by Jake Kwon ‘26
Over the years, Cricket has been gaining a lot of traction, starting in Southeast Asia and moving west to the United States. The sport is the centerpiece of many different cultures, having importance in the lives of many. In the Bay Area specifically, cricket has established itself as a prominent sport, with facilities and parks dedicated to the sport being constructed all over the bay. This rise of interest has prompted many to start cricket clubs and teams, the wave of which has now arrived at Bellarmine.
The Bellarmine Cricket Club was founded this year by three sophomores, Vivaan Chopra ‘26, Anay Parikh ‘26, and Ashrith Jojioide ‘26. The club was formed with the large interest in the sport. Full-field scrimmages, throwing drills, and practices are held at the Bob Fatjo Baseball Field on Thursdays at community time. The club was also created to have a community of cricket match watchers, to observe the game being played.
When asking the founders of the club about why they wanted to start the club, Anay and Vivaan both shared similar yet different thoughts about the matter. Chopra remarked that he loves sports and that he “spent summers playing 20 matches of cricket a day”. He also stated that family members such as his older cousin inspired him to learn and love the sport, and hopes to “share the feeling of cricket” he has with others. Co-founder Anay Parikh said that he made the club because he wanted others to know of its rise to fame, especially with the MLC (Major League Cricket) and under-20 Cricket World Cup hosted in the United States.
Parikh also stated that he created the club because he “wanted to make a Bellarmine Cricket Team that could compete with other schools that also have a cricket club”.
On the topic of competing against other teams, Vivaan and Anay both said that they hope to see cricket potentially become a club sport at Bellarmine, similarly to hockey and rugby. The club has reached out to the cricket club at Valley Christian, and plan on organizing games and events to celebrate the sport.
As for club members, junior Trinh Nguyen ‘25 notes his positive experiences with the club, saying that he joined the club because “the game looks fun and is gaining traction.” Trinh says that his favorite part of the sport is the batting position.
Sophomore Chase Dawson-Kolb ‘26 is new to the sport of cricket, but has found the sport to be fun. Chase said that he signed up on Club day because he “wanted to learn a new sport and figured that it would get some exercise during community time.”
Bellarmine’s Cricket Club so far has found great success, being 65 members strong. The club is always open to accepting new members. If you are looking to try out a new sport, or searching for a great community of student-athletes, be sure to check it out! Once again, club meetings are at the Baseball Field on Thursdays during community time.
Jake Kwon is the Academics Editor for the Bell Online. He enjoys playing soccer with friends and covering events on campus.