Bermuda Cricket Team News & Matches

History
The earliest cricket match recorded in Bermuda is August 30, 1844, when the Garrison lost to another army team. By 1845, the Bermuda Cricket Club had been formed and the game was being played not only by British troops stationed there, but by locals. Philadelphia Zingari visited Bermuda in March 1891, playing the first international matches there, and the first Bermuda touring team, Hamilton Cricket Club, played in New York and Philadelphia in 1905, and the Philadelphians returned the compliment several times before the war, In 1912 and 1913 strong Australian sides visited the island attracting great interest.

The cricketing strength of the island fell away sharply after the First World War, with few tours of note. The only tour of significance in the inter-War period being that of Sir Julien Cahn's team in 1933 - the five matches they played being the subject of much discussion for several years afterwards. After the Second World War, enthusiasm for cricket gained ground and many tours have been undertaken both to and from Bermuda, with a number of Test sides visiting en route to or from the Caribbean. The first Bermudian side visited England in 1960, and subsequent tours to a variety of countries followed.

The highlight of the Bermuda season is the annual Cup Match, played between two of the island's leading clubs - Somerset and St. George's. The match was first played in 1902 and has now taken on a carnival atmosphere with vast crowds in attendance. Bermuda became an Associate member of the ICC in 1966 and it was their delegate, Alma Hunt, who first proposed that a competition be held among the Associate members.

Alma 'Champ' Hunt was the best cricketer produced by the island. He had some success in a trial match in Trinidad in 1933 prior to the selection of the West Indian side to tour England the following season, but doubts were raised about his eligibility and in the end he was not chosen. He was later an outstanding professional with Aberdeenshire and played for Scotland.