The national sport of the United States is baseball, but because to the city’s sizable immigrant populations, America’s Oldest cricket club in New York is commemorating 150 years of continuous play.
America’s Oldest cricket club was established in 1872 by British military personnel and Wall Street traders, the Staten Island Cricket Club (SICC) has been the oldest continually operating cricket club in the United States. Matches have been played there every year since that time.
Some of the greatest players in the history of the sport have resided there, including Don Bradman, Geoffrey Boycott, and Garry Sobers.
“In a nation where cricket is not played, having a club that has lasted the test of time is something to be proud of. It hasn’t been simple, “President Clarence Modeste, 92, admits.
The SICC, America’s Oldest cricket club, has endured two world wars, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the loss of a clubhouse to fire. It has also overcome inadequate infrastructure and the disregard of local authorities.
Players hammer in stumps before each game at the club’s home field, Walker Park, which has been city-run since the 1930s.
The field’s several-inch-high grass prevents hitters from using the groundstrokes that many of the club’s 80 or so members learned to play as children, forcing them to lift the ball instead.
“You cannot make a beautiful cover drive. It is stationary, “after travelling two hours from his Long Island home to play, says 66-year-old Charu Choudhari.
Shots that connect with the leaves of a giant tree are counted as sixs, and a walkway delineates the boundary. Due to concerns from homeowners about well-struck balls striking their property, bowling is only permitted from one end.
“This is the kind of handicap one encounters,” claims Modeste, who is trying to get the parks administration to put up netting that is 40 feet (12 metres) high so that both ends may be used.
When Modeste, who was born in Trinidad and Tobago, joined SICC, America’s Oldest cricket club, in 1961, the majority of the membership was white—mostly British, with some Australians, New Zealanders, and South Africans as well.
Today, individuals of colour from the Caribbean and South Asian cricket-loving nations like India and Sri Lanka make up the vast majority.
America’s Oldest cricket club serves as a link to many people’s homes.
“It is quite important to me. When I play cricket, I constantly think of my homeland, “Sunil Nayyar, 50, a New Delhi native who moved to the US 30 years ago, says.
One or two of the club’s players were born in the United States, including recent addition Billy Teague, a native of Staten Island. The 60-year-old wishes he had been aware of cricket as a child.
“I assumed it was same to croquet. The game initially struck me as odd and bizarre, but now I adore it “He claims.
In the 1800s, baseball, cricket’s bat-and-ball cousin, was very popular in the United States, but cricket’s popularity fell as a result, in part because baseball was faster.
According to the governing body USA Cricket, there are currently only 200,000 cricket players in the United States, or fewer than 1% of the population.
When the United States hosts games in the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, officials expect interest will be piqued.
Cricket in America will only increase, according to Modeste, once it is brought into schools. SSIC, America’s Oldest cricket club has a youth programme for players aged five to eighteen.
“I think it will be incredibly difficult to find the success that many of us have dreamed of for the game,” he continues, “as long as cricket is refilled primarily with migrants rather than with native stock.”
The nation’s liveliest scene can be found in New York City, where 100 matches are typically played every weekend during the warmer months.
America’s Oldest cricket club, SICC is the key component. The club not only participates in local competitions but also hosts foreign teams and organises its own international tours.
At Walker Park in 1932, the legendary batsman Bradman was a member of the Australian squad, and in 1988, Sobers was in charge of an international XI.
This weekend, America’s Oldest cricket club, SICC will unveil a plaque and play a game against a Philadelphia club to mark its sesquicentennial year.
Modeste credits the club’s enduring success to its solid beginnings and widespread awareness.
America’s Oldest cricket club is well-known throughout the world, and we work to maintain that, he claims.