Cricket is a sport that emerged in England but managed to surpass the border and attain international significance. Being subjected to prolonged English influence, the U.S. was exposed to cricket and eventually adopted the sport. It initially gained popularity in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with the help of many individuals, namely William Wister. As time passed, the game rules evolved to follow the trends and public demands better, retaining its original features.
The person who is credited with the introduction of Americans to cricket was William Wister. He grew accustomed to the sport in his teenage years, which made him form cricket clubs in the neighborhood, at the University of Pennsylvania, and, finally, the Philadelphia cricket club in 1854 (Allen, 2021). The club promoted and preserved cricket in American society, simultaneously encouraging English residents to join with Philadelphian natives.
Consequently, the wave of cricket’s popularity swept the city, making Pennsylvania the first American state where cricket received public acknowledgment. Before that, cricket was played predominantly by English immigrants, and opinions on the sport in society were ambivalent. The first English cricket clubs date to the first years following the Independence war; however, its value in America was realized only in 1830th (Allen, 2021). That time aligns with the activity of already mentioned William Wister.
With time, the rules of cricket were subjected to various changes and modifications. For example, the most notable difference is the introduction of different cricket formats, such as limited-overs or Twenty20 (Stevens, 2022). The “first-class” Test format is limited by time, which usually results in three or five days long matches and is subjected to draws in some cases. In contrast, new formats are determined by the number of overs (a set of six balls delivered by an individual bowler), allowing the games to be finished significantly faster (Stevens, 2022). Due to that feature, new formats have gained greater popularity in the context of a TV broadcast – viewers appreciated the quicker and more decisive game resolution at the expense of a conservative approach.
Overall, cricket can be considered a successful sport due to its undeniable worldwide acknowledgment. Particularly, in the U.S., the game became popular in the middle of the 19th century, starting in Pennsylvania and spreading further. The world community eventually made changes to the game rules and formats. Nevertheless, these changes only contributed to cricket’s popularity, which allows it to stand firmly among other worldwide acknowledged sports disciplines.
References
Allen, D. (2021). ‘The Englishman’s Game’: Cricket and the Influence of English Culture in North America, 1830–1900. The International Journal of the History of Sport, 38(5), 449-471.
Stevens, A. (2022). John Blundell’s cricket blueprint revisited. Economic Affairs, 42(1), 144-160.