The city of Delaware is considering a request from the Delaware Cricket Club to build a field for the sport at one of its parks.

“I had to educate myself on cricket fields,” said Ted Miller at Tuesday’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting.

The parks and natural resources director said the fields are more oval shape and can range up to a 90-yard radius. Miller said he used that figure to determine which parks would be a perfect fit.

“Veterans Park was probably the best fit,” he said.

But club member Sreedhar Aeddy said a 60- to 75-yard cricket field would be acceptable. With that size, Miller said a field could fit in Mingo Park as well.

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game, which originated in England, and played between two teams of 11 players. On the field is a 22-yard-long strip used as the pitch.

Miller said that the city preferred to use a portable strip for the pitch because it would allowed the field to have multiple uses but still build a following for the sport locally. The portable pitch would cost about $3,000 with the club to raise some of the funds.

“That would be the biggest struggle is the scheduling,” Miller said.

Aeddy said the season runs from April to September with regular season games played on Saturdays and Sundays. Some tournament games would be played on weekdays. Miller said he would continue following up with Aeddy and the club to smooth out the details.

Aside from cricket, the board discussed vacating Riverview Park, 3080 U.S. 23 North, by removing play equipment and transforming it into a prairie. Because the 25-acre park is located near a waste water treatment plan, it has come under scrutiny since 9/11, Miller said, and security measures have reduced turnout.

“Lately it has not been used” except for rendezvous, he said.

In other business, Miller proposes implementing a two-block model for the Spray and Play and other parks. The city would offer two four-hour windows — from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m. — which families could rent, he said.

A family could also rent both blocks.

Miller also proposed a new shelter fee schedule to the board. The shelter at the Spray and Play and the three-season shelter at Mingo Park would cost $40 and $60 on the weekdays; $60 and $80 on the weekend for residents and nonresidents, respectively. All other shelters would be $20 and $30 on weekdays and $50 and $70 on the weekends based on residency. Shelters would require a $50 deposit to ensure rentals are cleaned up when residents are finished using them.

Miller said the two-block system would require an additional shift for maintenance but the deposit would motivate renters to keep the facility clean.

The policy will be taken up by the board at its October meeting.