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team sport played with bats and balls
Travel topics > Activities > Sports > Spectator sports > Cricket

Cricket is a bat and ball game played by two teams of eleven people, on a large oval field with the action focussed on the pitch in the centre. Speedy it is not: depending on the format, a game can last from 90 minutes to what feels like the rest of your life.

Cricket originated in England and suffuses its culture and language, even among those who never go near a game. "Have a good innings", "hit for six", "bowl a googly", "sticky wicket", "it's just not cricket", the list of cricket metaphors in British English is almost as long as that of nautical metaphors. Many English novels have scenes based around matches, or earnest debates about cricket: the comic Flashman's Lady describes the game as played in the 1840s. PG Wodehouse's character Jeeves, manservant to Bertie Wooster, was modeled on the elegant Warwickshire cricketer Percy Jeeves, lost at the Battle of the Somme. Go to a game anywhere, but especially in the land of its birth, for a fascinating and sometimes unsettling view into the psyche of the English-speaking world.

Understand Edit

 
The batsman defends the wicket

Cricket is played outdoors on a large circular or oval field of mown grass — artificial surfaces are not used. In the centre is a rectangular pitch, mown shorter. At either end of the pitch are wickets 22 yards (20 m) apart — three vertical wooden sticks with two small wooden bails placed on top. The bowler hurls the ball to hit the wicket; the batsman stands in front of the wicket and defends it — ideally by whacking the ball far enough away for him / her to scamper down to the other wicket, swapping positions with the non-striking batsman. This scores a run, and better still if the ball clears the boundary for automatic runs.

This means that cricket can only be played in reasonably dry warm conditions — summer or the equivalent dry season. The ball is hard, damned hard if it hits you, and slows up on a wet surface. Other than batsmen and bowler, the players in the field are mostly static, not keeping warm by hoofing around like a football match. The audience also appreciates not being cold and wet — stadium seating is seldom under cover.

The batsman tries to score runs, while the bowler tries to get the batsman out — dismissed — whereupon the next batsman (who has been sitting on the sidelines) comes out to face the action. There are 11 ways you can be out, but in practice the only common ways are:

  • Bowled — the ball is bowled and hits the wicket hard enough to dislodge at least one of the bails off the top.
    • "Hit wicket" or "chopped on" is a variant where the batsman's own stroke results in his bat or any part of his body hitting the wicket, or diverts the ball onto the wicket.
  • Caught — the ball is caught on the fly by a fielder or the bowler.
    • "Caught behind" or "caught at the wicket" is a catch by the wicket-keeper immediately behind the wicket — usually because of a little snick by a batsman unsure whether to hit or leave alone a ball.
    • "Caught and bowled" is a catch by the bowler.
  • Leg before wicket (LBW) — the ball hits the batsman when it would otherwise have hit the wicket.
  • Run out — the batsman is out of ground attempting a run, and the ball is thrown in by a fielder to break the wicket.
  • Stumped is similar, the wicket-keeper breaks the wicket with the ball when the batsman is out of ground, through advancing to play a shot and missing the ball, rather than attempting a run.

A bowler who takes three wickets — dismisses three batsmen — in three consecutive bowls by whatever mode, is said to get a "hat-trick". Since 1858 the audience no longer has a collection and buys the bowler a hat with the proceeds, yet the term has been widely adopted in other sports and aspects of life.

 
Owzzzat?! - maybe not out

The peculiarity is that the defeated batsman is not automatically dismissed, but the fielding side must ask the umpire "how's that?", meaning is that out or not out - it's a visceral cry of "OWZZZAT?!" No appeal, no dismissal. The umpire raises a finger to indicate out, otherwise remains impassive while the fielders mug expressions of disbelief. It might be "not out" if the bowler delivered a bad ball, the ball didn't snick the bat on its way into the keeper's gloves, it did snick the bat before an apparent LBW, and so on. Umpires in pro games are assisted by technology, teams may appeal decisions within limits, and stadium big screens show each incident in slow-mo.

