First Cricket Field Opens In Montgomery County

GERMANTOWN, MD — Cricket has come to Montgomery County.

Park officials celebrated the grand opening of the first full-size cricket field in Montgomery County on Saturday. Located in South Germantown Recreational Park, the circular field measures 400 feet in diameter and can accommodate both soft and hard ball games.

Cricket's origins can be traced back to 16th century England. Since then, the sport has exploded in popularity, and is played all over the world.

Here's how it works: There are two teams of eleven players — and two innings in each game. The pitching team will send all eleven players to the field, while the batting team will send out two batsmen. Unlike baseball, batsmen can't bat alone. They always play in pairs. Their job: score as many runs as possible while defending their wickets (composed of three wooden sticks). Cricket teams switch roles at the end of each inning, hoping to get more runs than their opponent.

"We are excited to bring this much-needed amenity to the county," said Mike Riley, director of Montgomery Parks. "We've heard from several cricket leagues in the area that can't wait to get on the field. We are always seeking opportunities to meet the varied interests of all county residents and we hope to bring more purpose-built cricket fields to the county in the future."

Good morning! We are at South Germantown Recreational Park to officially open our NEW cricket field. pic.twitter.com/h1drafIRCP
— Montgomery Parks (@MontgomeryParks) September 14, 2019