The inaugural SLC Surge Cricket team with 15 students and coached by Malcolm Anderson played in three tournaments this year with four wins and just two runs shy of qualifying from the year-end championship tournament.
Cricket is offered as an intramural/recreation sport on all three SLC campuses and is funded under the Athletic and Student Life fee. While currently considered extramural, under the recreation arm of the Ontario Colleges Athletics Association (OCAA), the rapid growth of schools joining cricket is trending in the direction that it will become a varsity sport in the very near future, according to Kevin Biggs, Manager, Athletics and Student Engagement.
“The team had quite an adjustment playing inside a gym, as cricket is usually played on a large outdoor field,” Kevin said. “There are many rules and procedure changes ensuring safety, for example, the ball used is a heavy-duty tennis ball, covered in red & white electrical tape. A normal cricket ball is extremely hard and unforgiving. Broken fingers are a very common injury when using a normal cricket ball.”
“We thank the group that approved Strategic Initiative funding to get the program up and running on short notice in summer 2022,” Kevin added.
Find information on athletics and recreation at SLC: slcsurge.com