Completing a run brings the non-striker to the batting end, but they may immediately set off back for a second run if the fielders are still chasing the ball. Three or more runs (as runs, rather than "boundaries") are usually only possible through a fielding mistake, for instance if the ball is thrown in, misses all possible targets on the pitch, and wizzes out the other side. Striking the ball over the boundary earns four automatic runs, and six if it goes over on the fly. Extra runs may be awarded to the batting team for a no-ball (if the bowler delivers an illegal bowl), or a bye where it hurtles unstruck past everyone to the boundary. (Was Tai-chi introduced to China by colonial Hong Kong cricket umpires signalling these various transgressions and penalties?) A round of applause salutes the player whose score reaches a "half-century" — 50 runs in a single innings — with even more kudos for a century. But by far the commonest outcome is that the batsman fends off the ball without scoring a run — a "dot ball" as that's how it's recorded in scorers' notepads. A good defensive player can do this all afternoon, while spectators yawn, and purists caw appreciation of the technique while secretly wondering if it's too early to broach the gin.

Once six balls have been bowled, that's an "over." The batsmen stay in position and another bowler comes on from the opposite end, so the non-striker is now the striker, and fielders shift position accordingly. (This rotation evens out quirks in the surface, sunlight and so on.) Once ten batsmen are out, the entire batting side is dismissed, as the 11th has no partner. That completes an "innings", with a run total that the other side then has to better. An innings may also conclude after a set number of overs, say 20 or 50 in short formats, or by "declaring" — terminating the batting because the total looks beyond reach. Bad weather or darkness don't end the innings if play can later resume, but on the final day of a match, that might not be possible. In first-class matches each side has two innings, other tiers and formats just have one. Team captains toss a coin at the outset to decide the order — often the winner elects to bat first, but in some conditions and considering the weather forecast it's better to bowl first.

 
Cricket balls are small and hard, damned hard

Bowling is the most taxing position on the field, and each team needs to rotate through several bowlers, factoring in that they will by turns have to bat themselves and may be no great shakes at that. Their primary weapon is speed. A top-ranked "pace" bowler can deliver the ball at over 90 mph / 150 kph, so the batsman has 0.1 second to judge its flight and what shot to play, and all of 0.3 second to haul limbs and bat into the correct position. Moreover the ball bounces once as it travels, so any spin on it will cause it to jink, especially if it bounces in a rough spot. "Spin" bowlers are not particularly fast but have a fiendish ability to make the ball misbehave. Fielders are deployed according. Each fielding position has an arcane name, for instance "mid-on" is close to the bowler but "silly mid-on" is so much closer to the batsman that it's silly to stand there. (Damned hard, remember.)

If the match runs out of time or weather, it's called a "draw" even though inevitably one side is behind in the scoring. This is a common outcome and the all-time individual best score, 501 not out by Brian Lara for Warwickshire against Durham in 1994, was in a drawn match. A team wins by scoring more runs, simple as that, though the way that score is expressed needs explaining. A side part-way through its innings with 155 scored and seven batsmen dismissed is said to be "155 for 7". Say the tail-enders add another 30, they finish on "185 all out". The other side now bats and suppose they finish 160 all out, the first side has won by 25 runs. But say they overtake the target of 185, a single run suffices and they don't keep batting. They are said to win by, say, 3 wickets if four batsmen are undefeated or yet to bat, bearing in mind that the tenth dismissal or wicket ends the innings. A team may win "by an innings" if they pile on more runs in a single innings that the other can scrape in two, a humiliation. If the number of runs scored are level when the match is completed, it is a "tie", not a draw — this happens about one in a thousand games.

