'Teams are already playing': Cricket to resume in Montreal park after repairs to pitch vandalized in July

Montreal -

Cricketers will get to face off once again in Montreal’s Van Horne Park following repairs to the community pitch.

The pitch, first unveiled in the fall of 2019, was vandalized in July, with large tears to the artificial turf making it near-impossible to use.

Montreal City Councillor Marvin Rotrand announced the reopening Thursday.

“With the help of the local cricket community, I am proud to say that the cricket pitch at Van Horne Park which was vandalized at the start of the summer has been repaired,” he wrote in a statement to CTV News.

The cricket pitch in Montreal's Van Horne Park, which allows the hard cricket ball to bounce, has been repaired after being vandalized in July (Photo courtesy of Councillor Marvin Rotrand).

The cricket pitch in Montreal's Van Horne Park, which allows the hard cricket ball to bounce, has been repaired after being vandalized in July (Photo courtesy of Councillor Marvin Rotrand). 

“The cricket teams are already playing on the site.”

Rotrand says the borough council is looking into the idea of building another pitch in the area.

“We believe that there is more than enough demand for a second pitch,” he said. “We have urged our services to consult the local clubs and the cricket federations.”

“My own thoughts are that Mandela Park would be ideal.”