Are there any clubs in Canada ? I am coming from the USA but i have learned to play cricket and I am quite good at it ! So, i am moving to alberta this december and want to know if there are any cricket teams there..i also play ping pong, tennis and soccer..I am sad but brazil was my team !
Cricket
- Thread starter kale7334
- Start date
http://www.canadacricket.com/
this site should help you find playing venues and clubs
what position do you play?
I didn't play much cric when I was growing up in Brooklyn but did just a little bowling. Was more of a pacer rather than spinner but did have a natural left hander's sweep. I'm hoping that cric will enjoy a resurgence in the States and to enjoy the popularity that it did especially from 1857-1899 in the Northeast.
this site should help you find playing venues and clubs
what position do you play?
I didn't play much cric when I was growing up in Brooklyn but did just a little bowling. Was more of a pacer rather than spinner but did have a natural left hander's sweep. I'm hoping that cric will enjoy a resurgence in the States and to enjoy the popularity that it did especially from 1857-1899 in the Northeast.
humm thanks. I was a captain of university of Oklahoma's cricket team for about 4 years, before that i was playing for many clubs in the US too. I am an opening batsman, offspinner and i can do everything with both the hands! i can bat, bowl and throw with both the hands very effectively! Even I am typing this stuff with both the hands 
thanks for replying!
thanks for replying!
Great reply, thanx!
Have you ever read the following:
http://www.bookfinder.com/dir/i/The_Cricket_Match/0090970403/
Hugh De Selincourt's book is very rare nowadays but can be secured through the inter-library loan system. A very good read and one which shows that cricket is a sport that transcends all economic classes and backgrounds.
I also recommend the great movie Lagaan which is one of my all time favorites. It's theme is similar though in a colonial setting.
Have you ever read the following:
http://www.bookfinder.com/dir/i/The_Cricket_Match/0090970403/
Hugh De Selincourt's book is very rare nowadays but can be secured through the inter-library loan system. A very good read and one which shows that cricket is a sport that transcends all economic classes and backgrounds.
I also recommend the great movie Lagaan which is one of my all time favorites. It's theme is similar though in a colonial setting.
Canada has played in the cricket World Cup, along with other tiny cricket nations such as Holland.
------------------------------------------------------
Canada's rich cricket history
Don Bradman toured Canada with the Australian party in 1932
Ice hockey, baseball, skiing and skating are widely regarded as the most popular sports in Canada.
And cricket - that's right cricket - is aiming to join that elite group.
It is estimated that there are 12,000 players within the Canadian Cricket Association, playing in 400 teams around 145 grounds.
Not bad for a country with a population of 30 million - half that of Britain.
So how did cricket reach the northern-most areas of North America?
Many enthusiasts in Canada believe that the sport reached their shores during the mid 1700s with British soldiers following the battle at the Plains of Abraham near Quebec City.
But it was schoolmaster George A Barber, considered to be the father of Canadian cricket, who spread the word throughout Toronto during the early 19th century.
Popularity for the game grew rapidly in the country and, in 1844, Canada played the United States in New York.
The match happened 30 years before England and Australia contested a series, and historians believe the contest is the oldest international sporting fixture in the world.
A Canadian record
In 1892, the Canadian Cricket Association was formed. However popularity for the sport was on the wane as baseball's grew.
Between that time and the Second World War there were a number of cricketing highlights, including a 1932 tour by an Australia squad including Don Bradman.
In a match against Western Ontario, Bradman scored 260 runs - a Canadian record which stood for 58 years.
After the war Pakistan and the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) visited Canada on tours, beginning a cricketing revival in the country.
But it was in 1975 and 1979 that Canada came under the sport's spotlight.
First, Eastern Canada beat the touring Australian World Cup side by five wickets.
Four years later, Canada reached the final of the first International Cricket Conference Trophy, only to be beaten by Sri Lanka.
That effort earned them a place in the 1979 World Cup, where they performed valiantly against the likes of England, Pakistan and Australia, but still failed to win a single match
And in 2001, Canada played host to the International Cricket Council Trophy tournament.
