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Five ways to make cricket attractive to Americans

admin — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 05:30:00 +0000

by Peter Della Penna

Its been a little over four years since cricket hijacked my life. The stick and ball sport holds my thoughts hostage 24/7. A large part of these thoughts revolve around the fact that there are not a vast amount of white American-born people like myself who take pleasure in cricket the way they freely do in other sports like college football. Millions of people across the country were glued to their televisions on the night of Saturday, Dec. 12, to see who would win the Heisman Trophy. Unfortunately, the number giving their attention to the Test match between New Zealand and Pakistan was a fraction of that.

Cricket has the capacity to produce a prolific amount of dedication and fervor in Americans. We are a sports playing and watching society. Bobsledding and speed skating have a much fainter blip on the American sports radar than cricket, but two months from now in Vancouver, those will be two sports that everyone in this country will have a very keen knowledge of when the Winter Olympics are in full swing. If those sports can grab peoples attention, so can cricket.

What needs to happen is to make the sport more desirable. Cricket doesnt need to be Americanized to get Americans to like it. However, there are five things that aficionados and administrators can do to help Americans get more involved by appealing to the things they already like about other sports.

1. Stop referring to it as A Gentlemans Game

unless youre being facetious. At a recent workshop in Atlanta conducted by Cricket Academy of USA aimed at getting gym teachers to learn about cricket, footage of Yuvraj Singhs six sixes in an over off Stuart Broad from the 2007 World Twenty20 was shown on an overhead projector to an audience of about 40 physical education instructors.

After the third six, one teacher bolted out of his chair to the back of the room where I was standing so he could ask me a question. Can you hit him? he wanted to know. This man was curious why Broad was getting smoked out of the park without trying to take Singhs head off with a bouncer in retaliation. Well I thought about it, considering it was a loaded question in which a proper answer would have to include explanations on Bodyline, one bouncer per over in one-dayers, no full tosses above waist height, etc. Yawn. Hell get confused and lose interest. So I decided to keep it simple. Yes, as long as you bounce it into the ground first, aiming for his body is well within the rules. The teacher excitedly went back to his seat and relayed the word to colleagues on his left and right.

A similar conversation took place between myself and two guys I knew from college who I managed to run into a few weeks ago. They had never watched a cricket match before in their lives, but while watching the first day of the third Test between New Zealand and Pakistan alongside me, they got very excited seeing Umar Gul bowl. Tim McIntosh had just hooked him for four and Gul decided to follow up with two more bouncers. All of a sudden, they had their complete attention on the match. McIntosh was ducking out of the way in an attempt at self-preservation and these two guys loved every minute of it.

The stark brutality of cricket is not something that should cause cricket fans to hang their heads in shame. It should be celebrated. Cricket has long been stereotyped in America as not really a sport because its played by men wearing sweaters. An efficient way to combat this is by celebrating the likes of Mitchell Johnson. Not only is he an exciting talent for his wicket-taking ability, but also for the amount of times in the past 12 months he has sent someone off the field retired hurt. People dont watch NASCAR for the left turns all day long. They want to see who crashes and who escapes the wrecks. Just as exciting as seeing the stumps rattled in cricket is seeing the ball whizz by a batsmans head or into it.

Which Mitchell Johnson spell against South Africa was more entertaining: Perths 8 for 61 or Durbans 3 for 37? At first glance, most cricket folk would take the statistically impressive 8 for 61. However, for my American spirit, Ill take Durban any day of the week because it included KOing Graeme Smith for the second time in three Tests with a broken hand and forcing Jacques Kallis off the field to get stitches after striking him in the helmet with a bouncer. Sit Americans down in front of that and their whole opinion towards cricket changes.

2. Merchandising

This point is two-fold. Americans love buying clothes if they just plain look cool. Last year during a segment on ESPNews, Curtis 50 Cent Jackson was being interviewed by one of the studio anchors. At one point, the anchor made mention of a New Jersey Devils hat that Jackson was wearing and asked if he was a big fan of Martin Brodeur. Jackson chuckled and said, Nah, I dont watch hockey. Im just wearing it because I like the way it looks.

The IPL has introduced a fantastic opportunity for people to buy nifty designed hats and jerseys to get them interested in cricket. While speaking with Amar Shah, author of the award winning ESPN.com 2005 E-Ticket feature A Wicket Wedding, Shah recounted a story of a party he was at in Los Angeles in which he wore a Kolkata Knight Riders jersey. The people he was mingling with had no clue who KKR was or that they were the laughing stock of the IPL. They just saw the black shirt with gold trim and a shiny NOKIA logo in the middle and wanted to know where they could get one.

American fans also love buying trendy clothes that represent success in some way. While soccers current popularity in America can be mainly attributed to having Pele and other stars come in during the NASL years as well as getting the USA to host the World Cup in 1994, another significant event has also contributed greatly to the appeal and awareness of the game.

In February of 2001, Manchester United and the New York Yankees, two of the most successful sports franchises in the world, teamed up for a joint marketing venture. According to a news article from the BBC, the partnerships aims were for the clubs to share market information, develop sponsorship and joint promotional programs and sell each other's licensed goods. At the time, Man U had a certain midfielder whose reputation was on the rise. For the men in this country, and even more for the women, David Beckham was someone who helped people follow United and got them even more interested in soccer and the English Premier League. Before the end of the decade, he became a full-fledged international icon, got a fat contract to come play in the MLS and his former club Man U is now one of 20 English Premier League teams regularly featured on ESPN networks as part of a new television contract.

On a recent visit to a Sports Authority, I could find Brazil soccer team merchandise as well as items with New Zealand All Blacks rugby logos. If those things can make it in there, it shouldnt be long before vibrant colored cricket team apparel makes it onto the racks.

3. Its a stick and ball game

Thats all anyone needs to know. Dont bother trying to explain the LBW law, or any other law about cricket, within the first five minutes of introducing them to the game. All that is required is sticking a bat in their hand and telling them to hit a ball. The rest of it they can learn at the rate their curiosity allows.

While visiting the Philadelphia Cricket Club in October, I was awestruck at the fact that they had white American-born playing members at their club, most of whom had only picked up the game in their 40s and 50s. When I asked one member how long it took him to learn how to play with proper technique, he replied, six weeks. His method was simple. To him, it was just another see the ball, hit the ball game. Hed spent most of his life playing sports and this one was not too far different from the others hed played. The only difference for him was the fact that he needed to form a defense to pair it with attacking shots in cricket. In most other stick and ball sports, attack is all thats required. Once he got his defense down, he thought cricket was completely normal.

