SOUTHAMPTON Community cricket Club - the city's only inner-city team - was officially opened by Hampshire all-rounder Wasim Akram at Hoglands Park yesterday.
The club aims to provide an avenue for youngsters living in Southampton to get involved in cricket.
Its creation has been overseen by Hampshire Cricket's development manager Neil Rider, with a total of £90,000 of sponsorship coming from Hildon Water, the Lord's Taverners, Sportsmatch and the Hampshire Youth Trust.
Around 60 children have joined the club already and they will play a series of friendlies this season before entering the Hampshire League next year.
Pakistan legend Akram bowled an over to officially mark the club's opening and admitted the sight of so many youngsters brought back memories of how he started out in cricket.
He said: "In cricket, Pakistan is like Brazil for soccer. Everyone plays cricket. You go on Sundays and on the main road they are playing cricket. It's incredible, if you see it then you believe it.
"Even if they don't have facilities, people in Pakistan will play cricket. I used to play on my roof with my brothers - that was the only space to play cricket at the time!
"We used to go on Sundays to the parks with maybe 300 or 400 people - and maybe on the roads if there was no ground.
"I think it is a great start for Hampshire to pick the talent up from here. This is where money should go in."
He added: "There are so many players here wanting to play. It's fantastic and that should happen every week.
"I'm very excited to be here, I've played cricket for a long, long time. I had a great time playing cricket and I want to give back something that cricket has given to me.
"I hope I can give them motivation to play cricket. I was surprised to see there was no cricket in the city centre in Southampton but I think it is a good start. There are lots of flats here and lots of children who want to play. They can come and join the club, the club can organise matches and coaching sessions. I think it is a great start and a great way to go."
The launch yesterday also included an ECB cricket roadshow as well as a coaching session for hundreds of children.
Home games for the Southampton Community Cricket Club will be played in the city centre venue of Hoglands Park and plans for a new pavilion at Green Park have also been announced.
Rider said: "About a year ago we looked at cricket in the county and found there was no community club. There has been a lot of work going on in Southampton schools to make sure there was a cricket club.
"In just three months 3,500 children from 35 schools have been coached. The idea is to bring all the schools together to form a first cricket club. We wanted to base it somewhere accessible in the city and we are fortunate to have had the backing we have received.
"We hope the project will be wider than just cricket. It will encourage young people to be active and we hope it will get people involved in the community of Southampton.
"It was a dream and I don't envisage it being here for a short period of time. I hope that in 15 or 20 years it will be thriving and still producing cricketers."
l Trialist James Bruce did his hopes of winning a Hampshire contract no harm by taking 4-66 as Sussex 2nds were bowled out for 241 on the first day of the 2nd XI match at The Rose Bowl yesterday. Hampshire were 32-2 in reply.
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