The nation finished third out of 22, to qualify for the 2003 World Cup.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979 and all that
Ladd (centre) and Canada were pleasant surprises
The 1970s: Glam rock and T-Rex, the Conservatives and Margaret Thatcher, Tudor Crisps and Quosh cordial, cricket and Canada.
Most remembered with fondness, some with fear and the latter pairing, well, probably not at all.
The decade that fashion forgot was also a time when Canadian cricket enjoyed unprecedented success, although it was something, both now and then, that would have slipped the mind of many.
It all began in 1975, when a provincial side beat a strong Australia touring party.
Four years later, Canada took another giant leap forward by qualifying for the World Cup at the first time of asking.
WORLD CUP RECORD
Played 3 - W:0 L:3 NR:0
1979: Group stage
For a country more renowned for its ice hockey excellence, making the World Cup could have been compared to Cheryl Ladd joining 70s TV heroines Charlie's Angels - a surprise, but welcomed in many circles.
Pakistan's Imran Khan
But unlike Ms Ladd, Canada's entry into the big-time began with more of a whimper than a bang.
Canada, mostly made up of players who had emigrated from the West Indies, were drawn against England, Pakistan and Australia in the group stages.
First up were Pakistan, a team they played their best cricket against.
Canada donned the pads against the third favourites, who had the likes of Imran Khan, Safraz Nawaz and Majid Khan in attack.
The Canadians were intent on making themselves hard to beat.
Openers Chris Chappell and Glenroy Sealy made a 54 partnership, before Chappell (no relation to the famous Australian brothers) fell for 14.
It was a dream start for the minnows.
Up stepped Franklyn Dennis to the crease, a man with a perm only rivalled by captain Brian Mauricette and England's speed merchant Bob Willis.
Willis: Big hair
Sealy managed to make 45 before he was caught and bowled by Asif Iqbal with the scores at 85-2.
Dennis went on to make 25, falling just as Canada reached their ton.
Unfortunately, things turned pear-shaped soon after with the North Americans losing the next six wickets for 36 runs before the end of the innings.
It did not take long for the West Indies to reach 140, and they did so with the loss of just two wickets.
Next up were home side England. With Ian Botham, Chris Old and Willis spearheading the attack, the visitors knew they were in for a rough time.
But they probably never envisaged being dismissed for just 45.
Dennis managed to score 21 runs of that meagre total - the only player to make double figures.
Hughes: Pensive
In total, Canada scored 284 runs from their three matches, at an average of just over 90 runs. To say they were outclassed, was an understatement.
Finally, came the might of Australia.
With the Canadians effectively out of the World Cup, pride was the only thing left to salvage.
They did that to some extent by making more than a century against the tough opposition.
However, the Australians lost just three wickets before Kim Hughes and Graham Yallop guided the side past the 105-run mark set for victory.
So by the end of Canada's campaign, the statistics read: Played 3, Won 0, Lost 3.
They might not have won a game, but at least the world found out that North Americans did know something about cricket.
news.bbc.co.uk
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think Canada is the only main Commonwealth nation where cricket isn't too popular. For the rest of the Commonwealth, it's almost the national sport. In England, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, South Africa, the West Indies. But in Canada, it's less popular.
------------------------------------------------------
Canada's rich cricket history
Don Bradman toured Canada with the Australian party in 1932
Ice hockey, baseball, skiing and skating are widely regarded as the most popular sports in Canada.
And cricket - that's right cricket - is aiming to join that elite group.
It is estimated that there are 12,000 players within the Canadian Cricket Association, playing in 400 teams around 145 grounds.
Not bad for a country with a population of 30 million - half that of Britain.
So how did cricket reach the northern-most areas of North America?
Many enthusiasts in Canada believe that the sport reached their shores during the mid 1700s with British soldiers following the battle at the Plains of Abraham near Quebec City.
But it was schoolmaster George A Barber, considered to be the father of Canadian cricket, who spread the word throughout Toronto during the early 19th century.
Popularity for the game grew rapidly in the country and, in 1844, Canada played the United States in New York.
The match happened 30 years before England and Australia contested a series, and historians believe the contest is the oldest international sporting fixture in the world.
A Canadian record
In 1892, the Canadian Cricket Association was formed. However popularity for the sport was on the wane as baseball's grew.
