Guntur district cricket players are a happy lot for their dream of having a cricket playfield with all basic facilities close to the city got realised on Sunday. A lush green playfield on four acres, adjacent to Perecherla railway station, 10-km from Guntur, was thrown open to players amidst cheers and applause.
The playfield was spruced on the premises of SGVR High School run by Nagarjuna Educational Society. Both Andhra Cricket Association members and administrators of Guntur cricket worked overtime to transform an arid land into green playfield in less than one year. In the process they were demolished a 60-year-old ancient structure.
“This is the third state-of-art playfield in Guntur district. An exclusive cricket stadium is coming up at Mangalagiri and ACA Women’s Academy is already functioning at JKC College. This Perecherla playfield will rejuvenate the league culture in Guntur district and the young boys should make use of it,” said ACA secretary Gokaraju Ganga Raju.
ACA Women’s Cricket Academy chairman J, Narendernath said the ACA was keen on developing such playfields in all the 13 districts which comes under the association’s jurisdiction. “The players can perform better only when they play in quality playfields,” he added.
Nagarjuna Educational Society president K. Basavapunnaiah said that the playfield will help rural youngsters take up cricket more seriously.
Many schools are not having playfield. When ACA came out with a proposal I immediately agreed as the playfield will propel sports activities in this village,’ he said.
ACA director and former India stumper M.S.K. Prasad said that the playfield had five turf strips and provisions for five wickets – three turf and two cement wicket - at the nets.
“We have already constructed dressing rooms and we will be coming up with a dormitory for the players,” he added. In a fine gesture, ACA felicitated the players, administrators and coaches from Guntur district for their service for the game. Perecherla playfield will host its first BCCI fixture, as a match in the South Zone inter-State one-day under-19 women cricket tournament, will be played on October 23.
