The Yorkshire County Cricket Club has today announced that Park Avenue, Bradford will stage a ground-breaking community festival later this month.
Hailed as a very special day for Yorkshire Cricket and Bradford, England Test captain Joe Root cut the ribbon to unveil the latest development – an new state-of-art eight-lane net facility back in in May 2017. The ambitious bid to restore the ground to its former glory is a partnership between the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC), and Bradford Council, with work mapped out in five stages up to 2019.
Park Avenue, a disused cricket ground that has hosted 306 First-Class matches since 1881 but has lain fallow for 21 years, will be holding the inaugural ‘Park Avenue Bradford Community Festival’ by staging a series of matches with local community groups.
Sponsored by principal club partner Mazars and official partner Shire Beds, the event is designed to showcase the club’s ability to engage with diverse communities, as well as actively promoting the ECB’s South Asian strategy. It also emphasises Yorkshire and the ECB’s commitment to returning First-Class cricket to the famous old venue.
Yorkshire County Cricket Club Chief Executive Mark Arthur said: “This is a great step forward in our ambition to regenerate Park Avenue and re-instate First-Class Cricket at the ground for the community of Bradford. It will be great to showcase the work that we have put in so far and this week gives people the opportunity to see how far we’ve come over the past couple of years.
“It also gives the best non-professional South Asian cricketers in Yorkshire the opportunity to put their skills to the test against the MCC, while on the Monday the best women take on the Armed Forces. Personally, I’m really excited by the full schedule of events and everyone is welcome to come and watch free of charge.”
Rob Burton, Partner at Mazars, said: “We’re proud and excited to be a part of this initiative alongside YCCC. Sport has the power to bring people together, build community, and leave a lasting legacy, and Mazars is fully committed to promoting diversity, inclusion and opportunity in society.”
Fara Butt, The Shire Bed Company, Marketing Director, added: “Shire Beds is delighted to support the Cricket Festival week through the sponsorship of the players shirts. There is a huge opportunity to grow the game from Yorkshire’s South Asian Communities and we believe this festival can further help promote the benefits of getting involved with the game.
“Cricket is in the DNA of our family and I’m therefore looking forward to watching some quality and competitive cricket at one of the most nostalgic grounds in the country.”
Below is a breakdown of an action-packed week;
- Monday 6th August – Asian Women of Inspiration XI vs United Kingdom Armed Forces XI (shirts sponsored by Mazars and Shire Beds).
- Tuesday 7th August – MCC vs Yorkshire Asian Select XI (shirts sponsored by Mazars and Shire Beds).
- Wednesday 8th August – Bangladeshi Community Cricket Celebration.
- Thursday 9th August – Yorkshire Water vs Bradford BD3 T20 match to recognise the success of the “Community Cooking Oil Collection Scheme” in the Bradford BD3 area.
- Sunday 12th August – Regional Finals of the ECB Core Cities T20 competition.
- Monday 13th August – We will now be hosting the Pakistan Independence Day Celebration Cricket Match. The guest of honour will be the Consul General of the Consulate of Pakistan, Bradford.
Yorkshire Water vs Bradford BD3 T20 match to recognise the success of the “Community Cooking Oil Collection Scheme” in the Bradford BD3 area.
