Pomborneit Cricket Club buys extra land to expand its footprint

Pomborneit, which fields teams in both the South West and Colac and District competitions, has bought nine acres with plans to develop a second oval and upgrade change room facilities.

The Bulls purchased the land from the Boyd family, which has farmed in the area since the 1950s. The land was on a separate title to Brendan and Katrina Boyd's farm.

It is located on the Princes Highway on the south eastern or Colac end of the reserve.

Pomborneit president and division one player Dave Murphy said it was important the club, which has expanded to include women's and girls' sides in recent years, could cater for its increase in teams.

"We've had huge growth over the past several years," he told The Standard.

"To be able to have a second ground to cater for the amount of cricket that is being played at Pombo (is great) and to upgrade our facilities to cater for women's and girls' cricket."

Murphy, 40 and a Pomborneit player since childhood, said funding would be sought to help the project's next stages.

The club is planning for a staged approach to its upgrades.

"It is going to be a huge project to get it completed and we will be seeking grants, funding and fundraising," he said.

"It is something we can chip away at over the next few years in stages. It would be nice to get it all done at once but realistically it's probably not going to happen that way."

Pomborneit - a powerhouse in the men's division one competition - has put a concerted effort into its junior programs in recent years.

Murphy said the Bulls now had 12 teams, from under 13 boys through to seniors.

"Our growth has been phenomenal. It probably started with getting our junior boys back up and going which has then led to being a facility for Woolworths Blast which has led through into our junior girls and boys' programs," he said.

"With the inclusion of women's cricket and junior girls' cricket, it's just gone gangbusters. It is exciting.

"Everyone of all abilities, genders and ages can pick up a cricket bat and come and play."

Long-time club secretary Luke Reynolds said it was an important move for the historic club. "Since moving to the Pomborneit Recreation Reserve for the 1932-33 season, our venue has been a much loved, spiritual home for the Pomborneit Cricket Club," he said.

"We're proud to have stayed firmly entrenched in our rural locality, this land purchase cements the club in Pomborneit for the long haul and gives us the opportunity to expand our facilities to suit our mantra of a complete pathway of cricket for male and female cricketers of all ages and abilities."

South West Cricket's opening round was washed out with round two, scheduled for Saturday, under a cloud due to predicted wet weather.

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