EAST MOLINE, Ill. — The Quad Cities Cricket Club is inviting the public to its season championship for the Yash Quad Cities Premier Cricket League on Saturday, September 14.
It all kicks off at 11 a.m. at the East Moline Cricket Ground. The game will also be streamed on YouTube here.
Cricket is the second most popular sport in the world, with more than two billion fans across the world. In the Quad Cities, the QCCC started in 1997 and has since grown to 145 players across eight competitive teams. The club is managed by volunteers.
The sport is played by two teams of 11 players, with one side batting, running and scoring while the other side bowls and fields the ball. The main goal is to score as many runs as possible, much like baseball.
Matches take place on an oval cricket field with a rectangular pitch in the middle. A wooden target, known as the wicket, is placed on both ends of the pitch. One person from the fielding team will 'bowl' or pitch the ball and try to hit the wicket, while one of the two opposing team batters tries to hit it away. Once the ball is hit, the fielding team chases the ball while the batters run from one wicket to the other as many times as possible, to score runs.
In the Quad Cities, the QCCC is committed to nurturing the next generation of cricketers. In 2024, the club coached more than 50 kids in its kids clinics.
The QCCC has also made significant improvements to the local cricket playing grounds, including enhanced facilities and sheds for spectators as well as practice cages for young athletes.
"We are dedicated to growing the sport within various communities in the Quad Cities and beyond," QCCC member Akshay Mehta wrote in an email to News 8. "We are actively working to connect with local schools to incorporate cricket into their athletic programs, ensuring that kids have the opportunity to learn and enjoy the game."
The ICC T20 World Cup will be held in the U.S. and cricket will be added as an Olympic sport for the 2028 Los Angeles games.
The next Quad City cricket season will start in March with player registration. The games are held from early May until mid-September. For more information on all things QCCC, including how to sign up for the next season, you can check out their website here.
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