Barcelona’s New Cricket Pitch Inaugurated with Women’s League Opener
Barcelona has a new cricket pitch, as voted for by its citizens, and it is already making waves in the world of women’s cricket. The Julià de Capmany sports facility, located in Montjuïc, opened its doors this weekend with the inauguration of a new women’s league.
Eight matches were played over the weekend by six different teams, marking the beginning of the league that will see further weekend blitzes of games scheduled throughout the year to determine the first national women’s champions by the end of the year.
The new pitch at Julià de Capmany was renovated from a former disused football pitch as part of the city council’s participatory budget initiative. The Catalan Cricket Federation proposed the renovation project, which was met with overwhelming support from the residents of Barcelona.
Juan Carlos Rodriguez Martinez, the president of Cricket España, expressed his delight at the new facilities for women’s and youth cricket in Barcelona and Spain. Despite some setbacks, including stolen electrical cables that forced games to be played during the daytime, Martinez is excited about the future of cricket in Catalonia.
The new national women’s cricket league features teams from cities across Spain, with the majority of players based in Catalonia. The goal is to expand the competition to other cities in the future, setting the groundwork for growth and development of the sport nationwide.
With the new pitch designed specifically for women’s and youth cricket, there are high hopes for the future of cricket in Spain. The International Cricket Council’s push for domestic T20 leagues sets the stage for national teams to compete in ICC World Cup qualifiers, a goal that Cricket España is working towards with the new league.
For the players who have been training in less-than-ideal conditions, the new pitch at Julià de Capmany offers a world of possibilities. With ambitions to compete at a higher level and qualify for the World Cup, the future looks bright for women’s cricket in Spain.