Laneway Cricket goes Prime Time

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The 7pm Project's James Mathison tries his hand at Laneway Cricket

Cricket Victoria and Urban Seed's Laneway Cricket program has gone prime time with James Mathison and the crew from the 7pm Project capturing the unconventional happenings of cricket's urban form.
Amongst bins and graffiti, Sports Minister James Merlino and Cricket Victoria CEO Tony Dodemaide headed teams containing members of Melbourne's disadvantaged community and employees from nearby Price Waterhouse Cooper.
Mr Dodemaide, a former Australian fast bowler, showed compassion for the Sports Minister, eschewing the opportunity to come off the long bowling run up.
"The power of this form of cricket can't be understated," Mr Dodemaide said after completing his bowling spell.
"The Laneway Cricket initiative promotes inclusivity, bringing together cross-sections of society whose paths may not otherwise meet. It shows that irrespective of your background, cricket can be used as a common theme to create bonds, and the social benefits are significant."
Mr Dodemaide recognised the importance of unconventional forms of cricket. "It's games like this that show the accessibility of cricket: if there is an empty space, it can be used for cricket," he said.
Despite the presence of the former Australian fast bowler, his side, the aptly named Dumpsters were defeated by Mr Merlino's Bin Juices by 14 runs.
Into its third year, Cricket Victoria and Urban Seed continue to use their partnership to bridge the divide between the disadvantaged and corporate communities.
Laneway Cricket, a key component of Cricket Victoria's lifestyle programs, has taken on great significance, with a match earlier this year involving Indian students, Victorian police and Bushrangers players gaining worldwide attention.