The nomadic 'little club that could' expands to 120 players with no real home

The ambitious little cricket club that could is continuing to punch above its weight.

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This is the case even though obstacles continue to block the path of Illawarra Passionate Cricketers Club's (IPCC) aims to enhance its infrastructure to ensure the club's long-term sustainability.

Illawarra Passionate Cricketers Club first-grade player Praneeth Kumar Pudhota, co-founder and president Dr Shivakumar Hampasagar, co-founder and treasurer Dr Sundhar R Balu and club supporter Chris Adams at Dalton Park West. Picture by Robert Peet.

Namely, the club is seeking assistance to find its own home ground to house cricket training nets, a turf wicket, and dedicated storage facilities.

"That is our immediate priority," Illawarra Passionate Cricketers Club president and co-founder Dr Shiva Hampasagar said.

"Our objective is to collaborate with Cricket Illawarra, Wollongong City Council, and the NSW Government to secure improved training facilities.

"Our long-term vision involves the development of a pavilion and clubhouse."

Dr Hampasagar said Wollongong City Council had promised the club it would help IPCC find a home ground when it started playing in the Cricket Illawarra (CI) competition in the 2023-24 season.

But options at Fred Finch Park and Kully Bay in Warrawong have fallen through for various reasons.

IPCC is playing out of West Dalton Park in Fairy Meadow this season, having previously played its Cricket Illawarra competition games at Rex Jackson Park in Helensburgh.

While it's true that around Australia several community-based sporting codes and their clubs are struggling to attract new players to keep their clubs going, IPCC seems to be bucking this trend.

In the 2023-24 Cricket Illawarra season, IPCC played in CI's first-grade competition only two years after becoming a CI-affiliated team.

IPCC first appeared on the scene in the 2016-17 season when a group of players competed in the IPCC Cup in the Battle of the 12 Teams T20 competition.

Backed by longstanding UOW Cricket Club president Bruce Tosswill, the following season IPCC played as a UOW fourth-grade team called UOW Gold.

IPCC has expanded rapidly since its acceptance as a Cricket Illawarra affiliate in the 2021-22 season.

That same season IPCC fielded a third-grade, fourth-grade and women's T20 team in the Illawarra competition.

Today, the non-profit community cricket club has 120 registered junior and senior cricketers playing in the Illawarra competition.

"IPCC is a growing, community-based, and inclusive Australian cricket club," Dr Hampasagar said

"Our primary focus is fostering a genuine passion for the sport. We are proud to have contributed to the development of local cricket by encouraging both senior and junior participation, resulting in a membership base that has expanded to 120 individuals.

"As our club continues to experience rapid growth, we are seeking to enhance our infrastructure to ensure long-term sustainability.

"As mentioned, our objective is to collaborate with Cricket Illawarra, Wollongong City Council, and the NSW Government to secure improved training facilities.

"We look forward to the possibility of achieving these goals through our partnership.

"IPCC understand the challenges the council faces with the growing demand for facilities and competing priorities, but we have been able to recruit 100-plus players each year without any basic infrastructure."

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