Between that time and the Second World War there were a number of cricketing highlights, including a 1932 tour by an Australia squad including Don Bradman.
In a match against Western Ontario, Bradman scored 260 runs - a Canadian record which stood for 58 years.
After the war Pakistan and the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) visited Canada on tours, beginning a cricketing revival in the country.
But it was in 1975 and 1979 that Canada came under the sport's spotlight.
First, Eastern Canada beat the touring Australian World Cup side by five wickets.
Four years later, Canada reached the final of the first International Cricket Conference Trophy, only to be beaten by Sri Lanka.
That effort earned them a place in the 1979 World Cup, where they performed valiantly against the likes of England, Pakistan and Australia, but still failed to win a single match
And in 2001, Canada played host to the International Cricket Council Trophy tournament.
The nation finished third out of 22, to qualify for the 2003 World Cup.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979 and all that
Ladd (centre) and Canada were pleasant surprises
The 1970s: Glam rock and T-Rex, the Conservatives and Margaret Thatcher, Tudor Crisps and Quosh cordial, cricket and Canada.
Most remembered with fondness, some with fear and the latter pairing, well, probably not at all.
The decade that fashion forgot was also a time when Canadian cricket enjoyed unprecedented success, although it was something, both now and then, that would have slipped the mind of many.
It all began in 1975, when a provincial side beat a strong Australia touring party.
Four years later, Canada took another giant leap forward by qualifying for the World Cup at the first time of asking.
WORLD CUP RECORD
Played 3 - W:0 L:3 NR:0
1979: Group stage
For a country more renowned for its ice hockey excellence, making the World Cup could have been compared to Cheryl Ladd joining 70s TV heroines Charlie's Angels - a surprise, but welcomed in many circles.
Pakistan's Imran Khan
But unlike Ms Ladd, Canada's entry into the big-time began with more of a whimper than a bang.
Canada, mostly made up of players who had emigrated from the West Indies, were drawn against England, Pakistan and Australia in the group stages.
First up were Pakistan, a team they played their best cricket against.
Canada donned the pads against the third favourites, who had the likes of Imran Khan, Safraz Nawaz and Majid Khan in attack.
The Canadians were intent on making themselves hard to beat.
Openers Chris Chappell and Glenroy Sealy made a 54 partnership, before Chappell (no relation to the famous Australian brothers) fell for 14.
It was a dream start for the minnows.
Up stepped Franklyn Dennis to the crease, a man with a perm only rivalled by captain Brian Mauricette and England's speed merchant Bob Willis.
Willis: Big hair
Sealy managed to make 45 before he was caught and bowled by Asif Iqbal with the scores at 85-2.
Dennis went on to make 25, falling just as Canada reached their ton.
Unfortunately, things turned pear-shaped soon after with the North Americans losing the next six wickets for 36 runs before the end of the innings.
It did not take long for the West Indies to reach 140, and they did so with the loss of just two wickets.
Next up were home side England. With Ian Botham, Chris Old and Willis spearheading the attack, the visitors knew they were in for a rough time.
But they probably never envisaged being dismissed for just 45.
Dennis managed to score 21 runs of that meagre total - the only player to make double figures.
Hughes: Pensive
In total, Canada scored 284 runs from their three matches, at an average of just over 90 runs. To say they were outclassed, was an understatement.
Finally, came the might of Australia.
With the Canadians effectively out of the World Cup, pride was the only thing left to salvage.
They did that to some extent by making more than a century against the tough opposition.
However, the Australians lost just three wickets before Kim Hughes and Graham Yallop guided the side past the 105-run mark set for victory.
So by the end of Canada's campaign, the statistics read: Played 3, Won 0, Lost 3.
They might not have won a game, but at least the world found out that North Americans did know something about cricket.
news.bbc.co.uk
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think Canada is the only main Commonwealth nation where cricket isn't too popular. For the rest of the Commonwealth, it's almost the national sport. In England, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, South Africa, the West Indies. But in Canada, it's less popular.
http://newscafe.ansci.usu.edu/archive/sept2001/0917_uscricket.html
Sports 09/17/01
A brief history of cricket in America, or how John Adams complained about the president
By Leon D'souza
George Bernard Shaw described cricket as "a game played by 22 fools and watched by 22,000 fools." Robin Williams, the celebrated American comic, joked about cricket being much like "baseball played on Valium." His is one of the more complimentary American remarks on the sport.
