Cricket is Alive and Starting to Kick In the US (A long way to go still though)

[PokerAce]

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.

 

[SpitfiresKent]

The week-long event, boasted a crowd of a 1000 everyday.

I'd be interested to know how many of them in the crowd were born and bred US citizens and not expats though.

 

[CricketBuffOne]

PokerAce, this is great news for cricket fans, but as SpitfiresKent said what is more interesting to know is how many of them were natives.

 

[grkrama]

I'd be interested to know how many of them in the crowd were born and bred US citizens and not expats though.

I would expect most to be expats..but thats the way they will get soem recognition and native talents will get in after that.


came across this philadelphia team of 18th century didnt know US had such cricket roots. worth a read

Philadelphian cricket team - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[IceAgeComing]

Two of the main reasons why Baseball replaced Cricket as America's national sport were related to the civil war - Baseball was quicker to play which apparently was important during wartime, and America wanted to build a strong national identity distinct to that of Britain, and cricket was associated with the British Empire and Baseball was seen as being "American" (despite also being invented in the UK).

So if someone had invented T20 cricket a few years earlier, then America could be among the best cricket countries in the world

 

[Santander]

I actually live within driving distance of Indianapolis and I thought of going to watch the USA/Canada match but ended up having time conflicts. (I'm a UK -> Canada -> US expat, so I always want Canada to do well)

I think the thing about cricket is that it's so un-American. It's based on English values and gained popularity throughout the Empire as a platform where, at least during play, white, black and brown were equal. Things like tea breaks, Gentlemen vs Players, Empire, etc. are very foreign concepts to America, which has never really been very "English". Baseball on the other hand, is just about the most American sport possible. Look at the statistics - fielding errors are among the most prominent statistics on a baseball scorecard, but fielding catches and assists are just footnotes which only exist on the full, long-form scorecard that nobody reads. When a pitcher replaces another mid-inning and a runner on base later scores, that run is charged to the previous pitcher, even if it was your poor pitching that caused it. Basically, if you make a mistake, I want everyone to know it was you, not me. Even if your team doesn't score a run, your hits are prominently displayed on the scorecard to be worn as a badge of honour. The players shake hands at the end of every match, but it's not with the other team, it's with each other. The sport is unapologetically crass and individualistic... in other words, exactly what America was looking for.

 

[flake]

Great write up Good to hear this. Santander I hear you bro. Id love to see how America wouldve done had they not made their own sports...Imagine what their rugby amd cricket teams would be like. Cant help but think itd be pretty cool to have.

 

[themusketeer]

ICC Board suspends USA Cricket Association - Yahoo News India

 

[IceAgeComing]

they do that every year, the USACA is terrible

 

[Santander]

they do that every year, the USACA is terrible

Sounds like any other cricket board.

 

[CerealKiller]

Sounds like any other cricket board.

Yes you are right but if ICC banned, for example, South Africa for picking players based on their skin color, they would lose a huge amount of money. By suspending the USACA while completely ignoring SA's racist selection criterias, they've proved once again that making money is on top of their list of priorities.