Teen blazes trail for local cricket

Arsh Marwah has been playing cricket for about five years.

It was the sport his dad enjoyed and had encouraged him to try.

Now, the 15-year-old St. Mary's College student is about to embark upon an experience of a lifetime.

He's heading to Sri Lanka to compete in an international tournament that spans three cities and Marwah is the only Northern Ontario cricket player to do so.

The remainder of his teammates hail from the Mississauga-Toronto area, most of whom he met while attending a summer cricket camp in the southern Ontario city last summer at the urging of his coaches from the Sault Ste. Marie Cricket Club.

"I'm excited. This is a first time for me to go on a trip like this," Marwah said in an interview. "It will be a good experience to play on proper fields and play at an international level. I want to learn more than the basics and this will give me the opportunity to do so."

The Ontario Cricket Academy, which led the summer camp Marwah participated in, asked the teen to join the team after he participated in a New Jersey competition last September. He did so. And now he'll hit the international field.

Cricket is similar to baseball in the sense that it is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams on a cricket field where each tries to score as many runs as possible. Traditional bats are replaced with flat-sided bats and before they hit the ball, the pitcher must bounce the ball off the ground.

The sport is beginning to get recognition across Canada and in Sault Ste. Marie, but the local organization wants to introduce the sport to more people in Northern Ontario.

Currently, there are three Sault Ste. Marie teams that play the sport and the network to introduce the sport to elementary and high school students has begun.

The local club was at St. Mary's College introducing the sport and the basics to students Friday.

Physicial education teacher Steve Korab said he too feels like he's back to school learning a new sport.

While Cricket is the number two played sport in the world, Korab said it has never been introduced at the local high school.

"I didn't know we had a cricket player in our student body and I taught him phys-ed last term," Korab said. "It's great that he plays, that he will be playing in an international competition and can teach us."

Korab and colleague Dave Zagordo will be introducing the sport to his Gr. 9 and 10 students this term with the assistance of the local association, who have provided free demonstrations and equipment for the sessions.

Come springtime, Korab also wants to take the students outside to try the sport on a similar size field.

Students, he said, seem eager to learn the basics of the new sport.

The Sault Ste. Marie Cricket Club also held a bowling fundraiser last week, which raised $1,850 which Marwah will deliver to an orphanage in Sri Lanka on his trip.

Marwah said he's honoured to be making the financial donation on behalf of Northern Ontario, which will go a long way to helping young children.

Those interested can find the Sault Ste. Marie Cricket Club on Facebook or contact them for more information at ssmcricketclub@gmail.com .