He was clear that he didnt understand the rules immediately and that it took him some time to learn. However, he was also clear on one other thing. To him, playing cricket required seeing a ball and hitting it. Thats it. Hitting the ball gave him pleasure. Its what got him coming back on the weekends with the rest of his American friends.

4. Duration is a plus, not a minus

Newsflash: Americans love long sporting events, contrary to popular belief. In fact, the longer they go, the better and more memorable they become.

For Mets fans, two of the most legendary games in the teams history were two of the longest. In 1999, the Mets beat the Braves in Game 5 of the NLCS on Robin Venturas Grand Slam Single in a 15-inning classic that went five hours and 46 minutes, which at the time was the longest game in MLB Postseason history. It was eclipsed in 2005 when the Astros beat the Braves in Game 4 of the NLDS in an 18-inning epic that went four minutes longer. An even more famous victory for the Mets came in the 1986 NLCS, on their way to the World Series, when they defeated the Astros 7-6 in 16 innings in what is considered one of the greatest playoff games of all time. I dont know anyone who talks about these three games and complains that they were too long.

In college basketball, last years Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden saw Syracuse and UConn play in one of the most tense and dramatic games of all time, one that went a whopping six overtime periods. The game started at 9:37 p.m. and didnt get over until 1:22 a.m., not that anyone was complaining. The game was the longest in Big East history and second longest in Division I basketball history.

The same is true for sudden death overtime in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. Eleven of the 20 longest games in NHL history have taken place since 1990. Yet, there hasnt been any hue or cry to eliminate sudden death in the playoffs. The same things that are appealing about sudden death in hockey are what make batting in cricket so alluring. As players head into a second, third, fourth, even fifth 20-minute overtime period, everyone is glued to the television waiting and wondering who will make the heroic breakthrough, or the fatal error. In cricket, a batsman can be at the crease for three, four, five hours, but one lapse in judgment and the bowler has his man.

The endurance element is not limited to just these traditionally American sports. The 2008 Mens Wimbledon Final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal started at 2:35 p.m., but because of an incredible number of long rallies, weather delays and a stunning fifth set without a tiebreak, the match ended at 9:16 p.m. local time. It was nearly pitch black outside, but the flashbulbs were bursting on the court to capture the end to the greatest, and longest, championship match in Wimbledon history. ESPN Classic made it a habit to run the match on a loop and whenever there is a rain delay during a major tournament on ESPN, they dont hesitate to unleash the footage from that eventful day.

Then there is golf. 2008 US Open Playoff. Four days was not enough. Unlike just about every other golf tournament, the US Open does not use a one-hole or four-hole sudden death playoff. So Rocco Mediate and Tiger Woods played another 18 holes on Monday, except that they were still tied. They went one more playoff hole before Woods prevailed.

Reflecting on the way things unfolded, John Maginnes of PGATour.com wrote, This Monday finish may go down as the most exciting day of golf all year. Considering the way things played out — with only five of the 18 holes in the playoff being tied — it was a tournament that deserved a fitting conclusion. Had there been a sudden death playoff or even a four-hole playoff, we would have been cheated out of the most compelling theater golf has to offer.

Five days to decide a winner. Compelling theater. It sounds an awful lot like Test cricket to me. The length of a cricket match should be embraced, not defaced.

5. Betting

The Super Bowl consistently remains one of the highest rated American television programs of the year despite the fact that fans from 30 of the 32 NFL teams will not be seeing their team playing in the game. What then is the most exciting part of the game: the on-field action, the commercials, or the halftime show? None of the above.

The correct answer is the coin toss. Billions of dollars will change hands depending on which side it will land. The average man tunes in ten minutes before kickoff to scream, TAILS! TAILS! TAILS FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! so that he can turn $50 into $100. After the coin toss, its exciting to see whether or not the player who scores the first touchdown has an odd or even numbered jersey, how many coaches challenges there will be, if the ball is ever spotted on exactly the 50 yard line and other incredibly banal elements of the game that all of a sudden become heart-pounding when you know youve got some money riding on it.

This is not exclusively an American phenomenon. Betting has long been a part of cricket. Unfortunately, it is usually seen in a negative light with match-fixing scandals in the games past. However, a positive step has been taken by Cricket Australia to make betting a welcome part of the game. They now routinely show the latest Betfair odds over the course of the match during coverage on Channel Nine.

When I went to my first Test match four years ago, I wanted to see Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne bowl as well as Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist bat. When those things werent happening, the things that kept me interested were what was going to be the method of dismissal for the first wicket of the match (caught fieldsman, bowled, LBW, runout, stumped, or the very long odds for hit wicket), whether or not darkhorse Shane Watson would take the most first innings wickets, which team would wind up with a first innings lead and would Michael Clarke get out between 50 and 74 runs. A single Test match offers just as many wild and crazy options as the betting lines on Super Bowl Sunday, and man are they fun.

As Masaood Yunus of the Minnesota Cricket Association said in a radio interview promoting the USACA Western Conference Tournament this year, We get bored sometimes too. An excellent way to make sure a person stays interested in any new sport is if they have a healthy wager on proceedings. It makes them eager to learn the rules and the structure, who the stars are, what history shows and what the latest trends are. Cricket is no different. The most important city in America for getting people to follow cricket isnt Fort Lauderdale. It wont be Indianapolis, New York or Los Angeles either. Its Las Vegas. Once cricket carves out a niche in the casino sportsbooks, interest will skyrocket.

So there it is, five ways to make cricket appealing and desirable to Americans. Sure the old clichs like grassroots development and domestic cable television exposure will help. But these five simple yet effective concepts will play their part too.

DreamCricket.com invites you to share your views with us on how cricket can be made more attractive to Americans. Please leave your comments by clicking on the Reader's Comments link. If you would like to write an Op-Ed column on this subject, please write to us at content@dreamcricket.com.

If you would like to contact this writer, he can be contacted via Twitter @DPMilGaya or via peter@dreamcricket.com

… More Info

Texas cricketer Faran Khan brutally killed in a park where he often practiced bowling

admin — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:19:00 +0000

Agha Faran Khan, 21 was brutally stabbed to death on Wednesday, November 18, in a park where he often practiced bowling.

A
graduate of Allen High School and a student at Collin County Community
College, Faran played for Nortex Cricket Club in the North Texas
Cricket Association, a cricket league based in the Dallas-Ft. Worth
area.