"Test matches" are the pinnacle of the game, full-length internationals between the top countries. These are scheduled for five days but often concluded in four, the last day is a spare in case of bad weather. (Conclusion in three indicates a drubbing.) Internationals with other countries or in shorter formats don't count as Tests, hence they attract fewer ranking points. A common short format is One Day Internationals (ODIs), where matches are limited to 50 overs per team and take about 9 hours. "First-class" matches are the premier full-length domestic games, for instance between English counties: these are over four days, often concluded in three. The commonest short format is Twenty20 (T20), with each team limited to 20 overs, and may be enlivened by "powerplays" that restrict fielding positions to encourage bold batting.

Going to the game Edit

 
Feeding the snake at a Test at Headingley

Test matches may sell out; you're unlikely to have difficulty getting tickets for other games, and at midweek lower-tier games your arrival may boost attendance into double figures. The big problem is in guessing when a First Class match will reach a climax - TV broadcasters and sponsors find this maddening. Day 5 of a Test may be a non-event because play concluded on Day 4, it may be a thrilling nail-biter, a forgone conclusion to wrap up the last stragglers of a lost cause, a steady downpour, or attrition to grind out a draw.

Rival fans mingle amiably inside and outside the stadium, and applaud good play even by the opponents. Dress for comfort and bear in mind that it's a long day out there with changeable weather. Use sun protection even on dull days, a lot of UV gets through the clouds. Both cricket teams wear white and team colours are only worn for short formats, so the fans seldom wear these. A conspicuous minority adopt fancy dress, so you might see a dozen lads all got up as Spiderman or as crocodiles or whatever. The most distinctive tribe is the MCC membership at Lords in their garish "egg & bacon" blazers and similar complexions.

"Feed the snake:" cricket stadiums serve beer in disposable pint mugs. It's consumed in copious amounts and the etiquette with your empties is to stack them neatly along with those of your neighbours, and their neighbours and so on. As play draws to a close the Beer Snake of empties acquires a life of its own, wriggling and writhing across the stands. It's truly the noble progeny of the Hindu Nāga, the Rainbow Snake of Aboriginal Dreaming, and serpentine cricket-watching deities throughout the cosmos.

Unlike baseball, if you catch a ball hit into the stands, you do not get to keep the ball, and you're required to return it to the players promptly. And you don't dismiss the batsman, so frankly you're better dodging it. (Damned hard, remember.)

Major playing countries Edit

 
The MCC still has considerable influence

Cricket originated in medieval times in the southeast of England, where the grass was cropped short by sheep-grazing. The ball was thrown at the wicket-gate of the sheep pen, and defended by a shepherd's crook. Many shepherds around Kent, Sussex and Surrey were Flemish immigrants, so they would say they hit the ball met de krikke ketsen. So along with golf, this is another game that the Dutch let slip through their grasp, and it was in England (not all of Britain) that it grew, became organised and was exported worldwide. That export was obviously to countries with strong colonial links, where settlers would round up teams, challenge the local army barracks to a match, and instruct the stable lad to field at silly mid on. So these countries are the leading cricketing nations today.

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), founded in 1787 and based at Lord's ground in London, was the first international governing body and it retains considerable influence. However since 1909 the lead has passed to the International Cricket Council (ICC), headquartered in Dubai since 2005. It organises the top tournaments, appoints top umpires, and promotes a code of conduct; one of its major concerns is corruption. It has twelve full member nations, and only those matches count as Tests. The premier international tournament is the Cricket World Cup, yet this is a one-day format. It's held every four years, with the 2023 event hosted by India and the 2027 jointly by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. It's telling that the full-length game isn't played in a major tournament, and most internationals are arranged ad hoc bilaterally. There isn't a "league" system but the leading countries play all the others over a two year cycle for ranking points.

The twelve full members are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England & Wales, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe. 96 other nations are associate members.

Afghanistan Edit

Cricket was first played by British troops in 1839, but the Afghanistan Cricket Board was only formed in 1995. This country has suffered centuries of warfare and internal strife, so its cricket has done poorly along with other little things like health, education and housing. What has kept it afloat is players based in the domestic leagues of India and Pakistan, and it gained its Test status in 2017.

