Saturday night cricket at SportsPlex

Much like the professional international cricket circuit, the local Bloomington cricket league unites people of different nationalities. Every Saturday night the Bloomington SportsPlex's, located at 1700 West Bloomfield Road, soccer field converts into a cricket ground. \nIU's official cricket club began in 2000. Since then, 20-year-old president Alok Sanghi said the league has expanded into six teams and is now officially recognized by the University's recreational sports division. From 8 p.m to midnight every Saturday night, four teams play each other, leading to a tournament final. \n"People have fun, and that's what matters," Sanghi said. \nCricket typically consists of two teams each with 11 players. One person runs and bowls the ball, while a person from the opposing team bats. Sanghi compares the game to baseball, except players don't run around the field; they run between wickets. \nPlaying indoors puts limitations on the league, however. With shorter boundaries and smaller teams, the league uses a tennis ball taped with duct tape instead of the typically heavier cork-rubber ball.\n-- Asma Khalid