural City Council.
Mildura West president Richard Chamberlain said the competition-standard lights the funding will bring to the club will enable it to play women’s cricket under lights on Friday nights plus showcase more junior cricket in a primetime slot.
It would make Mildura West the only Sunraysia Cricket Association Club on the Victorian side of the Murray river with competition standard lighting for cricket.
“It’s very exciting when you think about it, we’ve already talked about what we are going to do — women’s games under lights and because we have multiple junior teams (in grades), playing them under lights on a Friday night or Saturday night,” Chamberlain said.
‘So you’d finish the First Division at 6pm then run your under 14s out to play under lights in front of the senior players — I couldn’t think of anything better really.”
Chamberlain paid tribute to club committee member Brandon Dixon, who was integral in the club securing funding.
“This has only happened because of Brandon Dixon, he’s got a passion for fundraising and he’s got a passion for this club to be the best,” Chamberlain said.
“He’s furious when another club has something bigger and better, that’s his next mission — we will have something bigger and better than that
“The amount of work he’d have to do for us to have any of this sort of stuff is ridiculous, we’re very lucky.””
The other two projects to receive funding were permanent cricket practice nets at Ouyen’s Blackburn Park and new nets at Red Cliffs’ Quandong Park.”This is a fantastic result for both cricket and our broader community and shows what can be achieved through a collaborative approach between local clubs, Council, Cricket Australia, Australian Cricketers’ Association and Cricket Victoria,” Mildura Council Mayor Jason Modica said.
“These projects will ensure our hard-working volunteer-run clubs and their members can increase both participation and diversity within their groups.”
The upgrades are made possible through $110,000 in Australian Cricket Infrastructure Funding (ACIF).
“A big thank-you must go to Cricket Australia, Cricket Victoria and the ACA/players,” Cr Modica said.
“It’s great to see their ongoing and strong support for cricket in regional areas.”
The Blackburn Park project has also been funded by Mildura Rural City Council, with $15,000 from the Recreation Facilities Upgrade Grants round of funding.
For the Quandong Park upgrades the Victorian Government tipped in with $100,000 through the Sport and Recreation Victoria Community Cricket Program
