Peter Della Penna: USA's cricket lovers come out to watch | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo
This is an account of the ICC Americas T20 regional qualifier, held in Indianapolis, where two WorldT20 spots were up for grabs.
The week-long event, boasted a crowd of a 1000 everyday. While a lot of people could look at 1000 and say thats not much. However the thing that gave me great joy to read was that a lot of people actually came from out of town to support the US side.
There was a guy who down from Wisconsin (5 hr drive to Indianapolis), to support the US national side. Another lady and her son took a 7 hr drive from Missouri to come watch the game, while another fella drove for 8 hrs from West Virginia.
Thus the crowd was not the kind that turned up to watch any show merely because it was playing in the town that weekend, no, it was a crowd that wanted to watch cricket and support the side. This basic difference in the nature of the crowd, is the very essence of the development of a hardcore support base. While it is still weak, but that the beginnings of support base for cricket exists in the US, is something to take joy from.
Most of those polled at the end said they would return for more cricket, and even shell out upto $15. What was also interesting to see how some of the people took to liking cricket. One person was stuck in a hotel in Paris and one of few English language channels had Cricket on, and thus no option he started watching the game, and took a liking to it, and follows cricket ever since.
Another person was on a tour to England around the time the Pakistan spot-fixing scandal was happening, and he wanted to learn what all the fuss was about and read up on cricket and has followed it ever since. It seems the spot fixing did some good to the sport afterall.
This is an account of the ICC Americas T20 regional qualifier, held in Indianapolis, where two WorldT20 spots were up for grabs.
The week-long event, boasted a crowd of a 1000 everyday. While a lot of people could look at 1000 and say thats not much. However the thing that gave me great joy to read was that a lot of people actually came from out of town to support the US side.
There was a guy who down from Wisconsin (5 hr drive to Indianapolis), to support the US national side. Another lady and her son took a 7 hr drive from Missouri to come watch the game, while another fella drove for 8 hrs from West Virginia.
Thus the crowd was not the kind that turned up to watch any show merely because it was playing in the town that weekend, no, it was a crowd that wanted to watch cricket and support the side. This basic difference in the nature of the crowd, is the very essence of the development of a hardcore support base. While it is still weak, but that the beginnings of support base for cricket exists in the US, is something to take joy from.
Most of those polled at the end said they would return for more cricket, and even shell out upto $15. What was also interesting to see how some of the people took to liking cricket. One person was stuck in a hotel in Paris and one of few English language channels had Cricket on, and thus no option he started watching the game, and took a liking to it, and follows cricket ever since.
Another person was on a tour to England around the time the Pakistan spot-fixing scandal was happening, and he wanted to learn what all the fuss was about and read up on cricket and has followed it ever since. It seems the spot fixing did some good to the sport afterall.