Keep it short for the Yanks

Humans learn from past mistakes. ICC learnt it earlier by playing Aussie A against India A. It learnt that full international teams must play to promote the game. The decision was good but not as fruitful as expected. Two reasons 1) Improper promotion 2) Bad pitch and poor lighting facility. ICC had enough time to review these. Having said that I am optimistic that with proper planning and a clear vision USA can become a neutral venue (at least) like Sharjah has been for long.

I was there at the matches this weekend and the cricket was great. Americans like myself were few and far between, but I think it was a great start. Can't wait until next year.

@lucyferr, you poor deluded soul. The USA is a melting pot, that means both cricket and baseball can be played side by side. Who can tell, perhaps 20 years down the line, integrating into the native community might mean playing cricket! And lets not talk about sophistication, please. In cricket, the ball bounces while being bowled to the batsman. The element of sophistication that is introduced by that far surpasses 'ooh, i can throw the ball to one of four places'. I also didn't know that wearing gloves four times larger than your hands to catch the ball required a higher average standard of fielding. And as regards to uncertainty, the sheer number of last over/last ball wins in cricket make your comment a joke. Yes, your post was flamebait, so here are the flames. And while I'm all for kids integrating into the mainstream, there's no reason they can't play cricket and do it.

Posted by   on (May 24 2010, 21:37 PM GMT)

I flew in from Kentucky where I play club cricket to watch the matches. I am a white American that gave up baseball to learn cricket and I had a blast rooting on the teams and being able to watch the match live to catch the nuances that are missed watching in on TV. The only thing that truly lacked at the match was the actual publicity of the match, I drove around all over the area for the weekend and there was nothing to even tell that there was even matches going on unless you read a small part in the newspaper. Had USACA actually promoted the matches better there would have been bigger crowds and more people traveling in to see the match, that was the only draw back from an outstanding showing of what cricket can achieve in America. If they truly want to make this a success they need to bring in a tri-series with the likes of West Indies, India, Pakistan, England, Australia, Sri Lanka that have the drawing power to pack the stadium every match.

Flew in from Texas and there were quite a decent amount of other natural Americans there. Mr Chappell is a really nice and down to earth fellow, Im sure after this weekend he has met a lot more American cricket fans than the couple in Jamaica in the 70s.

I am an American from Georgia and I was at the match with two friends who had never seen a game of cricket played (it was my first live game). they are not rabid fans yet, I will probably be watching the Ashes alone again. I had a wonderful time. There needs to be a focused and intentional effort to teach Americans with the slightest interest how the game is played. Understanding a game automatically makes it more interesting. Someone in the Atlanta area taught the area P.E. teachers the basics so they could pass it on. More things like this need to become common to increase interest among Americans. I would also like to see those American companies that already sponsor cricket in other parts of the world step up and help expand an promote it in the U.S. an expat Indian will drink Coke and eat KFC as much as one who lives in India. I can't wait for the next match of this level. I plan on bringing more newbies!

I flew in from Texas on Saturday just to catch the first ICC sanctioned Twenty20 match in the US. Imagine my surprise when I bumped into two other Texans watching the match. And we weren't even the most distant visitor - we met another gentlemen who flew in from San Francisco to be a part of the festivities. It took living in England for one summer - 2005 Ashes - for this Yank to become addicted to cricket. I've since seen at least one test match a year in England (mainly at Lords) and visited the 2007 World Cup in St. Lucia. The Ft. Lauderdale match reminded me a lot of the 2007 World Cup. It seemed homespun and marketed towards the expat crowd. Hey - that was their best bet to sell tickets. I wasn't impressed by the timing of the match but can understand why it had to happen that way. Pre - World Cup would have conflicted with the IPL.

@ Rooboy, I dont think vicky530x is in any doubt about Ian's point on taking the game to homegrown Americans. What he is referring to is the choice of words here- surely Ian means 'homegrown' or 'indigenous' and not 'genuine'? I can fully see such a choice of words making front page news here in the US and there's a reason. While it may only sound offensive to the pickyand insecure, it certainly doesnt resonate with the American spirit and America's own concept of a 'genuine' American...

Posted by   on (May 24 2010, 13:22 PM GMT)

I attended the games this weekend and wish to congratulate the Sri Lankans on their turnout. We sat, sporting 'New Zealand' caps, in the middle of their stadium enclave, and were much impressed by the sportmanship. Many of the skills manifested by the players are so similar to baseball that Americans--true sportmen that we are--will have no difficulty loving this sport. How could any Yank not love the catch Nicol made yesterday, running to boundary, placing his feet perfectly, looking up into the sun, finding the ball, and, with outstretched limbs and great balance, saving the six...with bare hands! I feel we have a desperate need for cricket (and rugby) in the US, since all of our major sports have become over-specialized. Our football players train to run only in one direction! Our baseball pitchers are trained not to bat; certailnly not to stick out their precious hands to catch a 'liner' right back at them. I vote to give cricket a chance in the USA.

I do not see a very large and varied audience of cricket, in the United States. We must remember, that cricket has been tried before, in the United States. Perhaps, the immigrants from cricket playing nations to the United States, may introduce other Americans to the sport. The Caribbean Islands, are not that far from the mainland of the United States. Cricket has to be encouraged at the school level, to make a lasting impression.