The former Kyabram Cannery hostel dining room had been converted into a fully netted indoor cricket centre, complete with light green synthetic pitch and a fully carpeted area.
The centre, which was owned by Noel and Jenny Hindson, accommodated 80 to 100 teams to play competition within the week – daytime and nights.
It featured a full length indoor cricket pitch, spectator area, change-rooms for all male and female competitions with the idea of eventually having a kiosk.
Prior to the start of the competition, a seminar of the rules of the game was to be held.
The basic concept of the game was similar to normal cricket, but on a smaller scale.
There were eight players in a team with competitions for men, women, mixed and juniors.
Many teams were formed from families and businesses in the area.
Each person in the team was permitted to bat and bowl two overs of six balls.
Each batter faced a certain number of balls, regardless of how many times they would go out.
I played in the first Friday night women’s competition in that year.
The names of the teams were Amcal Girls, M & S, Esprit, Wassies, Maryborough Maids (Knitting Mills), Y & O’s, Bumblers and Jam Tarts (Henry Jones IXL).
Some other interesting team names in different competitions were the Undertakers, Pirates, Town of Kyabram, Mixtures, Security, Razor Backs, Rebels, Ky Police, Slashers, Wombats, Gropers, Beavers, Revepogels, Honey Eaters, Mitre 10, SSW, Strikers, Roaches and MKM.
The Kyabram Cricket Club hoped to be the first to use the centre to start off a 10-week Monday night competition on June 17, 1985.
It was good fun, good for fitness and ideal for male, female and junior competitors.
-Compiled by Eileen Sullivan from the files of the Kyabram Free Press.
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