Pic (right): Agha Faran Khan of NorTex Patriots was brutally stabbed on November 18

Police say Richard Garrett Hughes, 18, and Jefferson Josue
Medina-Diaz, 21, got into an argument with Agha Faran Khan over the use
of the basketball court at the Ford Park. It is believed that the
argument turned into a fist fight before it ended in a tragic first
degree murder.

There were people in the area enjoying the parks when they heard an
argument they went down to see what was going on and they found this
young man lying on the ground and they called 911, said Sgt. Nicole
Shaw.

A good samaritan rushed to help 21-year-old Faran Khan at Ford Park
early Wednesday evening and performed CPR until first responders
arrived. Faran Khan had a puncture wound from what turned out to be a
tire iron. Khan died later at a Plano hospital of the stab wounds.

On 20 November 2009, Allen police arrested Richard Hughes, 18, and
Jefferson Medina-Diaz, 21 in connection with Farans death. The two
are charged with felony first-degree murder and were each being held on
a $200,000 bond. Police are seeking further information about the
incident and are asking anyone with additional details to call
214-509-4239 or 214-727-TIPS.

Condolences pour in

Friends and members of the cricket community at NorTex Cricket Club,
the NTCA league, and USACA were deeply affected by Farans death.

Ahmed Jeddy, Regional Director of the USACA Central West Region
noted that Faran wanted to become a professional cricketer – a dream
that will remain unfulfilled. As a board member, a father and a
cricket lover I am sad and over whelmed with this tragedy, Mr. Jeddy
wrote in a condolence message. Mr. Jeddy commended the police for
swift action and hoped that justice will be served soon.

USACA Secretary John Aaron, commenting on the brutal slaying of the
young cricketer, said, Our hearts go out to Farans family, as the
entire cricket community mourns the loss of one of its own, in such a
horrific manner.

First Vice President Nabeel Ahmed wrote, I am extremely sorry and
disturbed with the news that we have lost a young promising cricket
star. I know the whole cricket community of Texas and the rest of the
USA are very much saddened by this act of violence.

One post on NorTex website noted that Faran Khan was extremely
passionate about cricket and he would say "I want to bowl… I don't
care if I don't get to bat." He would go bowl every other day all by
himself against a backstop in the park.

All he wanted to do by practicing was add something to his team,
Farans friend Anik Islam wrote on the NorTex website. Faran was the
most dedicated and diligent player of NTCA. I am very shocked to hear
about this disgraceful incident.

Ashwin Shankar, who chairs NTCA Operations Committee and is a fellow
cricketer wrote: Faran used to regularly join us at our DCCC nets and
was a very enthusiastic bowler. He used to bowl whenever given a chance
and field during the rest of the time. He spoke little but was very
couteous and well mannered. We are all united in our prayers for his
family to overcome this devastating loss.

John Boaden, former President of NTCA wrote: My sincere condolences
to all who knew Faran and also of course to the Nortex CC. My thoughts
and prayers are with you all at this most traumatic of times.
Incidents like this truly reduce cricket and the game we all love to
seeming not so important.

A person calling himself JohnnyOz posted a comment which gives us an
indication of Farans passion for cricket and his friendly personality:
I met the victim about 6 weeks ago at Ford park. He was practicing
cricket, we got talking about the sport and he invited us to a game
over in Plano. He seemed to be a great person who was very friendly.
These two young men just ruined three lives. Makes no sense.

Editors Note: On behalf of the DreamCricket.com team, I would
like to convey our sincere and heart-felt condolences to Farans
family, friends and to the North Texas cricket community. November
18th is a sad day for all of us in USA cricket.

… More Info

Texas cricketer Faran Khan brutally killed in a park where he often practiced bowling

admin — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:19:00 +0000

Agha Faran Khan, 21 was brutally stabbed to death on Wednesday, November 18, in a park where he often practiced bowling.

Pic (right): Agha Faran Khan of NorTex Patriots was brutally stabbed on November 18

Condolences pour in

Friends and members of the cricket community at NorTex Cricket Club,
the NTCA league, and USACA were deeply affected by Farans death.

… More Info

USA Cricket Association and New Zealand Cricket to work on strategic partnership

admin — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:50:00 +0000

USACA and NZC Media Release - 18th November 2009

Readers' Comments

The USA Cricket Association (USACA) and New Zealand Cricket (NZC)
today announced the commencement of formal discussions with
the intention of establishing a strategic partnership agreement between the two national cricket boards in the near future.

We are very positive and excited about the benefits our relationship
with NZC can bring to USA Cricket, stated USACA CEO Don Lockerbie.
USA Cricket can learn greatly from the experience and knowledge of
NZC, and we believe there are real and significant cricketing benefits
and commercial opportunities possible through this partnership.

The proposed partnership covers a variety of activities, ranging from
the sharing of coaching and development resources through to the
staging of international cricket fixtures involving the New Zealand
BLACKCAPS in the United States, as well as other joint commercial
ventures.

To start the partnership NZC is offering USACA immediate assistance to
prepare its national Under-19 team ahead of the ICC Under-19 World Cup
in January 2010.

We are looking forward to a long-term partnership with USACA, stated
NZC CEO Justin Vaughan. Cricket in the United States is at a very
exciting stage, and we are enthusiastic about the prospect of helping
USACA significantly grow the game in their country. The benefits of
cricket
becoming more established in the USA are globally significant for the sport.

USACAs President Gladstone Dainty remarked, USACA is thrilled at the
opportunity of working with New Zealand Cricket, more so with our
Under-19 squad headed there in early January for the ICC Under-19
Cricket World Cup.

… More Info

Harshal Patel, an American resident, makes it to Indian U19 cricket team

admin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:52:00 +0000

From Times of India (April 2009)

AHMEDABAD: Harshal Patel is just 18 and lives all on his own in his family's house in Navrangpura. Three years ago, he bid goodbye to his parents who are settled in the US, to return to his roots. He had a dream donning the India cap as a cricket player.

Cricket is what brought Harshal back to Gujarat as there was a limit to what he could achieve in the US. Perseverance has paid off finally and he boarded a flight to Australia on Friday as a member of the Indian Under-19 team which will play Tests and ODIs Down Under.

Harshal's story is stuff dreams are made of. "I left a cosy life in New Jersey because I always wanted to be a cricketer," he said and added that his parents, who allowed him to return to Ahmedabad when he was only 15, encouraged his love for cricket. "I live alone and just practise day in and out," said this US Green Card holder who studies first year of BCom at HA College of Commerce. "By staying alone and managing everything on his own, Harshal has matured a lot as a person which is also reflected in his performance," said Gujarat U-19 coach Ashok Mankad.

