Reston-Herndon Cricket Teams Bring International Game to Local Grounds

By Matt Reider, Staff Writer

Hunter's bowler Hariprasad Davanagere delivers a ball to Brent McQueed of the Windies as wicket keeper Kris Arvind prepares to make a play. Photo by Matt Reider

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game that dates back to the Middle Ages, with the first recorded reference in England in 1598. In our area, adult teams have played for more than 50 years, and the Washington Cricket League (WCL) was officially established in 1974. Today, the WCL includes 40 clubs playing across 22 different cricket grounds.

For those in the Reston-Herndon area, the Fairfax County Cricket Field at Lake Fairfax Park is home to four teams. Built in 1997, it remains one of the few fields in Northern Virginia large enough to meet international cricket standards.

On a sunny Saturday in April, the home team, the Hunters–named for nearby Hunter Woods

Road–hosted the Windies, a team whose name honors its players’ West Indian heritage. An hour before game time, Hunters captain Ani Roy was busy organizing his team and preparing the field. The wickets were set, and a measuring tape was used to position cones marking the infield and boundary.

Most of the Hunters players are originally from India and Pakistan. Roy explained that many of them learned the game as children, and now enjoy playing competitively in Northern Virginia. The team loves to talk cricket and sees itself as an ambassador for the sport in the U.S.

American baseball, which uses a similar ball, is widely believed to have evolved from cricket. As in baseball, the batter tries to hit a ball to score runs, while the bowler attempts to hit the wicket—three vertical sticks—to record an out. WCL games use the “Twenty20” format, which lasts about three hours, although international test matches can span three to five days and include multiple games.

Assistant manager Dinesh Chandrasekaran led the team in warm-ups, hitting grounders and then launching pop flies to the players. Before the game began, the Hunters held a brief ceremony to thank their major sponsor for the season: Bole Bole Ethiopian Kitchen and Bar, a Herndon restaurant.

Once the referees arrived, Windies bowler Stephen Bruney took a running start and delivered the ball toward the wicket. Roy, wearing a helmet and leg pads, connected with a powerful swing, sending the ball sailing through the air.

Roy’s wife, Khushu Joshi is a devoted fan of the team. “I love that there’s a field here in Fairfax,” she said, noting that many players elsewhere have to travel to Maryland. When I asked how much cricket means to her husband, she smiled and recalled his proposal. “He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him—just not during cricket season.”

The cricket team is part of a larger community, with players, families, and friends regularly gathering for lunches and events throughout the year.

Ninety minutes into the game, the Hunters were still at bat, finishing their 20 overs with 152 runs and 9 outs. As the game drew to a close, it became clear that the Hunters' lead was too much for the Windies to overcome. The final score: Hunters 152/9, Windies 136/5.

The WCL cricket season continues through August.