Australia Edit

Cricket is the most popular summer sport, played Sept-April when Australian rules football and rugby league are in their off-season — often using the same stadiums. The first recorded match was in Sydney in 1803, and an Australian national team played its first match in 1877. They rapidly advanced, and a famous victory came at the Oval in London in 1882, their first Test win in England. "The Sporting Times" printed a mock obituary of English cricket, stating "the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia". For the return fixture in Australia, the English captain vowed to "regain those ashes" and when he clinched victory was presented with a little urn containing ashes of a cricket bail. The Ashes is now the name of the Test series between these sides, and the winners hold a ceremonial replica urn — the original is frail and permanently kept on display at Lords.

 
"The Ashes" Urn

In 1977 cricket was rocked globally, and especially in Australia, when the media tycoon Kerry Packer (1937-2005) launched a breakaway world tournament. He argued that the cricket authorities were failing to capitalise on the game, and top players were earning a fraction of what they could. After two years a compromise (or sell-out?) was agreed and the rival enterprise folded, but many features of the modern game are a legacy of Packer's salutary shock. Floodlit evening matches that working people can get to, why did nobody else think of that? Today, Cricket Australia is the governing body, and first-class matches are known as "grade cricket". The six States play each other for the Sheffield Shield in four-day matches, and for the Marsh Cup in one-day matches. Eight cities compete in the 20-over Big Bash League.

  • Melbourne Cricket Ground or "The G" is in Yarra Park in the Richmond district of Melbourne. It's multi-use, with a capacity just over 100,000 so it was the world's largest until surpassed by Ahmedabad in 2021. It hosts the Victoria State team and the Melbourne Stars Big Bash team; in winter it hosts AFL football.
Docklands or Marvel Stadium is another multi-use venue, hosting Melbourne Renegades in Big Bash.
  • Sydney Cricket Ground is in Moore Park in City East just outside the centre. It hosts the national team, New South Wales State team, and Sydney Sixers in Big Bash, plus AFL.
Sydney Showground or Giants Arena in the Olympic Park hosts Sydney Thunder in Big Bash, plus AFL.
Bradman Museum & International Cricket Hall of Fame is in Bowral in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales.
  • Adelaide Oval, capacity 53,500, is in the parklands just north of city centre. It hosts South Australia State team and Adelaide Strikers in Big Bash, plus AFL.
  • The Gabba is the name of Brisbane Cricket Ground, as it's in Woolloongabba district south of the river from downtown. With a capacity of 36,000, it hosts Queensland State team, Brisbane Bulls in Big Bash, and AFL.
  • Perth Stadium, capacity 60,000, is on the peninsula of Burswood just south of the river from downtown Perth. It hosts the Western Australian State team, Perth Scorchers in Big Bash, and AFL.
WACA the traditional stadium in city centre is closed for redevelopment until 2024. It's expected thereafter to host cricket and AFL.
  • Bellerive Oval or Blundstone Arena is in the Bellerive district of Hobart on the east bank of the Derwent River. With a capacity of 19,500, it hosts Tasmania State team and Hobart Hurricanes in Big Bash.
  • Manuka Oval is in Griffith just south of central Canberra ACT. It occasionally hosts games but doesn't have a resident team.

Bangladesh Edit

Bangladesh played its first international match in 1979, eight years after independence, and its first Test match in 2000. The national stadium is Sher-e-Bangla (meaning "Tiger of Bangladesh") in Mirpur an eastern district of the capital Dhaka. With a capacity of 25,000, it also hosts Dhaka Dominators who play in the Bangladesh Premier League, a T20 tournament. The rainy season is June-Oct but play is often still possible.

England & Wales Edit

The English are not a very spiritual people, so they invented cricket to give them some idea of eternity. - George Bernard Shaw

England and Wales have a combined cricket organisation and national team, while Scotland has its own team, and Northern Ireland is part of the all-Ireland organisation and team; the playing season is April to September. Cricket has been played in England at least since 1550: the first internationals were planned as a tour of France in 1789, but abandoned due to the French revolution. The first overseas tour by an England team was in 1859 to the USA and Canada.