However, despite staying alone, Harshal never worried about his daily meal because neighbours are always around to offer meals and solve other problems. "I have got lots of love and care from friends around me," he says.

The right-arm fast bowler, who is looking forward to the bouncy pitches in Australia, said, "This tour is a very good stepping stone to launch ourselves. Almost everyone in our national seniors team has graduated from U-19 and India-A teams."

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USA Cricket: Probables announced for USA senior team

admin — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:56:00 +0000

Many new faces including several promising Under-19 players have
been named in the first list of forty probables released on Friday.

The
probables will be invited to the selection trials to be held in
November in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The selection process is still
being finalized and will be announced very soon. For the probables
from the four regions that will take part in the National Championship,
their performance in the national tournament is expected to be an
important factor.

Picture (Right): Ryan Corns of Houston was among the probables

USACA is making arrangements to conduct the National Championship on
a natural turf wicket in Fort Lauderdale between November 13-14, 2009.
New York, South East, North West and Central East regions will take
part in this tournament.

The probables list released yesterday included players from seven of
the eight regions that participated in the Eastern and Western
Conference tournaments. In addition, the probables include four
youngsters who played as part of the Directors XI team in the Eastern
Conference.

Manaf Mohamed, USACA's VP of Cricket Operations clarified that "the
list of probables we released on Friday is based on performances in the
Eastern and Western Conference Championships."

That explains why there were no players from the North Eastern
region – that region did not play in the Eastern Conference during
2009. Similarly, players who did not take part in the Conference
tournaments, are not in the list of probables. Leaving the door open
for exceptionally talented cricketers who did not get a chance to be
assessed during the conference tournaments, Mr. Mohamed said: "Other
players will be added as they are identified."

It is heartening to see the presence of several next generation
cricketers in the list including Ryan Corns, Shiva Vashishat, Hammad
Shahid, Gregory Sewdial, Regis Burton, Andrew Ajodhi, Azurdeen Mohamed,
Mohammad Ghouse and Abhijit Joshi.

List of Probables:

From the Eastern Conference

Atlantic Region: Durale Forest, Imran Awan, Gowkaran Roopnarine, Mohammad Ghouse, Clain Williams

New York Region: Steve Massiah, Lennox Cush, Sudesh Dhaniram, Carl
Wright, Rashard Marshall, Glen Hall, Barrington Bartley, Kevin
Darlington

South East Region: Timroy Allen, Nasir Javed, Anand Tummala

Directors XI: Andrew Ajodhi, Azurdeen "Andy" Mohamed, Gregory Sewdial, Regis Burton

From the Western Conference

Central East Region: Shahid Munir, Khawaja Usman Shuja, Amit Kumar, Ashhar Mehdi, Asif Mahmood, Akhil Pathan, Abhijit Joshi

Central West Region: Sushil Nadkarni, Orlando Baker, Rahul Kukreti, Ryan Corns

North West Region: Samarth Shah, Saurabh Verma, Nauman Mustafa, Bilal Khan, Shiva Vashishat

South West Region: Aditya Thyagarajan, Mehul Dave, Ravi Timbawala, Hammad Shahid

… More Info

150th anniversary of the first English cricket tour of North America

admin — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:58:00 +0000

The First Overseas Tour

It was exactly 150 years ago, on October 14th, 1859, that the first tour of USA by a visiting English side came to an end in Philadelphia. It was not just the first tour of North America by an overseas team, it was the first overseas cricket tour. Period!

The tour predated the first English tour of Australia by 3 years and the first tour classified as a "Test" by 18 years. Just for comparison, The Ashes started much later in 1882. The only international tour that preceded the English tour of 1859 was the USA vs Canada series which began in 1844.

A crowd of 3,000 roared their approval for the first match in Montreal between September 24-26, 1859. A crowd of several thousand spectators including 1,000 ladies witnessed the proceedings on the last day of the tour. Sporting tours became a way of life with this event.

The 1859 tour was the brainchild of Robert Waller and WP Pickering. Mr. Pickering had captained Eton before emigrating to Canada in 1852. He represented Canada in the USA vs Canada match of 1853.

Mr. Waller was an importer of more than just merchandize from England. "Cricket, a sturdy plant indigenous to England; let us prove that it can be successfully transplanted to American soil," Robert Waller announced in 1843 as he toasted after a match between his Union Club of Philadelphia (based in Camden, NJ) and the other great club he had helped found – the St. George's Club of New York (which played most of its cricket in Hoboken, NJ). Business took him back to England for a while in the 1850s before he returned to New York later in the decade. While in England, he struck up some friendships that would trigger the historic 1859 tour.

The English team is said to have required a guarantee of GBP 750. Mr. Pickering secured the guarantee money through the Montreal Club and Mr. Waller guaranteed GBP 500 for two matches in the USA.

The result of their combined effort was that on September 6th 1859, twelve professional cricketers of England met at the George Hotel, Liverpool and left the English shores via the Nova Scotian the next morning (see photo below of their maiden cricket journey).

The George Parr XI

The team comprised William Caffyn, Tom Lockyer, Julius Ceasar (of Surrey); George Parr, James Grundy and John Jackson (of Nottinghamshire), John Wisden and John Lillywhite (Sussex), Robert Carpenter, Thomas Hayward and Alfred Diver (Cambridgeshire), with Fred Lillywhite acting as the manager.

The players were rated among the best in the country at that time, having played for All England and United England teams – the best first class teams in England.

On their voyage from Liverpool to Quebec City on board SS Nova Scotian, the Englishmen feared for their lives as storms raged in the Atlantic. In Canada, even though the tourists were far too strong for the locals, the visit was a great success, becoming the first English cricket tour in history. George Parr XI won both their matches there.

A Successful Tour

The English team did well financially earning over $5,000 from the tour. That is $125,000 in today's currency. Well over the guarantee amount promised by Mr. Waller. In New York, St. George Cricket Club reported gate receipts of about $2,000 on the first day itself ($50,000 in today's currency). Total expenses for the three days in New York was roughly $3,200, so it can safely be assumed that the hosts made a hefty profit.

The tour also marked several important publishing milestones for cricket. And playing on the English team were two visionary pioneer cricket writers and publishers of the era (John Wisden and Fred Lillywhite).

Fred Lillywhite travelled with his groundside tent and printing press. His role on the tour has been described as that of "scorer, reporter, and mentor, not to say Nestor." True to form, he wrote a fascinating book describing the adventure titled The English Cricketers' Trip to Canada and the United States.

