ONGOLE : The city of Ongole, in Andhra’s Prakasam district, is known for a particular breed of oxen. It’s also known for the CSR Sarma College, where Tollywood star Chiranjeevi studied from 1970-72. Few know the cricket ground at CSR Sarma College has a unique history.It’s perhaps the only cricket ground in India which is built on a burial ground. Not many places in cricket crazy India can say this. The area covered by thorny bushes was once home to venomous snakes and other creatures. It was in 2008 when the Prakasam District Cricket Association (PDCA) and the college decided to sign a memorandum of understanding to build a quality stadium, which the city lacked.
“A decade ago, this place was in a totally different state,” says PDCA secretary Pratap Kumar. “It used to be a burial ground and was even named as crime zone. Many notable offences have taken place here. Since 2008, we have been developing it gradually. The ground, with a hillock at the backdrop, had a pond 15 feet in depth. We dumped almost 16,000 trucks of soil and renovated to make it look like this.”
Looking like any other cricket venue now, this ground has hosted four Ranji Trophy matches. The fifth, between Andhra and Tamil Nadu, starts on Tuesday. “During the last match, crowds turned up in huge numbers to watch Shreyas Iyer and Prithvi Shaw. We can expect a sizeable turnout for the Tamil Nadu tie, although it would have been more had Dinesh Karthik and R Ashwin played,” said Pratap.
The main objective of the ACA to set up a cricket ground amidst unusual surroundings was to develop cricket at the grassroots. “We saw the potential to have a stadium here. With BCCI’s permission, we allowed PDCA to host matches. Our aim was to conduct matches in every district under the association’s jurisdiction. Wherever there are facilities, we grant them permission to organise first-class matches,” ACA general secretary Arun Kumar said.
With the aim to improve infrastructure, PDCA has arranged for the 12-foot sight screen which they did not have until this year. The ground is equipped with underground lining (both electrical and optical), six cameras for recording the match, two air-conditioned rooms for video analysts, BCCI match referees and scorers.
Conducting matches during the rainy season has not posed a great threat despite the ground lacking a advanced drainage system. “Water drains automatically. With a low hillock, even if it rains heavily, we can resume the match an hour after it stops pouring,” explained Pratap. It was in January, 2015 that the ground got the nod to host its maiden Ranji match. srinidhi@newindianexpress.com