01
THE PILOT
An old town not to be forgotten. A much loved game not to be forgotten.
One day each year, regional stockmen, far flung locals and grey nomads gather to play a game of cricket in the most unusual, abandoned town setting in the Australian Outback. This annual cricket event takes place in Farina; A South Australian 'ghost town' abandoned in 1967. Formerly a vital town at the junction of a railhead, Farina's ultimate demise was an extension of the railway and tough environment susceptible to long, painful droughts.
Ghost Town Cricket uncovers the stories of several unique characters from the region who have assembled once again for this most fascinating of sporting events that has helped put the town on the map. Coinciding with a volunteer town restoration project, Farina remains a place with many stories to be told and ensure they are never forgotten.
02
THE SERIES
Rich stories behind the world's most unusual cricket grounds.
'Uncovered Grounds' docuseries concept brings life to stories surrounding the most fascinating cricket grounds in the world. From an annual match at an abandoned ghost town in the harsh Australian outback, to contrasting extremes of a tournament played on a frozen lake in the Swiss Alps and beach cricket matches with ancient Scottish castles as a backdrop. What we uncover is a pure love for one of the oldest and most popular sports in the world and the lengths people will go to stage fascinating matches for players, locals and visitors to enjoy. How these unlikely matches came to be and the characters that take part make for the most interesting of stories that move and inspire.
The team behind 'Ghost Town Cricket' are seeking commercial opportunities to bring this project to life via a multi part series that teases out these rich stories waiting to be told. Please get in contact for a detailed pitch deck.
03
DIRECTOR'S
STATEMENT
My motivation behind the series.
During the COVID 19 pandemic and lockdown of 2020, I felt restless about what I wanted to do for the rest of my career. By chance, I stumbled across a photo on social media of the most fascinating looking cricket match in the Kashmir region of northern India. At that moment I felt an overwhelming urge to one day go there and produce a documentary of the place - the backstory of the community, players, culture and ground itself to tease out the curiosities that flooded my mind with wonder when I stared at the photo. From then on, this calling grew and grew as the universe (although I am not superstitious!) encouraged me to pursue the idea. I made it my mission to find an interesting place, an 'uncovered ground' and story of sorts that could form a pilot and stepping stone toward bringing this dream to life and so I found Farina.
The series concept was a natural extension of the initial idea, to bring life the many stories to be told, with this pastime and most unusual grounds, acting a conduit of rich character storytelling. The innocence of everyday people enjoying this beautiful game brings life to the many wonderful values of cricket that are often difficult to harness.
- Matt Sterne