MARLBORO – With a growing interest in the community for the sport of cricket, the members of the Marlboro Cricket Club saw their dream of having a field they could call their own become reality on June 25.
On that day, Marlboro Mayor Jonathan Hornik hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the opening of a cricket field behind the Marlboro Middle School, Route 520.
The Marlboro Cricket Club was founded in 2013 and currently has about 65 members. From March through October, the club members play at baseball fields in the area, committee member Susheel Sulguti said in an interview.
With interest in the sport growing locally, club members approached municipal officials in 2017 and asked if a cricket field could be created in Marlboro. Sulguti said the club members worked to identify a suitable location for a field.
After reviewing potential locations and assessing the necessary field dimensions and parking requirements, the members of the Township Council approved a location at the H&L fields behind the Marlboro Middle School.
Councilman Mike Scalea and representatives of the Marlboro Division of Recreation and Swim led the search for an appropriate location for the cricket field.
In a Facebook post, Hornik wrote, “This was a full team effort to get this done, with the driving force being Councilman Mike Scalea, Recreation Department Director Suzi Leifer and the Marlboro Cricket Club. This field is the first of its kind to support our cricket playing community; a great addition to Marlboro’s recreation facilities.”
Plans for the cricket field were approved by the Township Council as a part of a 2021 recreation capital improvement program and the design was completed subsequent to that approval.
“We are delighted to see our dream become a reality,” Sulguti said.
The facility has solar lighting and is paved. A path that meets the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act has been approved for construction as a walkway between the Marlboro Middle School parking lot and the H&L fields, according to a press release.
“We have waited desperately for our own field and our team has invested a lot of effort and time … so we really look forward to enjoying our game while doing our due diligence in maintaining our pitch on this ground.
“It is not surprising to any of us, as we have started calling this cricket ground our ‘second home.’ Now our (children) are also looking forward to using it and they don’t need to go elsewhere any more to play this beloved sport,” Sulguti said.
