In honour of the 1892 cricket match between Lord Sheffield’s touring side and a local Nepean Team, a special Thornton cricket team is being established for a one-off T20 game against the Penrith Cricket Club.

The match will be hosted by the Thornton Community Development Program and the Penrith Cricket Club. The $2.6m Smith’s Paddock (oval) and Thornton Community Development Program were funded by UrbanGrowth NSW as masterplanner of the Thornton Estate.

The oval has a playground and water features and includes a $1.2m Cricketers Pavilion, which also serves as a community building.

UrbanGrowth NSW’s Head of Western Sydney Portfolio, Matt Beggs, said the Thornton Estate project had delivered a diverse and vibrant new community in Sydney’s growing western suburbs.

“It’s fantastic to see community facilities like Smith’s Paddock being utilised to celebrate the rich heritage that surrounds Western Sydney and Thornton Estate,” said Mr Beggs.

“The success of events like these is testament to the strong community bonds that take root in our masterplanned communities and we’re tremendously proud to do our part in fostering them through our community development programs.”

The Hon. Stuart Ayres MP, Member for Penrith, Minister for Western Sydney, Minister for WestConnex and Minister for Sport, as well as the Mayor of Penrith, Councillor John Thain, will be attending the event. UrbanGrowth NSW Head of Western Sydney Projects Portfolio Matt Beggs will also be in attendance.