After three years of challenges including rain delays, junior and senior cricketers can now practice batting and bowling at new cricket nets at Rhodes Park.
Thames Cricket Club secretary Holly Mackenzie told The Profile more than 70 cricketers and five committee members were “stoked” with the new nets, which were made possible by the financial support of 19 local sponsors.
“It was Scott [Thames Cricket Club president] and I’s dream when we first got together and created the club [in 2019] – we knew the nets that were here initially weren’t sufficient enough for the juniors,” she said.
“So straight away we knew we had to get nets to grow the club, and when it did eventually happen three years later we were stoked and just amazed by all the help that we got from all the sponsorship from the locals.
“When you think of a $50,000 project, you can’t just pull that money out of thin air, so for a club that’s only just started off we’ve just had great reaction from the community to help get these up and running and we’re pretty happy about that.”
Holly said after obtaining the lease for the nets to be built on council land, construction bowled into action mid-2022 with steel posts and a concrete layer installed.
“We then had lots of rain which delayed the turf, because the concrete and the weather had to be warm for the glue to dry to the concrete, so they were slightly delayed before the start of the season in October,” she said.
“In about November we finally had [the nets] up and running.”
Holly said the nets were now available for the entire cricket community and members of the public to use. “It would give an opportunity for families, and kids, and adults and anyone of any age really to come down and play and train together, it’s not just for the club it’s for everybody,” she said.
“There are multiple times when we drive past and see people down here playing in the nets and just using them to develop their skills.”
Holly also gave a special mention to treasurer Lisa D’Souza and committee member Jane Andrews for their many hours of dedication to the cricket nets project.
Thames Cricket Club teammates Blake Mackenzie, left, and Carter Mackenzie in action. Photo: GORDON PREECE
