Cricket in Canada

Cricket in Canada was declared the national sport in the 19th century, and was only overtaken by ice hockey in the early 1900s. Now, it’s the fastest growing sport in the country with over 40,000 cricketers taking part.

The Canadian team is part of the World Cricket League of 87 non-test playing countries. The team plays one day internationals and first class matches against other WCL members.

Their match against the United States in 1844 is the oldest international cricket fixture. This was played in New York before a crowd of over 10,000 spectators, who saw Canada win by 23 runs. This fixture is still played today and is just as ultra-competitive as it was in 1844.

And to show that cricket in Canada is growing strongly, a new professional Twenty20 league was formed in 2009, and was won by the Kings, who defeated the Titans in the final.

There’s more to cricket in Canada than their successful national teams and provincial sides. The country also has seventeen club cricket leagues, as well as around sixty more club sides who play on a friendly basis. To prove the long cricketing tradition, the oldest club in the country is Toronto Cricket Club, which was formed in 1827.

And, junior cricket is growing fast too, with over 20,000 children playing cricket in communities, schools and organised leagues across the country.

Although cricket is traditionally played more in the east of the country around Toronto, its also growing fast in the west around Vancouver. Many immigrants are gathering here from other cricket playing countries like South Africa, England and South East Asia, and are helping to develop local club teams.

If you’re interested in playing cricket in Vancouver, check out the British Columbia Mainland Cricket League and the Metro Vancouver Cricket League. Both leagues have great web sites that keep you up to date with cricket in Vancouver, and where to find a cricket club.

Want to get involved in youth cricket in Vancouver? Visit the SuperStrikers team web site, home of youth cricket in the Tri-Cities area of Metro Vancouver, and comprising players from Coquitlam, Port Moody, New Westminster, Burnaby, and Maple Ridge. The SuperStrikers are just passionate about cricket, and welcome all junior cricketers from the ages of 6 to 16.

I’ve focused on Vancouver, because it shows just how much cricket is growing in Canada at the grassroots level, but the game is also developing fast across the whole country. However, two challenges to this are lack of facilities and funding at a local and national level.

The country has just two venues that are approved by the International Cricket Council to stage one day international matches, Maple Leaf A in King City, and the Toronto Cricket Skating & Curling Club. A country the size of Canada, with its passionate grassroots support for cricket deserves more than this. However, Maple Leaf is struggling for funds to maintain the playing area, and this is a major threat to its ODI status.

A strong performance from the national side in the 2011 world cup might be just the inspiration that cricket in Canada needs to attract more investment. The undoubted passion for the game among its 40,000 cricketers shows that the game richly deserves the chance to regain its place as the country’s number one sport in the land of ice hockey and baseball.

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