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Youth cricket launched locally

The East Bay Youth Cricket Association, in partnership with the San Ramon Cricket Association, kicked off a new branch in San Ramon during the summer. The youth league will play games twice a month against other associations.

The program is designed for children ages 6-15, who will learn cricket skills like batting, bowling, fielding, catching, throwing and different rules and strategies used during the game.

"Many benefits come with this new addition for the youth: exposure of cricket to a larger community; a new type of sport for kids; and most importantly it will help young kids stay healthy because it encourages them to play outside," said Deepak Singh, a member of the Pleasanton Lords, a cricket team in Pleasanton that competes in the San Ramon Cricket Association.

Although the Pleasanton Lords does not have a youth team, members are looking to add one in the coming years.

"I believe our team has the true capability to attract more youth players to build onto our existing team. There are a lot of young talented kids out there who want to play cricket," said Vishal Narayanan, Pleasanton Lords team manager.

The San Ramon branch is the third youth cricket organization in the Bay Area. The others are located in the Fremont/Union City area and in Sunnyvale/Santa Clara.

--Nicole Doi