This pitch is perfect (7 photos)

On any given summer day the parks in this city can be filled with people enjoying the outdoors. 

Residents enjoy playing a game of catch or throwing a frisbee around, but in the last few weeks this city has seen something a little different.

Vinay Yarlagadda is originally from India but has lived in Sault Ste Marie since 2007. 

One of the things he missed the most after moving to the Sault? 

"I have been playing cricket since my childhood, cricket is like a religion in India," he says. "Whenever I hear about cricket I get pumped up."

The Sault Ste Marie Cricket Club was created by local lovers of the sport in order to provide an organization for the sport which has never really taken off in North America. 

This summer the city has even given them a place to play in Rosedale Park, previously they were playing at the West End Community Centre or the basketball courts at the George Leach Centre which were not ideal.

"This is perfect, this field has natural boundaries, the pitch is in the centre, we can hit all over the park," Yarlagadda adds." I haven't played for five years so this is great."

This coming weekend the club is participating in its first cricket tournament which is taking place in North Bay. 

With some help from the Local Immigration Partnership, the team will be representing the city in bright white uniform shirts with "Sault Ste Marie" written across them.

"We can't wait to proudly represent Sault Ste Marie," Yarlagadda says.

The club is made up of men from diverse backgrounds and includes students and professionals. 

Team members hail from India, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Australia and New Zealand, among others. 

Women and children have participated in practices as well and anyone not interested in playing is welcome to come out and watch.

The club's opponents in the upcoming tournament will be teams from North Bay, Thunder Bay and Toronto. 

Yarlagadda hopes to invite teams to a tournament in Sault Ste. Marie for summer 2014 and notes that the pitch here is the best in Northern Ontario.

"We will be playing on a baseball field," he says talking about the pitch in North Bay.

For more information about practices and games visit the club's Facebook page.