Newsletter – March 2026

As the founding group grew in size and spirit, so did its sense of purpose. The 25-player squad shared exceptional camaraderie — players coming from different backgrounds and different corners of the world, yet united by one common obsession: cricket. Friendships formed quickly, and the community feeling that defines HCCA today was already taking root in those early informal sessions.

But passion alone wasn't enough. Some players were regularly making the drive to Houston and Dallas just to get more game time, proving that distance was merely a minor inconvenience for true cricket lovers. It was clear the group needed structure. They formally registered as a non-profit organization and established a club — giving birth to the Hill Country Cricket Association (HCCA). The first Board of Directors included Amit Desai, Sanjay Singh, and Sanjay Saksena, who took on the responsibility of turning this passionate community into a sustainable organization with real roots in Central Texas.

With official status came bigger ambitions, and the next mission was unmistakable: find a proper cricket ground. This was no small task in early 2000s Austin. John Thickett played a pivotal role, personally reaching out to the City of Austin, Travis County, Pflugerville, and Round Rock in search of land that could support a full-size cricket field, practice nets, and — dare they dream — parking. The search became something of a grand tour of the Austin metro, stretching from South Austin to Del Valle near the airport, and several other hopeful spots across town. Every lead was chased, every county official courted.

Finally, in late 2000, the breakthrough came. Williamson County Park began opening up, and John connected with the Park Director, who shared the vision of developing an excellent cricket facility. It was a landmark moment — and it planted the seed for what is now the Hill Country Cricket Ground (HCCG) in Round Rock that HCCA calls home today. The dream had a location. What remained were the challenges of turning raw land into a cricket ground — but for this group, that was just another problem to solve together.

Amidst all the administrative efforts and ground-hunting adventures, cricket itself never stopped. In early 2001, the team entered a Dallas league — a commitment that added significant miles to everyone's weekends. Players enthusiastically made the journey every week to compete and represent their growing club. Captaincy was entrusted to Paddy, whose biggest challenge was not just leading the team tactically, but assembling a reliable 11 or 12 players each week when travel was involved. The team quickly made an impression as “that new team from Austin” — unpredictable, spirited, and capable of pulling off surprises. Closely fought victories and a few dominant wins reinforced something important: HCCA was not just a group of passionate cricketers. It was a team with character, heading confidently in the right direction.