Nobody talks or writes or dreams of anything but cricket. Bats are discussed at breakfast as freely as beefsteaks and balls at dinner as if they are eatable, wrote the reporter for The Times. Philadelphians jostle Chicagonians, New Orleanists, New Yorkers, Englishmen shake hands with Canadian French and even the phlegmatic Dutch turn out spiritedly.

Leslies Illustrated reported that even "people who were as ignorant of cricket as they were of the social life of the Chinese" were now discussing no balls and cuts.

Betting was tolerated. The Eleven do not bet, at least openly, but outsiders do. The bets are that two to one English Eleven will win any one of the four matches named. Even bets that they will win all four. That there will be 8 ducks in the Twenty Twos batting. Varying wagers on one mans score against the other. The most animated betting is on the NY match. The Americans back the US to win and the rest bet that English will win easily.

Sales in the concessions stands too was brisk. Lillywhite had a tent to sell cricket cards. A tent for refreshments was also erected. The Times reporter wrote, The caterer could not have been chosen for worse food for which he charged – 62.5 cents for each victim, who was compelled to take it or nothing.

This tour had acquired enormous prestige and representatives from far flung cities traveled long distances to meet with the English side nurturing hopes of having the English side visit their cities.

Cincinnati Cricket Club representatives went all the way to Montreal and promised 75% of the gate receipts if the English side played there. Albany, St. Louis, Baltimore, all tried to persuade the English side to visit their cities and play their local teams. In fact, an unscheduled stop was made at Rochester by the English side after Rochester Mayor announced $1,500 of public funds for improving the citys cricket ground and took a personal interest in the match.

The USA Leg of the Tour

After winning their two matches in Canada, the Englishmen proceeded to New York where the first match was played between October 3-5, 1859 following which they played a second match in Philadelphia between October 10-14, 1859. The first match is preserved for posterity thanks to the images published on October 15, 1859, in the Harpers Weekly.

October 3-5, 1859: England vs USA: Match report

The first game of the USA leg took place between the English and the XXII of the USA at the Elysian Fields, Hoboken, NJ on October 3rd, 4th and 5th of 1859.

The Elysian Fields got a $2,000 makeover thanks to the timely help from Edward Stevens (whose bequest led to the founding of Stevens Institute of Technology, also located in Hoboken, in 1870).

Local clubs pitched their tents (giving rise to the expression tented field). The largest array of spectators turned up, way beyond the organizers expectations. The English players encountered 8000 spectators on the first day and this number doubles on the second day. In total, some 25,000 spectators watched the game on the three days.

New Yorks cricketing skills were embarrassing and it was defeated by a huge margin. England scored 156 and USA XXII scored 38 and 54. Fielding 22 in a side was not unusual those days when playing against England.

Some said that the American team was not truly a representative one. Most on the team were English residents of New York and there were just three Philadelphians on the American team Walter Newhall, Charles Barclay and William Morgan.

Criticism was focused on the selection of Waller, Walsh and Comery, who were veterans of the USA vs Canada series a decade and half earlier. But Waller could not have been dropped – he was the organizer and an important administrator. No surprises then that along with the first overseas tour came the first selection controversy (and as you will see below, the first umpiring controversy as well)!

October 10-14, 1859. England vs Philadelphia: Match report

In the second match at Philadelphia, which began on October 10th, on the Camac Estate at 13th and Columbia Avenue, the XXII scored 94 and 60 with England scoring 126 and 29 for three to wrap up the match with a seven wicket victory.

This match was closer than the New York one and some of the American pride was redeemed. Thus the series ended with a huge victory for England.

Lillywhite wrote, the ground presented a most animated appearance. We never saw such a magnificent sight; about 1,000 ladies were sitting by themselves, and they appeared to be enthusiastic.

This match witnessed the first international umpiring controversy when Henry Sharp inexplicably called a wide when English player Robert Carpenter was caught. Carpenter made 22 decisive runs for his side. Jones Wister claimed that it had cost Americans the match.

October 14th marked the conclusion of the official portion of the American tour (although the match may have ended earlier). Following this match, the Englishmen played some unscheduled matches, including one in Rochester (which Rochester lost by an innings and 68 runs) and a baseball match in New York as the cricket match was interrupted by snow, before returning to Liverpool on November 11th, 1859 by way of Canada.

Scorecards

	United States of America v G Parr's XI
	G Parr's XI in North America 1859
Venue	St George's Club Ground, Hoboken on 3rd, 4th, 5th October 1859 (3-day match)
Balls per over	4
Players	United States of America: 22; G Parr's XI: 11
Toss	Toss not known
Result	G Parr's XI won by an innings and 64 runs
Umpires	J Lillywhite
Close of play day 1
Close of play day 2

United States of America first innings		Runs	Balls	Mins	4s	6s
J Lang	b Parr	6
*R Waller	run out	0
HE Sharp	st Lockyer b Jackson	1
W Hammond	c Hayward b Parr	6
AH Gibbes	b Jackson	0
Earnshaw	lbw b Parr	4
AL Marsh	lbw b Jackson	0
W Wilby	b Parr	3
T Senior	hit wkt b Parr	3
WH Wright	st Lockyer b Jackson	1
J Higham	b Jackson	1
Head	b Jackson	0
S Wright	st Lockyer b Jackson	1
WS Newhall	c Diver b Jackson	5
WC Morgan	c Jackson b Parr	0
JT Walker	b Jackson	2
W Crossley	b Parr	0
W Comery	hit wkt b Parr	0
R Bage	b Jackson	3
FH Lillywhite	c Carpenter b Jackson	0
AC Barclay	run out	0
W Hallis	not out	0
Extras	(1 b, 1 lb)	2
Total	(all out, 57 overs)	38
Fall of wickets: 1-?, 2-?, 3-?, 4-?, 5-?, 6-?, 7-?, 8-?, 9-?, 10-?, 11-?, 12-?, 13-?, 14-?, 15-?, 16-?, 17-?, 18-?, 19-?, 20-?, 21-38 (57 ov)

G Parr's XI bowling	Overs	Mdns	Runs	Wkts	Wides	No-Balls
Parr	29	11	25	8	-	-
Jackson	28	19	11	11	-	-

