The History of Cricket in America
Believe it or not, cricket was once one of America’s most popular sports, it first begun in the 18th century. It first emerged as the British colonisation of North America progressed. The earliest known reference to cricket being played in America was in 1709, found in the diary of William Byrd, an American lawyer.
As America begun to gain independence in 1783 the game of cricket continued to grow, displaying that it’s appeal extended beyond the British influence. After this, cricket was most popular in Philadelphia and New York. Then, the first ever cricket club was founded in Philadelphia in 1854, ‘Philadelphia Cricket Club. Now, Philadelphia had become the unofficial ‘Cricket Capital of America’.
In what would become a fantastic pub quiz question of the modern day, “Where was the first international game of cricket ever played?”, it would be in Manhattan, the USA vs Canada on the 24th September 1844.
Cricket only grew in the USA as late as 1855 in which the New York Press was still devoting lots of time and space in their newspapers to provide coverage of local cricket news in the state. Even Abraham Lincoln, the soon to be president, had watched two American cities play each other.
Because cricket was now big in America, English sides continued to tour the country, in the seasons of 1859,1868 and 1872. These tours were formulated as part of commercial ventures for both nations, showcasing that the English sides clearly thought it was worth their time to venture to the US to play.
The Decline of Cricket in the US
In an ironic twist of fate, local American cricket clubs started to contribute to the downfall of cricket, with many of them encouraging their members to make the crossover to fast growing game of baseball.
During the civil war baseball began to cement it’s place as the most popular bat and ball sport in the US. This was because as the army would make brief stops in a location, they saw fit to play, they could organise a game of baseball on any clear patch of ground, whereas for cricket they needed a carefully prepared wicket and pitch. After the way ended baseball’s popularity grew as more money and competition was available for players. The administrators behind baseball proceeded to actually poach players and officials from the world of cricket, Nick Young who was widely known as one of the most successful US cricketers of the time, made the switch to baseball because “It looked like cricket for which his soul thirsted”.
As baseball filled the role of the ‘people’s game’, it was clear that the fast-paced quick play of baseball was to appeal much more to Americans than a slow technical game of cricket. In fact, many Americans at this point saw cricket as an English game that they would always be better at, which caused them to move on.
Cricket’s journey in America has been one of early promise, slow decline, and recent revival. Once a major sport with deep roots and international recognition, it eventually gave way to baseball, which better matched the American spirit and lifestyle of the time. Yet, history seems to be coming full circle. With the emergence of professional leagues like MiLC and MLC, and growing interest among immigrant communities and younger generations, cricket is slowly reclaiming its place in the American sports landscape. As the country looks ahead to the 2028 Olympics, there's a renewed sense of possibility that cricket in the U.S. could once again flourish, not just as a nostalgic reminder of the past, but as a competitive, modern sport with a vibrant future.
