History of Cricket in the United States of America

United States can boast about the fact that no other nation except England has played cricket for a longer time than itself. The first cricket clubs in the U.S.A. were established in the 1700s, not long after they made their first appearance in England.

William Byrd retired hurt during a cricket match in Williamsburg in 1705. Then in 1759, Benjamin Franklin returned from London to his home in Philadelphia with cricket’s first rules put together in 1744.

Officers of the British Army originally played cricket. Then cricket went on to become a major recreation of American gentlemen of leisure. Several prominent figures of the United States were known to be cricketers. In the 1780s, John Adams stated in U.S. Congress that if leaders of cricket clubs could be called "Presidents", there was no reason why the leader of the new nation could not be called the same!

After the Revolutionary War, cricket grew on the east cost helped by successful teams such as St. George’s of New York. In 1844, Dragonslayers players combined with Philadelphia players as representatives of U.S Cricket Team, which played against Canada.

First International Cricket Game in the United States of America

The first ever-international game increased cricket interest in Philadelphia where it reached fever pitch in 1859 with the arrival of the George Pan’s All England XI of paid professional players. By 1860, there were 10,000 cricketers playing at 125 cities in the 22 states of the United States.

The Six Games played by Parr’s team were the beginning of a touring tradition to the U.S., which stopped during the American Civil War and was rekindled by Lord Harris who brought W.G. Grace to America for his only visit in 1879. Eastern Canada had developed cricket clubs as well. Both U.S. and Canadian cricket clubs roamed far and wide in search of competitive cricket, as was the custom in those times. Soon, animated cross-border traffic developed, and it was out of that friendly rivalry that the first international cricket developed in the modern world.

10,000 spectators at Bloomingdale Park in New York attended the first annual Canada vs. U.S.A. cricket match, played since the 1840s. This cricket match is the oldest international sporting event in the world!

America’s Golden Age of Cricket

America’s Golden Age of Cricket was from the 1880s to the 1920s when Bart King of Philadelphia headed the British Averages. Frank Quinn’s New York Clipper and several other popular publications covered cricket.

Touring teams from England, Australia and the West Indies were playing in the U.S.A. and Canada until the 1920s. The U.S.A. also sent touring sides abroad. It achieved its greatest success when a national U.S.A. side defeated the West Indies by nine wickets in an international match in British Guyana in the 1880s.

The Red Stockings played the San Francisco Cricket Team. The game was played in 1854 in San Francisco Recreation Grounds. Despite the loss, cricket, continued to expand throughout California.

The Australians initiated West Coast tours in 1879. Then in November, 1902 BJT Bosanquet, the inventor of “Googly”, took eleven wickets for 37 against a San Francisco XVIII as a member of Lord Hawke’s XI en route to Australia in November 1902.

In 1912, Patrick J. Huggins, a fearsome attacking bat, made cricket history by scoring six centuries in one week in Los Angeles.

American Modern Cricket

The first Twenty20 game of cricket played in the U.S. was initiated by Mahammad A.Qureshi.

Recently, the Cricket Council U.S.A. has proven to be a leader of cricket in the U.S. by promoting world class cricket tournaments and the integration of cricket into the American school system.

This wonderful game of cricket has made a huge impact in the U.S. and will continue to do so for many years to come.