USA

History
A complete history of cricket in USA would require a detailed analysis and extensive research in order to accurately identify and provide information regarding the start of the game in USA. Some reports indicate that cricket was started in the American Colonies sometime around 1737 and teams were comprised of officers of the British Army and persons who migrated from England as planters and Barons.

Cricket continued to be played until the American Revolution (1775-1783) which involved 13 British Colonies in North America and their parent country, Great Britain. The American Revolution created some friction with all things British and at the end of the Revolution; cricket which was starting to thrive in certain parts of USA was literally abandoned.

Cricket was partially revived after the American Revolution and the annual Canada vs. USA cricket match which was played in 1840 attracted a crowd of 10,000 spectators. The game of cricket declined in USA during the 20th century since in the late 1800s it remained an amateur elite sport while England and Australia were developing professional systems that allowed compensation to players who participated on a full-time basis.

An Englishman W.P. Pickering initiated discussions for the visit of an English cricket team to USA in 1856; however, financial problems postponed the tour for three years. Mr. Pickering who was captain of the cricket team at Eaton College (England) in 1837 and 1838 immigrated to Canada in 1852 and played for Canada against USA the following year. Plans were finalised for the English cricket team to tour North America in 1859, the first ever overseas tour by an English team.

The English team required a guarantee payment of £750 for the tour and Mr. Pickering secured the amount through the Montreal Cricket Club. The English team comprised six members from the All-England XI and six members from the United All-England XI and Fred Lillywhite as scorer. The twelve players included George Parr as captain and were effectively the best players from the professional ranks during the 1859 English cricket season which had just ended.

The English team played five matches and there were excellent crowds for the first three matches until the weather (in mid-October) turned very cold and attendance at the last two matches was reduced. The general growth of cricket in USA after the pioneering tour by the English team in 1859 was stymied due to the US Civil War which started in 1861, only 18 months after the tour was completed. The enthusiasm for cricket faded during the war and troops from both sides adopted the embryonic game of baseball and when English teams resumed tours to USA in 1868, the task to rekindle the enthusiasm in cricket was great while baseball became a serious rival.

International cricket tours to USA established the game as a popular sport in Philadelphia and several

English and Australian cricket teams visited the city to play matches and during 1884, a team from

Philadelphia visited England to play a series of matches. Cricket was/is played by students attending universities and colleges, primarily by students from cricket playing countries. USA was admitted as an

Associate Member of International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1965 and participated in the first ICC Trophy Tournament in 1979.