Minor League Cricket (MiLC) announced today the establishment of the Morrisville Raptors, who will begin play in the 2022 season starting on Saturday, June 25. The Raptors will play home games at Church Street Park, located in Morrisville, North Carolina, the scenic venue in the Greater Raleigh region that hosted the 2021 Toyota Minor League Cricket Championship finals.
The Raptors’ name was selected following input from hundreds of fans in the Morrisville cricket community, home to some of the strongest adult and youth cricket leagues in the country. The team’s logo features a striking M in the shape of a raptor, a bird of prey common to the North Carolina region. The logo’s green and blue branding matches the Town of Morrisville’s official colors. The team emblem was designed by Nate Hays, a local cricket fan and host of Emerging Cricket’s “Minor League Cricket Show.”
A special launch event for the Raptors will take place later in June, with fans able to meet and greet with Morrisville players, enjoy complimentary food and beverages and have the opportunity to receive special team giveaways. Details on the event will be announced soon.
The Raptors’ will play in MiLC’s Southern Division along with the Fort Lauderdale Lions, Atlanta Fire, Atlanta Lightning and Orlando Galaxy. The Morrisville Cardinals will not return to play in the 2022 season. The Raptors will be led by former South African international Dane Piedt as captain, and Obus Pienaar as vice-captain, with both stars relocated permanently to Morrisville to help foster the growth of the game in the community.
The Raptors’ roster also includes Sri Lanka’s Lahiru Milantha and USA National Team U-19 selections in the 2021 season, Rohan Phadke, Abhiram Bolisetty and Adi Gupta.
The Raptors will begin their season on the road at the Galaxy at Broward County Stadium in Lauderdale, Florida, on June 25. Morrisville’s first home games at Church Street Park will take place the following weekend, July 1-2. The team’s inaugural match will take place under the lights of Church Street Park on Saturday, July 2, as the Raptors will host the New Jersey Somerset Cavaliers starting at 6 PM Eastern Time. On Sunday, July 3, the Raptors’ second game of the weekend will start at 5.30PM with The Philadelphians the visiting team.
The full schedule for the Raptors’ season, along with the entire MiLC season schedule, will be released soon.
