Call for more cricket pitches in deprived areas of Sheffield
Handsworth Cricket Club has youngsters keen to play but a lack of available pitches
A Sheffield councillor has made a plea for more cricket pitches to serve deprived areas of the city.
Coun Zahira Naz, who represents Darnall and Tinsley ward on Sheffield City Council, made the call at a discussion about a new city playing pitch strategy running up to 2039.
The deputy council leader told a meeting of the communities, parks and leisure policy committee (November 2): “I’m very concerned about the lack of cricket facilities.
“Over the last year to year and a half I’ve been supporting Handsworth Cricket Club which also serves Darnall.
“They have got lots of very young kids who are keen on playing cricket but actually it’s finding pitches to do so.”
She said that cricket is very important to city south Asian communities, who have health inequalities to overcome. One aim is to encourage more women and girls to play.
“Existing provision is mainly in affluent areas of the city, not in areas of high deprivation,” said Coun Naz.
The strategy, which looks at sports pitches across the city, says there is a “significant shortfall” in cricket squares. Other major gaps include rugby union and 11-a-side 3G all-weather football pitches.
Head of sport, leisure and major events, Kathryn Mudge, said resolving problems could take years and cricket is a priority.
She acknowledged that spending on football pitches is higher “by a mile” than all other sports because of Football Foundation funding.
Coun Joe Otten said he was worried for the future of Woodbourn Road athletics stadium, run by Sheffield Hallam University. Safety issues with the track have caused its partial closure.
Earlier in the meeting, Ryan Fletcher presented a petition calling for improvements to the football pitch at Handsworth Recreation Ground.
He said that matches get cancelled and players suffer injury because of the uneven, poorly-maintained surface that needs drainage work.
The petition said that the strategy identifies an acute lack of quality sports provision in south-east Sheffield.
Dave Hembrough, who works with Table Tennis England, said that the sport has its national home in Sheffield. He called for more recognition of that and work to increase numbers of people playing.