Lake in the Hills seeking cricket players to use park facilities

Suburban cricket enthusiasts looking for a place to practice can head to Lake in the Hills.

The village's parks and recreation department is considering what to do with a cricket pitch in the middle of its Sunset Park off Miller and Haligus roads.

Cricket is popular in the suburbs with even some high schools starting clubs.

A British import, cricket bears similarities with baseball. It is played with a bat and ball, and 11 players on each of two teams playing against each other on a circular grassy field and a rectangular pitch. A few suburban high schools - Palatine and Prospect, among the most active, and South Elgin - have student cricket clubs, and plenty abound at the collegiate level, as well as adult leagues.

Lake in the Hills' pitch was installed six years ago for a group of area residents who paid for its upkeep. But interest has dwindled and the pitch hardly has been used, said Laura Barron, director of parks and recreation.

"It was used very well the first three years and then in 2014 it started to drop off," she said. "We've had just a couple of rentals here and there."

Over the years, the artificial surface of the pitch has been damaged by trucks driving over it during staging for various village festivals.

"We are looking at different options for repair or if we are going to keep it," Barron said.

Repairing the surface or adding protective coating could cost the village more than $4,000 so officials could decide to get rid of it entirely.

The park board Thursday night expressed interest in keeping the cricket pitch and asked the staff to reach out to the former group.

Barron said there may be groups out there interested in keeping the pitch going.

"It's a nice family event," she said.

It costs $900 yearly to use the pitch, which is what the previous group paid for its maintenance. Anyone interested can call the parks and recreation department at (847) 960-7461.