Test matches — internationals — are played around the country, usually at Lord's in London, The Oval in London, Ageas Bowl in Southampton, Edgbaston in Birmingham, Headingley in Leeds, Old Trafford in Manchester and Trent Bridge in Nottingham. Out of season the England team plays abroad, followed by its raucous fans the "Barmy Army".

 
Stuart Broad, Joe Root and Jimmy Anderson discuss tactics for England

The County Championship is the premier domestic tournament, with matches played over four days (often completed in three, with a day spare for rain). There are 18 "First Class" sides in the Championship, with ten in Division One and eight in Division Two. Their usual home grounds may also be venues for Test matches, but they occasionally play elsewhere within their county. There's promotion / relegation between Divisions but the 18 are otherwise a closed tournament, comprising Surrey (The Oval, in Lambeth, London), Somerset (County Ground, Taunton), Essex (County Ground, Chelmsford), Yorkshire (Headingley in North West Leeds), Hampshire (Ageas or Rose Bowl, Southampton), Nottinghamshire (Trent Bridge, Nottingham), Warwickshire (Edgbaston, Birmingham), Kent (St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury), Lancashire (Old Trafford, Manchester Quays), Worcestershire (New Road, Worcester), Sussex (County Ground, Brighton), Middlesex (Lords, in the Paddington-Maida Vale area of London), Gloucestershire (County Ground, Bristol), Leicestershire (Grace Road, Leicester), Derbyshire (County Ground, Derby), Durham (Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street north of Durham), Northamptonshire (County Ground, Northampton) and Glamorgan (Sophia Gardens, Cardiff). These stadiums are single-use, for instance Old Trafford cricket ground is half-a-mile south of Manchester United's Old Trafford.

19 other counties compete in a lower tier, the National Counties Championship. These were called "the Minor Counties" but geographically some are extensive, so the name was changed.

County cricket is long on tradition but short on entertainment and audiences, and its demise has long been predicted. Various shorter, livelier formats have been devised, studying the example of the Indian Premier League, and this is an experiment still in progress. Whatever format replaces the Championship needs to be popular, entertaining and profitable, yet skillful and forming part of a development pathway for players from amateur to professional to international level.

The Hundred has since 2021 been the chief alternative: teams play twenty overs of five balls. The tournament is organised into eight cities, with men's and women's games back-to-back and your ticket admits you to both. The eight are Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit (at Lords), Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers (at Leeds Headingly), Oval Invincibles (at the Oval), Southern Brave (at Southampton), Trent Rockets (at Nottingham) and Welsh Fire (Tân Cymreig) at Cardiff.

T20 is the other twenty-over format, played against international sides and as "T20 Blast" between the 18 First Class counties.

Women play cricket at all levels in England & Wales, but are typically paid about 20% of what the men get. From Aug 2023 the international fees are equal, so this sets the bar for other payments.

MCC Cricket Museum is within Lord's in London. It holds the original Ashes urn and other memorabilia.

India Edit

 
Sachin Tendulkar on an Indian postage stamp

Cricket arrived with the British in the early 1700s, with first-class cricket played from 1864. Today it's the most popular and lucrative sport in the country, and the climate makes play possible any time of year. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the governing body. The principal tournaments are the Ranji Trophy between the 28 states and others, the Duleep Trophy between six geographical zones, and the Indian Premier League a 20-overs contest between eight cities. India hosts the Cricket World Cup in Oct 2023.

