Major League Cricket outlines groundbreaking stadium development timeline

• James Richardson
• March 18, 2022

Major League Cricket (MLC) has announced timelines for multiple facility developments in a bid to prepare several cricket-specific venues for play by 2024.

The developments will serve not only Major League Cricket but also USA Cricket’s hosting obligations for the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Upon completion, the venues are intended to host Major League Cricket action after the competition launches in 2023.

Major League Cricket outlines stadium development timeline

USA Cricket are yet to allocate matches to venues for the 2024 T20 World Cup which they will host together with the West Indies.

“Groundbreaking for MLC’s first premier venue located in Grand Prairie, TX will take place in April 2022 and work is set to begin mid-year in Morrisville, NC, for completion of upgrades to Church Street Park by spring 2023.

“Both venues will bid to host games at the World Cup.

“Enhancements to two venues near Houston, Texas, are also being explored to rapidly develop facilities capable of hosting Major League and World Cup events.

“In addition, MLC is working on engaging with Broward County on upgrades to the Broward County Stadium, located in southern Florida.

“To develop venues for its franchises as soon as possible, MLC is accelerating timelines for new cricket facility construction projects in San Jose, CA, Redmond, WA and Orange County, CA that would provide first class homes for the sport in future years, with the potential for completion by 2024.

“This unprecedented infrastructure investment will transform the landscape for professional cricket and enable the United States to host global events over the next decade and beyond.

“As well as international games, world-class T20 action will be played annually with MLC bringing the best cricketers in the world to play in cricket-specific venues with natural turf wickets and first-class amenities for fans.”

Cashing in on existing support

Major League Cricket organisers have targeted develoment sites close to existing pockets of fans and players.

“This array of venue developments in areas with significant cricket-passionate communities comes as the International Cricket Council (ICC) has identified the United States as its primary target market to expand the game with the award of co-hosting rights to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2024,” said Sameer Mehta, co-founder, Major League Cricket.

“MLC is committed to supporting that vision alongside its long-term partner USA Cricket and we’re excited to work together to transform the landscape and opportunities for cricket to rapidly develop across the country with this infrastructure investment.”

Upon completion of development in spring 2023, Grand Prairie Stadium will be the leading venue for cricket in the United States.

Grand Prairie Stadium will be a base for the USA Cricket National team, featuring a premier High-Performance Center.

The stadium near Dallas will feature more than 7,000 permanent seats, expandable to 20,000 for major events, along with outstanding luxury and premium hospitality space.

Major League Cricket and the Town of Morrisville have partnered on a multi-million-dollar investment in the expansion of Church Street Park, upgrading the facility into an international-quality cricket venue.

The venue’s permanent capacity will be expanded to over 3,500. The upgrades, to be complete by spring 2023, will also include the installation of state-of-the-art broadcast infrastructure, additional parking and LED illuminated natural and artificial turf practice pitches and nets.

MLC is also planning investments to enhance two cricket venues near Houston, TX, Moosa Stadium and Prairie View Cricket Complex, potentially allowing both to host candidate venues for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2024 and host other professional cricket events.

The status and targeted timelines for each location is listed below: