The Barrie Premier League is holding its ‘Season 2’ cricket tournament at Joe Magani Park in Bradford West Gwillimbury this weekend, which is seeing double the participation compared to last year.
“In Season 1, we had six teams all together; this year, we have 12,” said Basil Mathew, one of the team captains in the tournament.
The 12 teams of around 150 players are competing both on Saturday and Sunday, with cash prizes of up to $3,300 on the line thanks to community sponsorship.
Although cricket is seeing increased support and participation, Mathew says this year’s tournament outgrew Barrie’s fields and that Joe Magani Park’s dedicated cricket pitch is the only one in the region that could accommodate it.
“This is a growing game here, and it has a lot of demand,” he added.
A cricket tournament is also taking place in London this weekend with 20 teams competing. Mathew says some of the best players could be considered for Canada’s national cricket team.Â