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CURRY and
cricket were on the menu at the launch of a special exhibition recently.
The Aakash
Restaurant in Cleckheaton hosted the event to celebrate the
contribution of Asian cricketers to local sports history.
The restaurant
has joined forces with the Kirklees Cricket Heritage Project, based
at Huddersfield University, to stage the exhibition, Shabash! Asian
Cricket and Cricketers in Kirklees, which will run during the summer.
The exhibition
traces the story of cricket through the eyes of the local Asian community.
Post-war
immigrants in Kirklees set up their first cricket club in 1962,
Batley Muslims CC.
Since then,
generations of family members have played a major role in promoting
the game in the area.
Solly Adam,
who starred for Batley Muslims in the 1960s and went on to win
trophies in the Bradford League, now runs a thriving cricket goods
business in Savile Town, Dewsbury.
Mount CC,
based at Mount Pleasant, Batley, is just one of several modern-day
clubs providing a focal point for the local ethnic community, running
several junior and senior teams and having several qualified coaches.
Dr Peter
Davies, leader of the Cricket Heritage Project, said the restaurant
was the perfect setting for the exhibition.
He said:
"We want restaurant visitors to learn about the fascinating
cricketing and cultural history of the area."
Aakash
spokesman Keith Joplin said: "It's the ultimate partnership,
between a restaurant renowned for its Asian specialities and a
pioneering project that wants to make local people aware of cricket's
rich heritage in this part of the world."
The project is
being paid for by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
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