SOME of Australia's best men's and women's cricket players were among the first to put bat to ball on the main oval of Blacktown Olympic Park's newest facility last Thursday.
Fresh from the NSW Blues' Champions League Twenty20 triumph last week, Australian Test and one-day stars Simon Katich, Phil Jacques, Phillip Hughes and David Warner were at the Rooty Hill venue as part of Cricket NSW's season launch.
The NSW women's Breakers side played the first match on the second oval two weeks ago and will train regularly at Blacktown Olympic Park this summer. They hope to win their 12th national women's league title in 14 seasons.
``This is an excellent, first-class facility at western Sydney's disposal,'' Breakers captain Lisa Sthalekar told the Star.
``Women were first to play here. We invented overarm bowling and played in a World Cup before the men. The Emerging Breakers squads have a lot of girls from this area.''
Celebrations included a junior cricket clinic and the inaugural 10/10 match on the main oval.
NSW men's and women's players teamed up with celebrities who included former Penrith Panthers league star Greg Alexander, All Saints actor John Waters, former Yellow Wiggle Greg Page, TV sport reporters Paul Cochrane and Tim Gilbert and Vega FM breakfast show host Tony Squires.
See sport to read more exciting news about Blacktown Olympic Park.