By Sport Nova Scotia Communications
Last October, Nova Scotia’s Junior Provincial cricket team won gold at the Eastern Canada Junior Under-17 Championship. Not only was this an outstanding victory for the team, but the tournament speaks to the growth of youth cricket in Nova Scotia and beyond as the first tournament of its kind for the age group in the region.
The team played a best-of-four series against host-team Quebec, winning three out of four matches.
“To play in Montreal, they have great grounds and it was a great opportunity for all the boys,” says team captain Ammev Singh Kalra. “Some of us are experienced, we’ve been playing cricket, but really for those guys who’ve been playing for the first time, it was really great exposure to get out there and see what the competition is like.”
The tournament was also an opportunity for the team to bond even further. Leading up to the tournament field time was hard to come by, but that didn’t stop the boys from getting some extra practice sessions in.
“It was summer, right? So, we were all at home sitting around and we knew the tournament was coming up,” says Ammev Singh. “All of us, those who lived nearby, decided to just gather around wherever we could in an open field and then just have some practice on our own. That helped us build the bonding that we showed on the field and that really helped us come together as one unit in the tournament.”
Head coach for the team, Reeze Telling, was also very happy with how the team worked together.
“For me, as a coach, and with all the buildup and all the planning and everything else, the profound thing was to see how the boys have gelled. You have kids from all over the world who don’t know each other, who then became a team, who then became a family.”
Looking ahead Reeze says the organizers of the Eastern Canada Junior Championship aim to have more teams involved in future editions, with Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick forming part of the tournament structure.
Many players on the Junior Provincial team are also members of The Eastern Cricket Academy, which was founded in 2023 for young cricketers in Nova Scotia. The academy focuses on skill development, character-building and clear pathways into provincial and national programs. Working with Nova Scotia Cricket, they have combined academy-based training with provincial opportunities and competition.
And with more young people looking for a place to play, Reeze says immigration has definitely played a role in the sport’s growth in Nova Scotia.
When Ammev Singh immigrated from India about two years ago he was shocked that there was a cricket community in the city. Joining the Halifax Cricket League, he says last season there were only a handful of junior players, but now, after the Eastern Canada Junior Under-17 Championship, most of his teammates will be joining. Ammev Singh also adds that on top of immigration, it’s the love of cricket that brings all the athletes together and grows the sport.
“It’s the bonding and it’s the belief that we all have because playing against Quebec, it’s not easy. We all believed in ourselves when we stepped on the field, I saw a whole different team, so hats off to us. I hope we keep doing Nova Scotia proud,” he says.
Eastern Cricket Academy also has a U13 team who competed in Halifax this past summer. Right now, they have yet to find nearby teams for regular games but creating opportunities locally has helped provide meaningful game exposure, excitement around high-level competition and momentum and motivation within that age group.
Readers came learn more about the Eastern Cricket Academy by visiting their website.