These remarks notwithstanding, cricket is a splendid game. And it was once a major sport in North America. In fact, if the history of modern cricket is dated from the 1780s, when the Laws of Cricket, which still govern the sport today, were first formalized in England, North America would have to be considered a major participant in the world cricket scene for two-thirds of the time that modern cricket has been around.
The history of American cricket can be traced to the cricket clubs of the 1700s. Colonists in Georgia, Virginia and North and South Carolina played the game. Historic references to cricket include games in Georgia in 1737 and in Baltimore in 1754, the same year Benjamin Franklin brought a printed copy of cricket rules of play home to the Colonies, almost 100 years before the first book of baseball rules was published.
Several of our Founding Fathers were known to be cricket aficionados. New World cricket historians point out that perhaps the most momentous reference to the game was made during the 1776 debate in Independence Hall, when John Adams argued against the chief executive of the United States of America being called "President." "Fire brigades and cricket clubs have presidents," he wrote.
Eastern Canada launched its own cricket clubs soon after the American clubs appeared on the scene. Both American and Canadian clubs hunted for competitive cricket, as was the norm in those times. It was out of this friendly rivalry that international cricket was born. The world's first international tournament was played between Canada and the United States at St. George's Cricket Club in Manhattan on Sept. 24-25, 1844. The series flourished and then gradually died away.
It has recently been revived. The USA vs. Canada cricket match is the oldest international sporting event in the modern world, predating even the Olympics by nearly 50 years.
American cricket reached its peak of popularity in the late 1800s. Its golden era began to draw to a close in the early 1900s. By 1924, the game virtually disappeared from the American sporting landscape.
The near total eclipse of cricket in the United States was due to developments in the British Empire. The British were not at all excited about American participation in world cricket.
The Imperial Cricket Conference, which was formed to coordinate the worldwide development of the sport, specifically excluded countries from outside the British Empire from any role in the proceedings.
Consequently, cricket in the United States remained a strictly amateur elite sport at the same time that England and Australia were developing a professional system that allowed full-time players to participate. By that time, baseball was gaining sway. In a few decades from then, cricket in America became a distant memory.
A significant influx of immigrants from Commonwealth countries in recent times has led to a renewed interest in the game. The Merion Cricket Club, on Philadelphia's Main Line revived the game by re-introducing Spring and Fall "fixtures" in 1978. Today, there are about 250 cricket clubs active throughout the country with a pool of about 10,000 players.
On The Web:
Cricket in America: A short historical review
http://www.haverford.edu/library/cricket/CCM002.HTM
As American as Cricket
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2000/07/nixon.htm
Modern Cricket: 1700-
http://www.seattlecricket.com/history/histmod.htm
Sports 09/17/01
A brief history of cricket in America, or how John Adams complained about the president
By Leon D'souza
George Bernard Shaw described cricket as "a game played by 22 fools and watched by 22,000 fools." Robin Williams, the celebrated American comic, joked about cricket being much like "baseball played on Valium." His is one of the more complimentary American remarks on the sport.
These remarks notwithstanding, cricket is a splendid game. And it was once a major sport in North America. In fact, if the history of modern cricket is dated from the 1780s, when the Laws of Cricket, which still govern the sport today, were first formalized in England, North America would have to be considered a major participant in the world cricket scene for two-thirds of the time that modern cricket has been around.
The history of American cricket can be traced to the cricket clubs of the 1700s. Colonists in Georgia, Virginia and North and South Carolina played the game. Historic references to cricket include games in Georgia in 1737 and in Baltimore in 1754, the same year Benjamin Franklin brought a printed copy of cricket rules of play home to the Colonies, almost 100 years before the first book of baseball rules was published.
Several of our Founding Fathers were known to be cricket aficionados. New World cricket historians point out that perhaps the most momentous reference to the game was made during the 1776 debate in Independence Hall, when John Adams argued against the chief executive of the United States of America being called "President." "Fire brigades and cricket clubs have presidents," he wrote.
