Smashing summer of cricket awaits at Victoria Park

A big summer of cricket awaits at Victoria Park following the completion of a project to construct four cricket nets.  

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Des Hudson and CEO Evan King were joined by Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison on Wednesday to officially open the Victoria Park Community Cricket Nets project.

As part of the $5.8 million Victoria Park Sport and Community Facility, the project worth almost $500,000 will provide three new nets for the Lucas Cricket Club and another net for community use.

The City of Ballarat contributed $397,808 to the project, while the State Government contributed $100,000 via its 2022 Community Cricket Program - Community Facilities stream.

The project replaced existing cricket nets which were no longer fit for purpose.

The completion of the nets follows the recent opening of the adjacent pavilion on Military Drive and the completion of two soccer pitches that double as a cricket oval in summer.

Three of the nets will be dedicated for use by the Lucas Cricket Club, with the fourth being accessible to the entire community. The Ballarat Cricket Association will also hold female representative team trials and training sessions at the site.  

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Des Hudson said the new nets were part of a suite of new facilities being rolled out in the municipality.

The City of Ballarat has also completed the Russell Square and Doug Dean Reserve cricket nets in the last 12 months and is currently constructing nets at Mt Clear Recreation Reserve.

“Seeing these projects come to life makes me incredibly proud because I know just how much benefit they will bring,” Cr Hudson said.

“The Lucas Cricket Club has more than 100 active players, but I’m sure those numbers will grow even further when people see facilities like this.

“The Victoria Park Community Cricket Nets project is another sign of our commitment to delivering a better Ballarat.”

Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison said the project would benefit both the Lucas Cricket Club and the broader community.

“This is great news for the Lucas Cricket Club who now have a fantastic new facility to practice their batting and bowling and for the wider community who will benefit from access to the dedicated publicly accessible lane,” she said.

“I am proud that the Allan Labor Government’s Community Cricket Program – Community Facilities stream is supporting local cricket clubs and players in Ballarat.”

Lucas Cricket Club president Dave Horwood said the nets had already had a massive impact on the club.

“The new cricket nets at Victoria Park have given our club a massive boost of enthusiasm and morale,” he said.

“Player numbers are up, training participation numbers have doubled and junior participation has increased three-fold, including an increase in our girls cricket program.”