Pitch is a project, created by the collaboration of four photographers, which tells the reality of cricket in Italy.
Cricket is a sport with a very large following worldwide, especially in English speaking countries, where it’s second to soccer as far as number of supporters; however it's not yet popular in Italy.
The main Italian teams, as well as the national team, are made by players born in countries with a strong cricket tradition as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, who’ve been living in Italy for several Years.
One of the symbols of this sport is the Pitch, which is the area at the center of the field where the batter and the pitcher challenge each other to bring their own team to win.
Matches are played over the weekend mostly in peripheral fields, derived from city parks or commonly dedicated to more popular disciplines. Locker rooms are nowhere to be found, with the athletes changing clothes on the side of the field. The organization is often lacking, even in the main national League. Despite these many challenges, the athletes, who are mostly people doing other jobs to make a living, show an extraordinary passion and an undeniable sportsmanship. To the players, this sport is a valuable chance of gathering and connecting with their culture of origin and traditions, also during extra sporting events involving their friends and families.
This project wants to narrate the spirit of this sport, the values and distinctive features which make it unique inside and outside the field, using the experience of the four authors mainly in Rome, Milan, Prato and Lucca.
Authors: Massimiliano Faralli, Simone Mantia, Antonino Sismo, Valeria Tofanelli
Project made in collaboration with the Italian Cricket Federation