Eastern Canada launched its own cricket clubs soon after the American clubs appeared on the scene. Both American and Canadian clubs hunted for competitive cricket, as was the norm in those times. It was out of this friendly rivalry that international cricket was born. The world's first international tournament was played between Canada and the United States at St. George's Cricket Club in Manhattan on Sept. 24-25, 1844. The series flourished and then gradually died away.
It has recently been revived. The USA vs. Canada cricket match is the oldest international sporting event in the modern world, predating even the Olympics by nearly 50 years.
American cricket reached its peak of popularity in the late 1800s. Its golden era began to draw to a close in the early 1900s. By 1924, the game virtually disappeared from the American sporting landscape.
The near total eclipse of cricket in the United States was due to developments in the British Empire. The British were not at all excited about American participation in world cricket.
The Imperial Cricket Conference, which was formed to coordinate the worldwide development of the sport, specifically excluded countries from outside the British Empire from any role in the proceedings.
Consequently, cricket in the United States remained a strictly amateur elite sport at the same time that England and Australia were developing a professional system that allowed full-time players to participate. By that time, baseball was gaining sway. In a few decades from then, cricket in America became a distant memory.
A significant influx of immigrants from Commonwealth countries in recent times has led to a renewed interest in the game. The Merion Cricket Club, on Philadelphia's Main Line revived the game by re-introducing Spring and Fall "fixtures" in 1978. Today, there are about 250 cricket clubs active throughout the country with a pool of about 10,000 players.
On The Web:
Cricket in America: A short historical review
http://www.haverford.edu/library/cricket/CCM002.HTM
As American as Cricket
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2000/07/nixon.htm
Modern Cricket: 1700-
http://www.seattlecricket.com/history/histmod.htm
gopher said:
Yeah, I've heard about that.
I'm just worried that the rules of the game might be a bit complicated for the average American to get his head around.
I mean, try explaining the terms "Silly point", "Short leg", "Silly mid on", "Fine leg", "Third man", "Gully", "Slips" to someone from Alabama. It'll be like reading "A Brief History of Time" to David Beckham.
But I think it'll be good if cricket caught on in North America.
They are all fielding positions -
--------------------------------------------------------------
And even the directions that the batsman can hit the ball have names -
The directions in which a right handed batsman intends to send the ball when playing various cricketing shots.
------------------------------------------------
Basic rules.
Cricket is complicated to learn because there are hundreds of rules. Unlike baseball, two batsmen are on the field at the same time.
Here are the basic laws -
Cricket is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players on each team. It is a bat-and-ball game played on a roughly elliptical grass field, in the centre of which is a flat strip of ground 22 yards (20.12 m) long, called a pitch. At each end of the pitch is a set of wooden stumps, called a wicket. A player from the fielding team (the bowler) propels a hard, fist-sized leather ball from one wicket towards the other, where a player from the opposing team (the batsman) defends the wicket from the ball with a wooden cricket bat. Another batsman (the "non-striker") stands in an inactive role near the bowler's wicket.
Generally, the batsman attempts to strike the ball with the bat, and run to the other end, exchanging places with his partner, scoring a run. However, he can attempt to run without hitting the ball, and vice versa. While the batting team scores as many runs as it can, the bowling team returns the ball back to either wicket. If the ball strikes a wicket before the batsman nearer to that wicket has reached safety, then the batsman is out, or "dismissed". The batsman can also be out by failing to stop the bowled ball from hitting the wicket, or if a fielder catches the ball before it touches the ground. Once the batsmen are not attempting to score any more runs, the ball is "dead" and is bowled again.
Once out, a batsman is replaced by the next batsman in the team. As there must always be two batsmen on the field, the team's innings ends when ten batsmen are out, and the teams exchange roles. The number of innings, and possible restrictions on the number of balls in each, depend on the type of game played. At the end of the match - of which there are several definitions - the team that has scored more runs wins. In first-class cricket, a draw can result if the team to bat last fails to match the required total before a time limit is reached. This can add interest to one-sided games by giving the team in the worse position an incentive to play for a draw. This is distinct from a tie, which results if scores are level at the completion of both teams' innings.
