Street cricketers held

SURAT, July 11: For the past many years, a regular feature of Road Safety Council (RSC) meetings is a warning to youngsters not to play cricket on the city’s roads and bylanes. With no action taken against those who play on the roads, the practice seemed likely to continue.

But the city police registered a first of sorts on Sunday when the Chowk Bazaar police picked up three youths for playing cricket on the main thoroughfare beside Anupam Chambers. The three have not been booked under any cognisable offence and thus their names have been withheld by the police.

The police took action in the afternoon as a group of youths began playing cricket on the main thoroughfare, creating an obstacle in the smooth flow of traffic. A large crowd followed the police van carrying the three detained youths to the Chowk Bazaar police station, pleading with the police to release them. They were released later in the evening with a warning, the Chowk Bazaar police said. With a paucity of playgrounds and open spaces in the city, hundreds of youth spend most Sundays playing cricket on the roads.