G Parr's XI first innings		Runs	Balls	Mins	4s	6s
RP Carpenter	c Senior b Hallis	26
T Hayward	b Hallis	33
J Wisden	run out	3
*G Parr	b Gibbes	7
W Caffyn	b Gibbes	5
+T Lockyer	c Lang b Hallis	12
AJD Diver	c Hallis b Gibbes	1
HH Stephenson	b Hallis	10
J Caesar	b Hallis	6
J Grundy	b Hallis	20
J Jackson	not out	8
Extras	(10 b, 1 lb, 2 nb, 12 w)	25
Total	(all out, 105 overs)	156
Fall of wickets: 1-?, 2-?, 3-?, 4-?, 5-?, 6-?, 7-?, 8-?, 9-?, 10-156 (105 ov)

United States of America bowling	Overs	Mdns	Runs	Wkts	Wides	No-Balls
S Wright	14	7	18	0	-	2
Crossley	1	0	1	0	1	-
Comery	18	5	33	0	1	-
Hallis	43	26	47	6	4	-
Marsh	8	4	6	0	3	-
Gibbes	21	9	25	3	3	-

United States of America second innings		Runs	Balls	Mins	4s	6s
J Lang	c Carpenter b Wisden	7
*R Waller	c Lockyer b Caffyn	0
HE Sharp	c and b Caffyn	5
W Hammond	b Caffyn	0
AH Gibbes	c Lockyer b Caffyn	0
Earnshaw	c Carpenter b Caffyn	1
AL Marsh	c Wisden b Caffyn	0
W Wilby	b Caffyn	0
T Senior	c Carpenter b Caffyn	3
WH Wright	b Caffyn	5
J Higham	b Caffyn	0
Head	c Lockyer b Caffyn	5
S Wright	b Wisden	3
WS Newhall	b Caffyn	6
WC Morgan	c Lockyer b Caffyn	0
JT Walker	b Wisden	0
W Crossley	c Carpenter b Caffyn	4
W Comery	lbw b Caffyn	5
R Bage	not out	0
FH Lillywhite	st Lockyer b Caffyn	0
AC Barclay	run out	1
W Hallis	b Wisden	5
Extras	(1 b, 3 lb)	4
Total	(all out, 68 overs)	54
Fall of wickets: 1-?, 2-?, 3-?, 4-?, 5-?, 6-?, 7-?, 8-?, 9-?, 10-?, 11-?, 12-?, 13-?, 14-?, 15-?, 16-?, 17-?, 18-?, 19-?, 20-?, 21-54 (68 ov)

G Parr's XI bowling	Overs	Mdns	Runs	Wkts	Wides	No-Balls
Wisden	34	22	26	4	-	-
Caffyn	34	25	24	16	-	-

	Philadelphia v G Parr's XI
	G Parr's XI in North America 1859
Venue	Camac's Wood, Philadelphia on 10th, 12th, 13th, 14th October 1859 (4-day match)
Balls per over	4
Players	Philadelphia: 22; G Parr's XI: 11
Toss	Toss not known
Result	G Parr's XI won by 7 wickets
Umpires	J Caesar, HE Sharp
Close of play day 1
Close of play day 2
Close of play day 3

Philadelphia first innings		Runs	Balls	Mins	4s	6s
J Lang	b Parr	2
CB Sharratt	b Jackson	0
*WR Wister	b Wisden	9
+AC Barclay	b Jackson	0
WS Newhall	b Parr	3
W Hammond	c Grundy b Parr	0
AH Gibbes	b Caffyn	20
WH Wright	b Parr	1
TM Hall	hit wkt b Caffyn	3
W Wilby	b Caffyn	0
CHT Collis	b Jackson	0
T Senior	b Jackson	3
CA Vernou	c sub (J Caesar) b Jackson	5
SW Kephardt	b Jackson	0
S Wright	st Lockyer b Carpenter	3
WC Morgan	c Lockyer b Carpenter	9
EC Hunt	c Caffyn b Jackson	1
CWM Bayard	c Caffyn b Carpenter	1
J Wister	run out	19
H Fisher	b Jackson	4
W Hallis	not out	7
A Waterman	c Carpenter b Caffyn	0
Extras	(4 b)	4
Total	(all out, 134.2 overs)	94
Fall of wickets: 1-?, 2-?, 3-?, 4-?, 5-?, 6-?, 7-?, 8-?, 9-?, 10-?, 11-?, 12-?, 13-?, 14-?, 15-?, 16-?, 17-?, 18-?, 19-?, 20-?, 21-94 (134.2 ov)

G Parr's XI bowling	Overs	Mdns	Runs	Wkts	Wides	No-Balls
Parr	36	23	18	4	-	-
Jackson	59	41	37	8	-	-
Wisden	8	6	2	1	-	-
Caffyn	20.2	11	24	4	-	-
Carpenter	11	6	9	3	-	-

G Parr's XI first innings		Runs	Balls	Mins	4s	6s
T Hayward	c Wilby b WH Wright	34
RP Carpenter	c Gibbes b Senior	22
AJD Diver	b WH Wright	2
W Caffyn	b Senior	4
+T Lockyer	not out	31
J Grundy	c Newhall b Senior	5
HH Stephenson	b Senior	1
J Lillywhite	b Senior	0
J Wisden	b Gibbes	3
J Jackson	c WR Wister b Senior	6
*G Parr	absent hurt
Extras	(4 b, 3 lb, 11 w)	18
Total	(all out, 112.1 overs)	126
Fall of wickets: 1-?, 2-?, 3-?, 4-?, 5-?, 6-?, 7-?, 8-?, 9-126 (112.1 ov)

Philadelphia bowling	Overs	Mdns	Runs	Wkts	Wides	No-Balls
Senior	26.1	12	20	6	5	-
WH Wright	14	7	14	2	1	-
Gibbes	25	10	32	1	2	-
Hallis	30	16	25	0	3	-
Waterman	17	10	17	0	-	-

Philadelphia second innings		Runs	Balls	Mins	4s	6s
J Lang	c Lockyer b Grundy	8
CB Sharratt	b Grundy	1
*WR Wister	b Grundy	3
+AC Barclay	b Wisden	3
WS Newhall	c and b Wisden	0
W Hammond	b Wisden	0
AH Gibbes	b Grundy	6
WH Wright	c Stephenson b Jackson	7
TM Hall	run out	0
W Wilby	b Jackson	0
CHT Collis	st Lockyer b Wisden	0
T Senior	b Wisden	6
CA Vernou	run out	2
SW Kephardt	run out	10
S Wright	c and b Wisden	2
WC Morgan	b Jackson	3
EC Hunt	lbw b Jackson	0
CWM Bayard	c Carpenter b Jackson	0
J Wister	b Jackson	5
H Fisher	b Jackson	2
W Hallis	c Jackson b Wisden	0
A Waterman	not out	0
Extras	(2 lb)	2
Total	(all out, 78.1 overs)	60
Fall of wickets: 1-?, 2-?, 3-?, 4-?, 5-?, 6-?, 7-?, 8-?, 9-?, 10-?, 11-?, 12-?, 13-?, 14-?, 15-?, 16-?, 17-?, 18-?, 19-?, 20-?, 21-60 (78.1 ov)

