A meeting has been called to get the ball running on increasing cricket interest in Papamoa.

Bay of Plenty Cricket and the Western Bay of Plenty Cricket Association have called for a public meeting at the end of this month to re-establish cricket in the growing region.

In the last decade the Gordon Spratt Reserve, Alice Johnson Reserve and Papamoa College have had many changes made to their fields, with new artificial wickets, a grass outfield and new practice nets being put in place.

While the cricket artificial cricket wickets are keeping up with growth in the Papamoa region, the loss of an informal cricket club in Papamoa, opens up potential to accommodate the game in the Tauranga City limits.

'Strategically is makes perfect sense, the population continues to grow and the facilities are available at the Gordon Spratt Reserve. The player base is already there among the schools, it is just a case of bringing them together as one entity for the good of cricket,” says Tai.

Two years ago the Papamoa side stepped up to the WBOPCA Reserve Grade competition receiving the Reserve Grade First Round title.

The following season (2009/10) the Papamoa boys ruled the roost, winning both the Reserve First Round and Championship titles.

However, lack of a solid administration base saw the Papamoa team drop out of Western Bay of Plenty senior cricket, a couple of seasons later.

'Bay of Plenty and Western Bay Cricket want to make it as easy as possible for the Papamoa locals to get a cricket club up and running.

'The intention is to establish a junior cricket club based at Gordon Spratt and Alice Johnson Reserves for the 2017/18 season”.

'A Papamoa Cricket website is being created and assistance will be provided for the proposed club to obtain registration as an incorporated society,” says Tai.

The meeting will be held in the Seashell Room at the Papamoa Recreational Centre on Thursday, August 24 at 6.30pm.