Cricket has been an established team sport for several centuries. It originated in its modern form in England (like most of the world's most popular sports) and is popular mainly in the present and former members of the Commonwealth. In some countries in South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, cricket is by far the most popular sport. Cricket is also a major sport in England and Wales, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe and the English-speaking countries of the Caribbean, which are collectively known in cricketing parlance as the West Indies. There are also well established amateur club competitions in countries as diverse as the Netherlands, Kenya, Nepal, and Argentina.
The length of the game — a match can last six or more hours a day for up to five days in one form of the game — the numerous intervals for lunch and tea, and the rich terminology are notable aspects that can often confuse those not familiar with the sport. For its fans, the sport and the intense rivalries between top cricketing nations provide passionate entertainment and outstanding sporting achievements. It has even occasionally given rise to diplomatic outrage, the most notorious being the Bodyline series played between England and Australia in the early 1930s, or the 1981 underarm bowling incident involving Australia and New Zealand..
wikipedia.org
--------------------------------------------------------------
And even the directions that the batsman can hit the ball have names -
The directions in which a right handed batsman intends to send the ball when playing various cricketing shots.
------------------------------------------------
Basic rules.
Cricket is complicated to learn because there are hundreds of rules. Unlike baseball, two batsmen are on the field at the same time.
Here are the basic laws -
Cricket is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players on each team. It is a bat-and-ball game played on a roughly elliptical grass field, in the centre of which is a flat strip of ground 22 yards (20.12 m) long, called a pitch. At each end of the pitch is a set of wooden stumps, called a wicket. A player from the fielding team (the bowler) propels a hard, fist-sized leather ball from one wicket towards the other, where a player from the opposing team (the batsman) defends the wicket from the ball with a wooden cricket bat. Another batsman (the "non-striker") stands in an inactive role near the bowler's wicket.
Generally, the batsman attempts to strike the ball with the bat, and run to the other end, exchanging places with his partner, scoring a run. However, he can attempt to run without hitting the ball, and vice versa. While the batting team scores as many runs as it can, the bowling team returns the ball back to either wicket. If the ball strikes a wicket before the batsman nearer to that wicket has reached safety, then the batsman is out, or "dismissed". The batsman can also be out by failing to stop the bowled ball from hitting the wicket, or if a fielder catches the ball before it touches the ground. Once the batsmen are not attempting to score any more runs, the ball is "dead" and is bowled again.
Once out, a batsman is replaced by the next batsman in the team. As there must always be two batsmen on the field, the team's innings ends when ten batsmen are out, and the teams exchange roles. The number of innings, and possible restrictions on the number of balls in each, depend on the type of game played. At the end of the match - of which there are several definitions - the team that has scored more runs wins. In first-class cricket, a draw can result if the team to bat last fails to match the required total before a time limit is reached. This can add interest to one-sided games by giving the team in the worse position an incentive to play for a draw. This is distinct from a tie, which results if scores are level at the completion of both teams' innings.
Cricket has been an established team sport for several centuries. It originated in its modern form in England (like most of the world's most popular sports) and is popular mainly in the present and former members of the Commonwealth. In some countries in South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, cricket is by far the most popular sport. Cricket is also a major sport in England and Wales, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe and the English-speaking countries of the Caribbean, which are collectively known in cricketing parlance as the West Indies. There are also well established amateur club competitions in countries as diverse as the Netherlands, Kenya, Nepal, and Argentina.
The length of the game — a match can last six or more hours a day for up to five days in one form of the game — the numerous intervals for lunch and tea, and the rich terminology are notable aspects that can often confuse those not familiar with the sport. For its fans, the sport and the intense rivalries between top cricketing nations provide passionate entertainment and outstanding sporting achievements. It has even occasionally given rise to diplomatic outrage, the most notorious being the Bodyline series played between England and Australia in the early 1930s, or the 1981 underarm bowling incident involving Australia and New Zealand..
wikipedia.org
gopher said:
It's hard to believe that the first ever international cricket match was between the USA and Canada in 1844. Most people would assume it was between England and Australia.
That game in 1844 was quite low scoring, when you consider that cricket is a sport in which a team can score around 500 runs in just one innings. Canada won by 23 runs.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The longest international rivalry in cricket, in fact in any sport is that between Canada and the USA, with the first match (won by Canada) played in 1844.