G Parr's XI bowling	Overs	Mdns	Runs	Wkts	Wides	No-Balls
Grundy	23	16	12	4	-	-
Jackson	16	10	7	7	-	-
Wisden	39.1	20	39	7	-	-

G Parr's XI second innings		Runs	Balls	Mins	4s	6s
T Hayward	c Lang b Kephardt	0
RP Carpenter	c Hammond b Senior	7
W Caffyn	not out	6
+T Lockyer	st Barclay b Lang	9
J Grundy	not out	2
AJD Diver	did not bat
HH Stephenson	did not bat
J Lillywhite	did not bat
J Wisden	did not bat
J Jackson	did not bat
*G Parr	did not bat
Extras	(1 nb, 4 w)	5
Total	(3 wickets, 18.3 overs)	29
Fall of wickets: 1-?, 2-?, 3-29

Philadelphia bowling	Overs	Mdns	Runs	Wkts	Wides	No-Balls
Senior	5.3	2	7	1	-	-
Kephardt	4	1	5	1	1	-
Lang	3	1	5	1	-	-
Wilby	6	1	7	0	3	-

Copyright: DreamCricket.com

Compiled by Venu Palaparthi of DreamCricket.com

Photos: DreamCricket History Archive

Scorecards licensed from CricketArchive

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Cricket on Wall Street!

admin — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:09:00 +0000

Well, not exactly. But it made the online edition of the Wall Street Journal when Amar Shah wrote about how "cricket is quickly becoming an American sport." Amar says he knows of "American-born kids who can simultaneously tell you Derek Jeter's batting average and Sachin Tendulkar's run rate. They, of course, prefer Tendulkar."

Read the full article here. If that doesn't work, cut and paste the attached link and you will get to the article one way or the other.

http://news.google.com/news/search?aq=f&um=1&cf=all&ned=us&hl=en&q=wickets+and+willows+come+west

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Clifford Hinds wins ICC honor for his invaluable contributions to USA cricket

admin — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:46:00 +0000

In its centenary celebrations, the International Cricket Council
has awarded five medals of honor to five officials who have made
significant contributions to the game in the US. The ICC invited the
USA Cricket Association to recommend five people after it had asked its
regions to submit candidates. Clifford Hinds is a recipient of the
award.

By Peter Simunovich

Clifford
Hinds moment of glory as a cricketer happened 26 years ago. He was
picked to represent the United States Hall of Fame team for a friendly
one day match against the powerful India Test team on a matting wicket
in Hartford, Connecticut.

At the time, India boasted some of the worlds best players like Sunil Gavaskar, the great opener, and bowler Ravi Shastri.

It was an exhibition game and the crowd only wanted to see India
bat. Whenever we took a wicket the crowd groaned, Hinds recalled in an
interview with DreamCricket.com.

While it happened a long time ago Hinds vividly recalled his innings
when he scored I think about 29, he said. But there was a special
moment for the now 64-year-old former opening batsman and wicketkeeper.

He remembers facing Shastri, who delivered a ball on the off stump
and rising. He stepped back and square cut the ball to the boundary. He
said that it was his moment of glory as a player and he still remembers
the ball and the stroke as if it had happened yesterday.

While this may still be deeply embedded in Hinds mind, it was his
ability on the management side of cricket that he was honored by the
International Cricket Committee with a medal of recognition for his
long service to the game in the US.

The award makes me feel appreciated and I am honored to be
recognized by my peers and the ICC. It has given me more motivation and
to do a little more to enhance the game in the United States, he said.

I am extremely proud to have it.

Hinds, who is from Jamaica and has lived in the US since 1974, says
he is optimistic about the future of the game in the US, but he also
added: US cricket as at the cross roads — we have young,
enthusiastic and motivated players.

But I dont think there is enough money and it is hard to get
sponsorship. I think we have players, the skill and knowledge and a CEO
(Don Lockerbie) who is doing a good job so far.

One major drawback is the lack of a field with international
standards that would attract international players to compete here and
that would bring sponsors. Sponsorship would help motivate players at
grassroots level.

I think if we had an international team playing here it would attract crowds and encourage youngsters to play.

An insightful man with a vision for the game, Hinds studied
political science in Puerto Rico and then graduated from Ohio
University with a Masters in Government, which is virtually the same as
political science. He continued his studies at Fordham University in
New York and graduated with a law degree. He worked as an attorney and
lives in Passaic, New Jersey.

While growing up in Jamaica he played cricket and soccer as a center
forward or inside right, winning several rural championships. He also
competed in track and field as a high jumper and in 100 meter to 400
meter sprints.

In 1967 he was invited to compete in the national cricket trials in
the West Indies and competed against future test batsmen Maurice Foster
and Easton McMorris. He also played against Rudolph Cohen, who was
selected to tour England, but did not play a Test.

In Jamaica local cricket, Hinds played against Lawrence Rowe, the
great West Indian top order batsman, who made a double century and
century in his first Test, and keeper Desmond Lewis and batsman Basil
Williams, who both played in Tests.

As a student in Puerto Rico he scored five goals with University of
Puerto Rico in an 8-0 win against Catholic University in an Inter
America University soccer game. He went on to play in a semi
professional soccer league in Puerto Rico with Guyama.

But it was cricket that Hinds chose to compete in when he moved to
Brooklyn, New York, 35 years ago and was opening bat and wicketkeeper
with Cornwall in the New York Cricket League. He later played in the
Metropolitan Cricket League in New York with the Wanderers Cricket
Club, which was based in New Jersey.

While still a player with the Wanderers, Hinds began his
administrative career as a manager of the Metropolitan Cricket League
All Stars team and then was appointed corresponding secretary of the
league.

He then rose to vice president from 1989 to 1995 and president from
1996 to 2001. When he was elected president he chose to stop playing
because he felt it was a conflict of interest.

The Metropolitan league, under Hinds leadership, grew from 14 teams
to 22 with about another 120 players competing. In 2001 he left the
Metropolitan League and was Regional Director of the New York Region
for the next three years.

