Cricket Newfoundland and Labrador is pleased to announce a major step forward for cricket development in the Province with the start of construction of a new purpose-built playing surface at its home ground at RCAF Field, RCAF Road, Torbay.
The ground was broken this morning (June 19), and excavation is now complete, ready for a concrete pour tomorrow. The new playing surface is based on standards developed by Cricket Canada and consists of a 26 by 2.5 m concrete slab with a purpose built artificial turf surface fixed to it. It is hoped that play can start on the new surface as soon as next Saturday, as the Cricket NL Summer League continues, with the final permanent installation of the mat taking place in three weeks time, prior to the Eastern Canadian Cricket Championships, to be held in St. John’s July 21-23.
Cricket NL is grateful to all who made this possible, including fellow users of the field, the Vandals Rugby Club and the Newfoundland and Labrador Soccer Association;Danny Breen (Councillor St. Johns) & Ron Ellsworth (Deputy Mayor) Ranjit Saini and the board of Cricket Canada; Ed Bracht and the Maple Leaf Cricket Trust; Rod Snow and the NL Sports Centre; Derek Bennett (MHA) and Michelle Healey of the Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development; Minister Cathy Bennett; Artisan Concrete (contractors); and the land owners, the St. John’s Airport Authority.
Funding for the project is through support from Cricket Canada; a grant from the Maple Leaf Cricket Trust; and a grant from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador from the Community Healthy Living Fund.
