“…Crickets are good luck.”
“Good luck, eh?” Mama’s voice had a way of sounding very dry when she didn’t believe something. “Cricketers are good luck—so I suppose ants are better luck. And cockroaches are the best luck of all. Throw it away.”
“Please, Mama, I want to keep him for a pet.”
No bugs are coming to my house, said Mama.
from The Cricket in Times Square
written by George Selden
illustrated by Garth Williams
Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1960
Caldecott Honor, 1961
By the end of George Selden’s classic, Chester, the cricket who accidentally arrived in New York in a picnic basket, discovers his unique talent and saves a failing newsstand that was on the brink of bankruptcy.
Chester is a cricket. He does not play cricket. In that regard, he is like most Americans. In the US, cricket doesn’t even make the top five most popular games. Those are (American) football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, and soccer. But worldwide, according to BestDiplomats.org, the second most popular spot belongs to cricket.
The game itself is ancient. Some say cricket originated in Flanders, the Flemish Region of Belgium, and may have been played as early as the 13th century. Others say cricket originated in the late 1500s in England. Think Queen Elizabeth I, William Shakespeare, and the Globe Theatre. While the people were attending live theater, and while Sir Francis Drake was plundering the known world at the behest of the Queen, British soldiers played cricket in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies. The game caught on as a “side effect” of colonization. It’s popular in South Africa, Australia, and other former British colonies, too.
So why didn’t the sport flourish in the American colonies or Canada? Over the years, historians and cricketing experts have presented their thoughts. Some are illogical. Some are not historically probable.
Canada and the US have a cooler climate than the countries in the rest of the cricket-playing world, but think about England’s climate where the game has been played in one form or another since William Shakespeare could hold a cricket bat. Besides, Canada and the US play other so-called warm-weather sports like baseball.
Or maybe cricket isn’t as popular because it takes so long to play and Canadians and Americans are, by nature, (?) impatient. According to sportsbrief.com “[t]he game usually lasts about 7 hours and 30 minutes each day and the matches are played over five days.” Since the introduction of T20 games in 2005, though, a complete game is usually played in about three hours.
The overabundance and strict adherence to rules might be to blame. But even though we Americans and Canadians are known for our independent spirits, when it comes to sports, we follow rules just like the rest of the world.
Since Canada and the United States were ruled over by the English for most of their recent histories, it might seem like the animosity is fresher. But just look at Australia. And India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and South Africa. Cricket is played there widely. And golf and tennis, which both began in England are very popular here.
The only answer that might hold water according to crictracker.com is the influence of A. G. Spalding, American businessman and sports manufacturer. He promoted baseball to a wide audience by devising a system of professional leagues and commercializing the sport. He popularized the phrase, “Cricket is a pastime, Baseball is War” implying that baseball was a more serious sport. And when baseball was introduced as a college sport, cricket’s popularity continued its decline.
On January 5, 2024, the International Cricket Council (ICC), announced its 20 teams. They are divided into four groups of five. Each team faces the others for a total of 40 matches.
The season is wrapping up as the Super 8 stage is getting ready to compete in the semifinals. What is so surprising is that the USA is represented in these top 8 teams.
Team USA has already beaten the Canadian team and the Pakistani team and made history by beating Ireland in a washout last Friday (6/14/24). By earning their spot in the playoffs, Team USA also qualified for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
The next scheduled game starts at 10:30 ET at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua. Team USA will play against the team from South Africa.
I had an occasion to talk to a friend of mine who’s originally from New Zealand. His face lit up when I asked him about cricket. He played it when he was young and said it’s a great game and was great fun.
Learning the terminology is my first hurdle, especially overs, bowlers, the pitch, and the purpose of a wicket. The complicated rules pose my next challenge. I’m sure even a rudimentary knowledge of the game makes watching it much more fun.
But if cricket puts the US on firm footing on the world stage, I’m a fan.
I just finished Cranberry Queen by Kathleen DeMarco (Hyperion, 2001) and still don’t like it. Sorry, Sam. Still reading The Body Keeps the Score. It’s still interesting. Next week, something new!
—Be curious! (and take time to play)
FB: Some people consider eating a sport and MLE (Major League Eating) disqualified Joey Chestnut, the 16-time champ, from participating in Nathan’s 4th of July’s hot dog eating competition on Coney Island because Joey signed a contract with Impossible Foods and endorsed a vegan hot dog. Really.
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