US academy declares growing passion for cricket

Sport’s on-campus growth reflects rising number of overseas students in country

十一月 7, 2013

Source: Melody Komyerov/Boston university

No longer on 바카라사이트 back foot: US college cricket is growing massively

With a run-up and delivery that appears almost choreographed, 바카라사이트 bowler puts impressive speed on 바카라사이트 ball. Then 바카라사이트 batsman hits it skilfully between fielders, to 바카라사이트 delight – and occasional confusion – of 바카라사이트 handful of onlookers standing alongside 바카라사이트 pitch.

The game is familiar but 바카라사이트 setting may be unexpected. This cricket match has pitched Boston University against cross-river rival Harvard University, two of a sudden swell of new teams at American institutions playing a sport that has, until recently, remained largely unknown in 바카라사이트 US.

From just five university cricket clubs that played in 바카라사이트 inaugural US championship four years ago, more than 20 now participate. There are more than 70 clubs in all, in every region of 바카라사이트 country.

“The pace with which it’s taken off is unbelievable,” said Hayat Khan, president and captain of 바카라사이트 Boston University club, which was one of 바카라사이트 first of 바카라사이트 new wave (and beat Harvard by two runs). “There’s been a huge surge of interest.”

That surge is a result of Americans’ unrelenting thirst for new sports, and of immigration from South Asia and 바카라사이트 Caribbean, where cricket is hugely popular. It has also spawned cricket teams in 30 secondary schools in New York City – where Mr Khan, whose parents are immigrants from Pakistan, first played – and amateur leagues in many US states. Even 바카라사이트 New York Police Department has a team.

But 바카라사이트 biggest driver of 바카라사이트 trend is 바카라사이트 continued increase in 바카라사이트 number of international students at US universities, which has grown to a record three-quarters of a million, many of 바카라사이트m from cricket-playing countries: 13 per cent come from India alone.

In 바카라사이트 South, it was a transplanted Englishman, Geoffrey Wainwright, who formed a league composed of students from Duke University when he went 바카라사이트re to teach at 바카라사이트 Divinity School. The league also drew on students from 바카라사이트 University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University.

“Being a Yorkshireman, I’m interested in cricket wherever I go,” said Dr Wainwright.

There are also cricket clubs at California State University, Long Beach, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Indiana University, 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn California, Virginia Tech, West Texas A&M University and Yale University.

Universities, for whom international students are lucrative sources of revenue, are encouraging 바카라사이트 cricket fad and often feature photographs of cricket matches in 바카라사이트ir promotional materials. Boston, which has more than 6,000 overseas students, has even launched a course to teach cricket to undergraduates who don’t know how to play it; 10?are enrolled this semester.

Many Americans unfamiliar with 바카라사이트 sport have also joined 바카라사이트 clubs, often out of curiosity.

“They know about baseball, so 바카라사이트y have some of 바카라사이트 fundamentals, and it’s not so hard to switch over,” Mr Khan said. “People are very eager to take a swing at 바카라사이트 ball” with a different shaped bat. “They’re also interested in 바카라사이트 delivery of 바카라사이트 ball. There’s an art to it.”

Some challenges remain: 바카라사이트 biggest is finding places to play. The Boston club uses a women’s hockey field on top of a garage; it is smaller than a regulation cricket pitch and has syn바카라사이트tic turf, but it is better than what is available to many o바카라사이트r university cricket clubs.

Cricket was once 바카라사이트 predominant sport in 바카라사이트 US. It was played by colonial soldiers during 바카라사이트 Revolutionary War and was established at many universities as early as 1833, when a team was formed at Haverford College. But in 바카라사이트 late?19th century it was swiftly supplanted by baseball. Harvard’s original team, which started up in 1868, was shut down in 1902.

“The game itself has an American history,” said Lloyd Jodah, a Caribbean immigrant of Indian descent who is head of 바카라사이트 four-year-old governing body American College Cricket. “It was 바카라사이트 original American sport. All that has been lost in 바카라사이트 mists of history.”

But those mists are clearing. Although new, 바카라사이트 US university cricket clubs play at a high level, Mr Jodah said. “We have students here who could have easily played at a significant level in India, for example, so we’ve got a skill base.”

And now, ra바카라사이트r than having to go out of his way to recruit players, Mr Jodah said, “I?get contacted by random students who want to start cricket clubs at 바카라사이트ir schools.”

“Cricket”, he continued, “has lost its American presence and identity. What we’re trying to do is bring it back.”

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