  • Ahmedabad: Narendra Modi Stadium is in Motera district. Opened in 2021, it is by some distance the world's largest cricket ground, with a capacity of 134,000. It hosts the Gujerat team plus Gujerat Titans in the IPL.
  • Bangalore: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, capacity 40,000, is in Cubbon Park district. It hosts the Karnataka team plus Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL.
  • Chandigarh: Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium, completed in 2021, is in Mullanpur district to the north and has a capacity of 40,000.
IS Bindra Stadium in nearby Mohali was the home of Punjab Kings in the IPL, but they plan to move to the new stadium.
  • Chennai: MA Chidambaram Stadium, capacity 50,000, is in Chepauk district by Marina Beach (and not remotely close to Chidambaram city away south). It hosts the Tamil Nadu team and Chennai Super Kings in IPL.
  • Delhi: Arun Jaitley Stadium is in city centre. Formerly known as Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, it has a capacity of 41,800 and hosts the Delhi team plus Delhi Capitals in the IPL.
  • Gwalior: a new stadium (capacity 50,000) is under construction in Shankapur village in the west of the city, and might open in 2023. Meanwhile matches are played at Captain Roop Singh Stadium.
  • Hyderabad: Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, capacity 50,000, is in Uppal district. It hosts the Hyderabad team and Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL.
  • Jaipur: Sawai Mansingh Stadium, capacity 30,000, hosts the Rajasthan team plus Rajasthan Royals in IPL.
  • Kolkata: Eden Gardens are in the Maidan district on the east river bank. It has a capacity of 68,000 and is home to the Bengal team plus Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.
  • Lucknow: Ekana Stadium, capacity 50,000, hosts the Uttar Pradesh team and Lucknow Super Giants in IPL.
  • Mumbai: Wankhede Stadium, capacity 32,000, is in Churchgate district. It's the headquarters of BCCI the national governing body and of the IPL, and hosts the Mumbai team plus Mumbai Indians in IPL.
  • Nagpur: New VCA Stadium is in Jamtha district. With a capacity of 45,000, it hosts Vidarbha CC but doesn't have a state or IPL team.
  • Pune: MCA stadium is not fully complete, but they need to jaldi jaldi as it's scheduled to host matches at the World Cup. It's 25 miles north of the city along the highway to Mumbai.
Blades of Glory is a cricket museum in Pune city.

Ireland Edit

As in rugby union, a single team represents the whole island of Ireland. Cricket arrived here in the early 19th century, and the national team's first match was in 1855. It was granted Test status in 2017. Cricket is little played in the Republic and many were unaware that they even had a team, though they woke up to that fact with a start in 2011 when Ireland beat England. Ireland play international matches at Malahide just north of Dublin.

New Zealand Edit

Cricket is first recorded as being played in New Zealand in 1832, and the first game by a New Zealand team (against New South Wales) was played in 1894. The first Test match was played in 1930. Cricket is the second most popular sport in New Zealand after rugby union, and is played in the summer when rugby union is in its off season.

  • 1 Eden Park, Auckland. A ground used for both cricket (capacity 42,000) and rugby. (updated Mar 2016)
  • 2 Basin Reserve, Wellington. Established in 1868 with a capacity of 13,000, The Basin Reserve is New Zealand oldest cricket ground and is the only that has "Historic Place" status. Houses the New Zealand Cricket Museum. International matches in Wellington are also held in the Westpac Stadium. (updated Mar 2016)
  • 3 Seddon Park, Hamilton. Known for its "village green" atmosphere, allowing spectators to have a picnic while watching the game. Capacity 10,000. (updated Dec 2018)

Pakistan Edit

South Africa Edit

Cricket in South Africa was traditionally associated with the Anglo-South African community, but since the fall of Apartheid, it is increasingly enjoyed by South Africans of all backgrounds.

