Mayor Michelle Wu minimize the ribbon on new cricket fields in Dorchester’s Harambee Park on Thursday, as gamers cheered on the chance to develop the game in Boston.
“We have heard for years and years that the cricket that was just going on on the grass could be taken to the next level if the city put a little bit of resources in,” mentioned Wu standing in entrance of the newly opened fields. “And so now here we have really first-class cricket fields. These are the best in New England.”
The cricket fields have been added because the fourth part of the town’s redesign of Harambee Park, previously Franklin Area. Since 2018, the town has invested over $13 million within the park, setting up areas for basketball, soccer, lacrosse and soccer.
In Part 5 of the redesign, Harambee Park will see the addition of netball and tennis courts, with development scheduled to start in summer time 2025.
Metropolis officers, group members and cricket gamers gathered within the park Thursday to herald the brand new addition. The mayor took her first-ever swing with a cricket bat on the brand new subject, noting it’d be “a little while till I’m ready for the big time.”
Cricket has been part of the native park for over 100 years, audio system mentioned.
“When I started playing here back in the 90s, I never imagined we’d see the day when the U.S. would compete in the Cricket World Cup,” mentioned Kevin Fagan of the native crew Caricom Cricket Membership. “Today, cricket is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, and Massachusetts alone has about 67 teams. Our own Harambee cricket field can proudly claim to have the best cricket ground in New England.”
Fagan advocated for getting extra youth concerned within the sport, bringing cricket to colleges and growing packages throughout the town.
“We hope to build a sustainable youth program so that someday we’ll see players from Boston representing the U.S. at the under-19 level and beyond,” mentioned Fagan. “Let’s work together to make that happen.”
Audio system highlighted the significance of the park and its new assets to the group.
“For more than 100 years, Harambee has seen it all, from horse-drawn carriage races in the early 1900s to the Crew Love basketball tournament last weekend,” Wu mentioned. “This park has become so much more than a place to just put a ton of sports and baseball fields. It has become the beating heart of this community.”
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