In 2004 he created a data base of player information in the New York Region while he was Director of Operations.
Hinds helped set up an interleague competition of the seven New York
leagues and a tournament where players represented their countries of
origin in 50-over games. Last year it was changed to a 20/20 format.

But it was his role in forming an Under 19 competition several years
ago with Krish Prasad , now chairman of the United States Cricket
Associations Cricket Committee and Gary Nasimento. At the time Prasad
was president of the Eastern American Cricket League and Nasimento was
a board member and a player in the league.

We started with two teams and last year we had eight. We were one
of the first to have an Under 19 competition and we took teams to
California and word quickly spread around, said Hinds, who also had a
hand in starting an Under 15 comp.
Hinds sees the future of US cricket with youth and that developing youngsters will benefit the national senior team.

In May this year, Hinds was the manager of the national Under 19
tournament in New York and also was head administrator for the Under 15
Americas Cup tournament in August.

The pleasing part of dealing with youngsters is watching them
develop to a national level. It is just great seeing players like Greg
Sewdial, Andy Mohamed and Regis Burton play for the US in the Under
19s. Kavishwar Bridgepaul was named as an Under 19 reserve, he said.
Hinds has also coached, but it is recruiting and management where he has excelled.

Everything seems to work, we have had a little bit of success and I seem to draw people, he said.

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ICC recognition for Roy Sweeney

admin — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:24:00 +0000

In its centenary celebrations, the International Cricket Council has awarded medals of honor to five officials who have made significant contributions to the game in the US. The ICC invited the USA Cricket Association to recommend five people after it had asked its regions to submit candidates. Roy Sweeney, a long time player, coach and administrator, is a recipient of the award.

By Peter Simunovich

Roy Sweeney is a man of many stories. He can talk with authority about cricket in New York and the West Indies for hours leaving you wanting to come back for much more.

He can talk about when he could bowl at just over 90 miles per hour when he was a young man in Jamaica while playing at first class level and then he can switch to his 53 years in New York where he has dealt with mayors Ed Koch, David Dinkins and Michael Bloomberg about trying to improve the playing fields for cricket in the greater metropolitan area.

And he is still friends with West Indian Test greats like Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, Brian Lara, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes and Jeffrey Dujon after he brought the team to New York on four trips to help promote cricket.

For years Sweeney, 74, devoted much of his life to the game he loves. At times his wife, Ola, of 49 years shook her head as he directed his energy in improving the playing conditions of cricket. Even his children Roy, 39, and Audrey, 34, would have preferred if their father would have spent more time with them instead of playing on weekends and spending hours administering the clubs.

They love me to death. We have a terrific relationship and we are a close family. My wife has been wonderful, said Sweeney, now a retired civil engineer.

Sometimes he reflects on his life and thinks about the times in his younger years when he devoted his time, energy and many thousands of dollars to fulfill his vision of cricket in the US.

Sweeney made a lot of sacrifices because he firmly believed, and still does, that cricket should be in the forefront of sport because the founding fathers of the United States once played the game.

He overlooked his health when he should have been taking better care of himself. The end result is that for the past 30 years he has suffered from diabetes and has lost the use of his kidneys and now undergoes dialysis three times a week.

Sweeney has also had two toes on his right foot and a left toe removed. Diabetes. It is a terrible, terrible thing, he said.

There are times when he has to use a cane to help get around. For Sweeney it is all part of his life and long involvement in a game that is dear to him. He says he has no regrets.

In an interview with DreamCricket.com, he recalled the speech he made when he was inducted several years ago into the US Cricket Hall of Fame in Hartford, Connecticut.

I said: If I had served my Lord and my God as well as Ive served cricket with the same love and dedication then I would not miss heaven, he said.

Sweeney, who lives in Brooklyn, tries to spread his knowledge and life experiences with people outside of his cricket family. He is Chairman of the Little People Child Development Center in his neighborhood and talks with children and encourages them to avoid the pitfalls of life and to try to stay on the right track.

It is no surprise that Sweeney was awarded the International Cricket Committee medal for his services to the game in the US. He said: It is very gratifying and satisfying after you work hard. Right now cricket in New York is very good.

Sweeneys long time connection with New York began when he joined the Lucas Cricket Club soon after arriving from Jamaica to study engineering. He then moved to Long Island and helped form the Westbury Cricket Club and was later president for 26 years.

We won many championships in Long Island and the Metropolitan leagues, he said. Over many years Sweeney contributed between $35,000 and $45,000 to help keep good players so the team could continue having success.

In 1980, he bought a $28,000 15-seat van to transport players to compete at different venues. The van, which was not insured, was stolen. It was eventually found, stripped of anything worth selling. But this did not stop Sweeney from following his dream to improve cricket.

Six years ago the Metropolitan League honored him by naming a 50-over tournament after him, the Roy Sweeney Challenge Cup. It was a moving experience for the cricket veteran when he was told.

He says he has won countless awards and medals, including the Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award, because of his association with cricket and he cherishes them all.

While the fire in Sweeneys belly isnt as fierce as it once was, he proudly talks how he vigorously fought to get fields and better conditions for cricket and over the years he has built up a network of contacts with local government administrators.

Sweeney has a long list of achievements in cricket, including the founding of the Mayors Cup for teams in the New York region, he helped found the Eastern American Cricket League and the Connecticut Cricket League and in 1985 he bit the bullet and formed the United States Cricket Promoters Association.

He did this because he felt that, at the time, the USA Cricket Association was not doing enough for the fans.

The following year Sweeney took a risk and the US Cricket Promoters Association brought in the West Indies Test team led by Lloyd, Richards, Greenidge, Haynes, Keith Atherton, Curtly Ambrose and Dujon in two one-day contests in Mt. Vernon against a US Select XI.

He bought them back in 1987 and this time invited a youngster named Brian Lara, and again in 1989 and 2006. The West Indies games were great. I walked away with a lot of pride, he said.

Over the more than five decades of cricket in New York he has been a board member of the New York Region, a vice president of the Metropolitan League and has helped the game improve several notches as well as being a father figure to countless players and making many friends along the way.

Sweeney has a reputation of stepping forward to help cricketers when in need. In 2002 former West Indies Test player Winston Davis was left paralyzed from the waist down after he was cutting a tree in Florida and a branch knocked him to the ground.

Sweeney flew to Florida and visited Davis in hospital to try to cheer him up. On several occasions he raised money to help the former West Indian player get his life back in order. Winston is now in a wheelchair and we are friends, he said.

Sweeney has many other stories to tell about his illustrious career in cricket, but that will be for another day.

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