 
Newlands Cricket Ground with its scenic backdrop.
  • 6 Centurion Park (SuperSport Park), Centurion. One of the most family-friendly grounds in the country, thanks to its extensive grass banks. The capacity of 22,000 is completed with modern stands at the north end. 
  • 7 Kingsmead (Sahara Stadium), Durban. Mere blocks from the Indian Ocean in the centre of Durban, this traditional venue, holding 25,000, combines grass banks and modern stands. Notably, when South Africa hosts a Test series, the Boxing Day Test is usually held here. 
  • 8 Newlands, Cape Town. The picturesque Table Mountain and Devil's Peak overlook the cricket ground in the coastal South African city, making it one of the most beautiful sporting stadiums in the world. Newlands has a capacity of 20,000. 
  • 9 Springbok Park (Mangaung Oval), Bloemfontein. Large sections of the stadium have grassy banks where you would see groups of people cooking up a barbeque. Capacity 20,000. (updated Feb 2019)
  • 10 St George's Park, Port Elizabeth. South Africa's oldest Test ground, having first hosting a Test match in 1889. What sets St George's apart from the other grounds is its lively brass band in the crowds that plays throughout the day and creates a fantastic atmosphere. (updated May 2017)
  • 11 Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg. The largest cricket ground in the country by capacity, holding 34,000. Nicknamed "The Bullring" due to its design and the imposing atmosphere by the partisan crowd created against visiting teams. The ground's altitude of 1,800 m (5,900 ft) means the air is thinner. As a result games at the Wanderers are often high scoring.     

Sri Lanka Edit

  • 12 Galle International Stadium, Galle. The 16th-century Galle Fort built by the Dutch towers over the ground, making it one of the most scenic in Sri Lanka to watch cricket. Capacity 35,000. 

West Indies Edit

The West Indies team represents Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Sint Maarten, Trinidad and Tobago, US Virgin Islands.

 
A statue of cricket legend and Barbadian hero Sir Garfield Sobers, just outside Kensington Oval.
  • 15 Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados. Capacity 28,000. One of the most historic cricket grounds in the West Indies. Cricket was first played at the Oval in 1882 and the first international touring side from England played here in 1885. The West Indies played their maiden Test at the ground in 1930. One reason for these firsts was Barbados' easternmost position within the Caribbean, which made the island a port of call for visitors across the Atlantic. Kensington Oval hosted the final of major tournaments held in the West Indies, including the 2007 World Cup and 2010 World Twenty20.     (updated Mar 2018)
  • 16 Providence Stadium, Georgetown, Guyana. In 2006, the Providence replaced the most historic Bourda, which was the first cricket venue on mainland South America. Providence Stadium has three main stands and a grass mount that can hold 4,000 people. The overall capacity is 15,000. (updated Feb 2019)
  • 19 Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Factory Rd, North Sound, St Peters, Antigua (halfway between Saint John's and the airport). Capacity 10,000. Replaced the historic and popular Antigua Recreation Ground from 2007 onwards. The stadium retains a Caribbean charm with terraces on the sides. (updated Aug 2018)

Zimbabwe Edit

  • 20 Harare Sports Club, Harare. Capacity 10,000. (updated Mar 2016)
  • 21 Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo. Established in 1890, the ground mainly has grass banking surrounded by picturesque trees providing shade to the spectators. QSC held its first Test match in 1994. Capacity 13,000. (updated May 2018)

Other playing countries Edit

The ICC has a total of 102 member countries. In addition to the 12 full members listed in the previous section, there are four affiliate or associate member teams (Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, United Arab Emirates) which are granted One Day International status. This allows them to play One day international and Twenty20 matches with full members.

Canada Edit

Cricket is first recorded as being played in Montreal in 1785. Canada played the world's first international match against the United States of America in 1844, and this continues as an annual event.

Hong Kong Edit

Cricket was introduced to Hong Kong by the British during the colonial period. While the Chinese majority never took a liking to the sport, it is popular among the South Asian, Eurasian (European and Asian mixed-race) and British minorities, and this is reflected in the composition of Hong Kong's national cricket team. Nevertheless, membership in one of Hong Kong's two main cricket clubs is regarded as somewhat of a status symbol, and a very exclusive privilege for the elites of Hong Kong society.

Kenya Edit

Kenya played as part of an East Africa team until 1989.

Malaysia Edit

Although cricket was introduced to Malaysia by the British during the colonial era, it remains very much a niche sport. However, membership in some of Malaysia's historic cricket clubs is a very exclusive privilege for the who's who of Malaysian society, and there are several historic cricket grounds owned by these clubs.

