First match held at the Municipal Cricket Pitch in Montjuïc
The new Municipal Cricket Pitch in Montjuïc opens its doors this weekend, 20 and 21 April, with the celebration of the first stage of the National Women’s Cricket League, featuring the 11-a-side cricket team formed of young women from Raval, Poble-sec, Trinitat Vella, Badalona and Santa Coloma. Their proposal to adapt the former Julià de Capmany Municipal Football Pitch was the project that received the most votes in the participatory budgeting (PB) process.
The new Municipal Cricket Pitch in Montjuïc is set to host all the matches of the new “No Boundaries” National Women’s League over four weekends between April and November. The upcoming stages of this League will be taking place on 1-2 June, 19-20 October and 16-17 November Taking part will be the teams Barcelona Storm (11-a-side cricket), Múrcia Cobras, València Vipers, Màlaga Fire, Madrid Royals and Sevilla Scorpions.
This is the first championship to be held at the new sports ground situated between C/ Polvorí, C/ del Segura and C/ dels Jocs del 92, on the site which had been home to the Julià de Capmany.Municipal Football Pitch since 1975. The remodelling project, with a budget of 1.6 million euro, entailed the comprehensive refurbishment of the grounds, with the laying of some 8,400 m2 of artificial turf where cricket and other minority sports can be practised. Pitch lines have been marked out, a batting tunnel has been created and new lighting, changing rooms, irrigation, drainage and sewerage networks have been installed, along with a perimeter fence, and the main entrances from Carrer del Segura and secondary entrances from Carrer del Polvorí have been refurbished.
Pioneers in all senses
This is Barcelona’s first cricket pitch and it has been created thanks to the initiative of the women’s 11-a-side cricket team, who put it forward as a proposal in the city’s first participatory budgeting (PB) process. With 2,441 votes, it was the project that received the most support from among the more than 800 projects presented. The 11-a-side cricket team is part of the Criquet Jove BCN programme, a project run by the Centre for African and Intercultural Studies (CEAi) and the Barcelona Foundation for Sport and Education (FEEB) which the Barcelona Institute of Sports has been promoting since 2012 through the Convivim Esportivament programme.
Cricket was brought to Barcelona by Pakistani, Indian and Bengali migrants, as it is a hugely popular sport in these countries. The diverse backgrounds, cultures and beliefs of the participants have made this sport a space for social cohesion, inclusive participation and non-discrimination in the city. The promotion of women’s cricket meant that for many years Barcelona was home to the only women’s teams in the whole of Spain and the squad is made up almost entirely of young women from the city.
