A real step forward in growing junior cricket in the Western Bay of Plenty is today when three new junior artificial cricket wickets at Gordon Spratt Reserve are used for the first time.



In recent seasons the junior cricket wickets have reached near saturation point with the growth of the game in the Western Bay of Plenty.
The selection of Daniel Flynn and Kane Williamson in the Black Caps has fuelled real interest in cricket with an unprecedented number of youngsters picking up bat and ball.
A survey by Western Bay of Plenty Cricket, which was supported by the Tauranga City Council, showed that there was an urgent need to provide more junior wickets in the Papamoa region.
After the Tauranga City Council made available land at Gordon Spratt Reserve – in true kiwi fashion the local cricket community set about fundraising to put in place the artificial wickets.
The other reserve users were approached and after several meetings of face to face consultation, agreed to the installation of the new wickets.
In order to use the new wickets in the first term of 2011, Western Bay Cricket raised the entire capital cost required for the three new wickets in the last three months of 2010.
The next step after the funding had been found was the final sign off by the city council and the related reserve users.
The last few weeks have been a flurry of activity at the Papamoa reserve as the three artificial surfaces have been laid.
Looking to the future, one of the new wickets will be available for secondary school games.
A wider wicket and larger boundaries will allow secondary school games to be allocated to Gordon Spratt Reserve.
While the Papamoa artificial wickets are the first to be installed in Tauranga several years – plans are in place to eventually create a grass wicket cricket oval in Papamoa in the future.