  • 25 Royal Selangor Club (Kuala Lumpur). Founded by the British in 1884. Its historic colonial clubhouse is located next to Dataran Merdeka, a historic field where Malaya's independence from Britain was proclaimed by the first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman on 31st August 1957, which also functions as the club's cricket ground. It has on several occasions hosted international matches for the Malaysian national team.     (updated Sep 2023)
  • 26 Penang Sports Club (George Town). Originally founded as the Penang Cricket Club in 1900 at what is today the Padang Kota Lama, which was its original cricket ground. It moved to its current premises in 1939, and assumed its current name in 1947. The original clubhouse and cricket pitch were destroyed during World War II and never rebuilt.     (updated Sep 2023)
  • 27 Royal Ipoh Club (Ipoh). Founded in 1895 next to the historic Padang Ipoh, while is also used as the club's football and cricket ground. (updated Sep 2023)

Netherlands Edit

Cricket was first played by British troops in the early 19th century. The game became popular in the 1870s, and the national team first played in 1881.

Scotland Edit

Cricket was first played in Scotland in 1785. In the 1980s Scotland played in English domestic games as a "county", leaving this to join the ICC in 1994.

  • 29 Grange Cricket Club Ground, Stockbridge, Edinburgh. Home of the Scottish national team. The first international match was held in 1999, although the history of the ground goes back to 1832. The ground spectator capacity is 3,000. (updated Feb 2016)
  • 30 Mannofield Park, Aberdeen. (updated Feb 2016)

Thailand Edit

Thailand are an emerging but rapidly developing nation in women's cricket. Since officially being recognised as a sport by the Thai government in 2008, the game has grown has spread across the country. In 2019, Thailand achieved a record 17-match winning streak in the Twenty20 (T20) format and qualified for the 2020 T20 World Cup, their first global tournament.

United Arab Emirates Edit

Cricket is a popular sport in United Arab Emirates largely due to the presence of South Asian expatriates in the country and host various competition by different nations. Pakistan regularly use cricket stadiums in the country for their domestic as well international cricket matches.

  • 31 Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah. Sharjah's heyday was in the 1990s when it constantly held multilateral ODI tournaments. Although the games held at the ground was never implicated, the match fixing scandals at the turn of the millennium tarnished Sharjah and its use started to wane. It has reemerged as an international cricket stadium, either as a neutral venue for Pakistan and its opponents or for inter-associate games involving the UAE. Capacity 16,000. 

United States Edit

  • 32 Central Broward Regional Park, Lauderhill, Broward County, Florida. The only American cricket stadium certified to have international cricket status. Multiple matches of the Caribbean Premier League are played here every season. The West Indies, New Zealand, India and Sri Lanka have all played international games at Central Broward Regional Park. Capacity 20,000.     (updated Feb 2019)
  • 33 Prairie View Cricket Complex, Prairie View, Texas (northwest of Houston on US 290). America's largest cricket complex with 8 cricket grounds and 1 stadium seating 10,000. Home of the Houston Hurricanes. In 2021, it was named the first official Major League Cricket National Cricket Center.   

Other cricket sites Edit

  • 1 West Indies Cricket Heritage Centre, St. George's, Grenada. Houses an amazing range of Caribbean cricketing memorabilia and photographs across all eras. (updated Feb 2020)

Do Edit

  • The Cricket World Cup is a ODI tournament held every four years. The next is in India 5 Oct - 19 Nov 2023.
  • The Ashes is a series of five Test matches between Australia and England, with each country taking turns to host it.
  • Play yourself or at least have a cricketer bowl a few balls at you. If you're any good at racket sports you'll soon take to it. The practice area is called "the nets" and big sports complexes have bowling machines. Amateur clubs mostly can't afford the netting, so any ball you miss, you have to trundle back to retrieve it.

See also Edit


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