It has been continually reported, in Canada, that the earliest international athletic contest, of the modern era, was established in 1844 when Canada and the United States played at cricket at the Saint George's Club in New York for a wager of $1,000.00. It should be noted that in The Cricketer's Guide, (1858), it is recorded that The Canada match began in friendly encounters between the Toronto and Saint George's (New York) clubs in 1844. The Match first assumed its present godly proportions of Canada vs. the United States in 1853.
As with all matters related to cricket, there is always more than one version of events, but we prefer the American version of the first Canada vs. USA International as described by Das as in the following:
The match in 1844 at Bloomingdale in New York, came about because in 1843, a New York team had landed penniless in Toronto and were fully financed and entertained by their magnanimous hosts. In order to honor this Canadian gesture, the New Yorkers invited the Canadians to play in New York. The US team was drawn from several New York clubs, and also included players from the Philadelphia, DC, and Boston (the other centers of US cricket at the time). The Canadians, too, tried to come up with a representative team. All the posters and advertisements of the match from that period, which are available in cricket libraries, refer to a "Canadian vs. USA" match, not a New York vs. Toronto fixture. There were about 20,000 spectators at the match, and bets of around $120,000 (close to $1.5 million in today's currency) were placed on the outcome. By any reckoning, therefore, this has to be recorded as an international fixture and a major one at that, surpassing many sporting events of that time.
SCORECARD: CANADA vs USA
First ever match at St George Cricket Club Ground, Manhattan, New York
September 24-25, 1844
Result: Canada won by 23 runs
Toss: USA
Umpires: H Russel and Walker
RESULT -
1st innings
Canada - 82
USA - 64
2nd innings
Canada - 63
USA - 58
Canada won by 23 runs. A VERY low-scoring game, considering that around 250 - 350 runs in an innings is normal nowadays.
Canada 1st innings......Runs
D Winckworth..............12
J Wilson.......................0
Birch...........................5
GA Barber.....................1
Sharpe........................12
GA Phillpotts.................1
JB Robinson..................1
HJ Maddock...................7 not out
Freeling.......................12
French.........................9
Thompson.....................5
Extras (b 11, w 6).........17
Total (all out).............82
USA 1st innings..............Runs
J Turner........................7
G Wheathcroft................9
J Ticknor........................0
J Symes.........................1
H Groom.........................0
R Bage...........................1 not out
R Ticknor........................5
S Wright.........................4
RN Tinson ......................14
S Dudson........................4
Wild..............................10
Extras (b 7, w 2) ...........9
Total (all out).............64
******************************************************************************
Canada 2nd innings................Runs
D Winckworth.......................14
J Wilson................................0
Birch....................................0
GA Barber..............................3
Sharpe..................................5
GA Phillpotts..........................13
JB Robinson............................4
HJ Maddock............................7
Freeling.................................7 not out
French..................................0
Thompson..............................3
Extras (w 7)........................7
Total (all out)....................63
USA 2nd innings..................Runs
J Turner.............................14
J Ticknor.............................0
J Symes..............................11
H Groom..............................0
R Bage................................5 not out
R Ticknor.............................8
S Wright..............................3
RN Tinson ............................0
S Dudson.............................0
Wild...................................8
G Wheathcroft*................absent -
Extras (b 3, w 6)...............9
Total (all out)................58
http://cricketclub.org/can_usa.html
Canada won by 23 runs. A VERY low-scoring game, considering that around 250 - 350 runs in an innings is normal nowadays.
A question for you:
First some background --- true, scores were lower in those days. But that is because the height-width dimension of the stumps were proportionately large during that era when the average player was only about 5' 6".
Today the average player is about 6' 1". He is bigger, faster, quicker, and much stronger that yesteryear's player. The quality of the bats and protective equipment are vastly superior thereby promoting much more offense and prolonging the matches.
Yet, the dimensions of the stumps and the boundaries remain unchanged.
With the bigger players those dimensions should be LARGER. This would cut down on the amount of offense. And this is a change that I would like to see as a quicker game would be more marketable in the USA.
My question: how do you feel about those dimensions - should they be made proportionately larger or would you keep them as they are?
How would you make the game more marketable in the USA?