Cricket Clubs of New York

Cricket is one of the world's most popular sports, and plenty of cricket fans and players live in New York City. Big Apple residents compete on more than 70 area teams, and cricket clubs thrive in each of the city's five boroughs. Cricket clubs have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity as the city's residents have welcomed more immigrants who embrace this sophisticated cousin of American baseball.

  1. History

    • New York cricket dates back to 1751, when team "New York" bowled in Manhattan against the "London XI" in the first recorded American match. The world's first international match also took place in Manhattan when Canada and the United States competed at St. George's Cricket Club in 1844.

    Growth and Demographics

    • An estimated 20 percent of New York City's eight million residents emigrated from a country where cricket was the main sport. Second only to soccer in popularity, cricket flourishes in New York with players from Australia, India, New Zealand, England, the West Indies, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Ireland, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands.

    Mayor's Cup Between Boroughs

    • To recognize the growing need for more public cricket facilities, city officials built a new pitch near John F. Kennedy International Airport and organized an annual cricket competition between boroughs. Major club teams participating in the match included:

      -- Bronx: Rockstone Sports Club, Oualie Sports Club, Cornwall Cricket Club, Castle Hill Sports
      Club, St. Lucia Cricket Club, Primrose Sports Club I, Primrose Sports Club II, and Majestic
      Sports Club
      -- Staten Island: Cosmos Cricket Club, Staten Island Cricket Club XI, North Primrose Cricket Club,
      Hoboken XI, and North Provence Cricket Club
      -- Brooklyn: Brooklyn I, Brookly II, Brooklyn III, Brooklyn IV, American I, and American II
      -- Queens: Frederick Bowley XI, NYC Parks and Recreation XI, Helen M. Marshall XI, and Nassau
      League XI
      -- Manhattan: Millennium Sports Club, Columbia University XI, Pak-American XI, and Pak-Indo

    Youth League

    • Teenage players in New York can participate in a citywide youth cricket league launched by the New York Police Department. Designed to foster positive relationships among the city's many ethnic groups, the Twenty20 Cricket Cup provides cricket equipment for nearly 100 players from Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx.