USA
Cricket - A Brief History
The 1700's
In a 1889 book titled “Cricket” by AG Steel with contributions by WG Grace, Andrew Lang and others, Mr. Lang gives some clues about how cricket came into being and how it spread beyond England. He says “crice” was Anglo-Saxon for a staff, hence cricket, just as “crosso” a Bishop’s crosier, may be at the bottom of lacrosse. Andrew Lang wrote that British adventurers and explorers took cricket wherever they went.
Especially interesting is the 1675 letter that Henry Onage wrote from the Royal Oak, her Majesty’s ship at Aleppe. Henry, who was the Chaplain writes that the ship’s crew and officers had fun at “duck hunting, fishing, shooting, handball, krickett, and then a noble dinner, with greats plenty of all sorts of wine, punch, and lemonade.” Back in those days, wickets were just two forked sticks with a single straight piece going across.
Early in 18th century, English literature had numerous references to cricket. Lord Chesterfield asks his son “to excel all boys at cricket.” Kent was always good at cricket and there is evidence of a 1711 match against All England.
The navy, in fact, had an important role in spreading the game of cricket throughout the colonial empire. As historian Bowen states, “Recreation had to be found for troops and sailors: cricket was an ideal source of it, and the very activity it demanded must often have been welcome to shipboard mariners."
Cricket comes to America
Without a doubt, the early sailors to America brought cricket along and the colonists played cricket. Exactly when the first ball was bowled is hard to estimate. By 1705, the colonists were already playing the game in Georgia, Virginia and North and South Carolina. In fact, the Guinness book of "Cricket Firsts" says the first mention of cricket in America dates from 1709. It is entirely plausible that the game was played on the continent some years before 1705.
Cricket
at the Dartmouth College - Late 18th Century
By
the end of the 18th century, according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers
Association (SGMA*), English immigrants who had settled in New York spent their
free time playing cricket, and managed to popularize the sport up and down the
East Coast colonies. Up the coast in Boston, cricket was also played by English
immigrants, notably those who considered themselves as gentry.
April 25, 1709: Cricket on James River Plantation
William Byrd II studied in England at the Felsted School and returned to America in 1704. He was the founder of Richmond and provided the land where the city was laid out in 1737. He lived in Virginia on his Westover Estate, a plantation on the banks of James River. In a secret diary written in short-hand that he kept between 1709 and 1712 (The Secret Diaries of William Byrd of Westover), he refers to an early morning game with family and friends played on the front lawn. The entry was made on April 25, 1709.
He noted: "I rose at 6 o'clock and read a chapter in Hebrew. About 10 o'clock Dr. Blair, and Major and Captain Harrison came to see us. After I had given them a glass of sack we played cricket. I ate boiled beef for my dinner. Then we played at shooting with arrows and went to cricket again till dark." The Byrd Park in Richmond is named after William Byrd II.
1737: After 1709, the next mention of cricket in America was in 1737, this time on Oglethorpe's colony and William Stephens’ colony in Georgia. This was noted by Lester in his book titled ‘A Century of Philadelphia Cricket.’
According to Lester, William Stephens, a planter living in Georgia wrote in 1737 that “Many of our townsmen, freeholders, inmates and servants were assembled in the principal square at cricket and divers other athletick sports.” Stephens was educated at Winchester and Cambridge before taking up plantations in the American colonies. So it may be assumed that he picked it up outside Georgia.
1739: An advertisement in a New York newspaper appeared asking for more players for a match.
April 29, 1751: First recorded match in New York
The first recorded American cricket match was in New York in 1751, on the site of what is today the Fulton Fish Market in Manhattan. A record of this match was preserved by Alfred H Wright of New York, an enthusiastic collector of cricket literature in the 19th century. Not only that, he himself was a cricketer who features prominently in the history of American cricket.
The New York Weekly Gazette and Post Boy reported that a match between New York XI and London XI was played according to the ‘London method' probably a reference to the 1744 Code of the game which was stricter than the rules governing the contemporary game in England. The match was won by the New Yorkers, the scores being 80 and 86 against 43 and 47. Both XIs were drawn from residents of New York.
1753: The British General Braddock marched on Fort Duquesne (later to be renamed Pittsburgh). So confident was Braddock about defeating the French and Indian, that he brought heavy rollers with him so he can make a cricket pitch. The resulting massacre - in which Braddock died - was the first time the supposedly invincible British had been defeated on American soil. With the British went the cricket pitch too but one American officer at Fort Duquesne apparently enjoyed the game, as we will find out later. His name was George Washington.
1754: The rules of the game on this side of the Atlantic were certainly formalized in 1754, when Benjamin Franklin brought back from England a copy of the 1744 Laws, cricket’s official rule book which was referred to until now as ‘London Method’. This gave cricket a 100 year lead before the first book of baseball rules was published. Certainly, cricket was played in Baltimore in 1754.
1759: Historical records do not divulge when cricket was first played in Canada, but it is generally assumed that the game was introduced into the country by British soldiers following the historic battle at the Plains of Abraham near Quebec City, between the armies of General Wolfe and General Montcalm in 1759. Records are said to exist of cricket being played by the Royal Navy and the British army, starting from the mid 1700s.
May 20, 1767: Earliest recorded cricket in Hartford
The Connecticut Courant published a cricket challenge to be held by the Grand Bridge in Hartford. The challenge was signed by William Pratt. The match was played on election day between two sides representing the ‘north’ and ‘south’ of the bridge.
1776: Cricket came up in the debate at the Independence Hall over what to call the new nation's head of state: John Adams disapproved—and noted futilely—that "there are presidents of fire brigades and cricket clubs." As J Alfred Reeves (President of Philadelphia’s British Officer’s Cricket Club) once said, the game of cricket was in the States before we were States.
May 4, 1778: George Washington and cricket
Having survived the battle at Fort Duquesne in 1753 (see Timeline year 1753), George Washington rose up the ranks and was now commander of the American forces who were rebelling against the army of King George. The same King whose father was hit on the head with a cricket ball and died a few years later of that injury.
Having survived a savage winter in Valley Forge, George Washington rebuilt his army's shattered morale with courts martial, drills, theatrical entertainments and cricket.
George Washington even played the game himself.
"This day His Excellency dined with General Nox" wrote first lieutenant George Ewing in his diary, "and after dinner did us the honor to play at Wicket with us." Wicket was a type of informal cricket prevalent across America.
A festival match to commemorate an anniversary of the occasion was organized near Wayne's Woods below the Memorial Arch in the summer of 1993.
1779: A cricket club existed and cricket was regularly played in Greenwich on Manhattan.
1780: Cricketers used to meet at the Ferry House Tavern between Fulton St and Elm St in Brooklyn on Mondays. Tom Melville wrote in his ‘Tented Field’ that these matches may have been organized by the Brooklyn Club besides the Jewish burial grounds.
The Ferry House Tavern appears to have been the favorite spot for the British soldiers who were stationed in New York at that time. And the pitch by the Jewish burial grounds appears to have been the favored pitch for cricket for over 50 years until 1838.
1782: According to Lt. Feltman, cricket was played in South Carolina before this year.
1783: Treaty of Paris recognizes the sovereignty of United States.
1784: The date that marked the Laws of cricket as revised at the Star and Garter. In 1788, the MCC published the Laws of the Noble Game of Cricket. These laws still govern the sport today.
1785: The earliest record of a Canadian civilian match is a reference to a game played in 1785 at Ile-Ste-Helene, near Montreal.
1785: Massachusetts clergymen played cricket throughout the year according to Tom Melville’s ‘Tented Field.’
April 19, 1786: Wanted! Cricketers in New York
In 1786, an advertisement for cricket equipment appeared in the New York Independent Journal, and newspaper reports of that time mentioned "young gentlemen" and "men of fashion" taking up the sport.
1793: The earliest known portrayal depicting cricket is the same one that also depicts Dartmouth College. It is an engraving that appeared in the Massachusetts Magazine for February 1793. The copper engraving is signed by J. Dunham, delineator and S. Hill, sculpt (the engraver). Accompanying the engraving in the Massachusetts Magazine is a short description of Dartmouth College that included the following: 'The new College [predecessor of Dartmouth Hall], which is represented in the plate, is an elegant wooden building, 150 feet by 50, and three stories high. It was erected in 1786, and since finished; and contains 36 rooms for students, beside two rooms for the library and apparatus. Its situation is elevated, healthful and pleasant, commanding an extensive prospect to the west.'
In addition to Dartmouth, there is evidence that cricket was played at Harvard in the late 18th century and it is generally believed that the two prestigious schools played cricket matches as the century drew to a close although there is no concrete evidence to support such a belief.
1795: Cricket played in Richmond, Virginia. Organized matches were played under the playing rules of the club there.
1797: 1797 marked the first known account of women’s cricket in Great Britain, where 11 married women of Bury beat 11 unmarried women by 80 runs.
1798: Jane Austen writes about baseball and cricket in Northanger Abbey.
1800: By the time the century drew to a close, cricket’s popularity was soaring. The Britishness of the game was a problem and the American Revolution had an impact on cricket - just like it did on all things British including tea and taxes.
April 25, 1709: Cricket on James River Plantation
William Byrd II studied in England at the Felsted School and returned to America in 1704. He was the founder of Richmond and provided the land where the city was laid out in 1737. He lived in Virginia on his Westover Estate, a plantation on the banks of James River. In a secret diary written in short-hand that he kept between 1709 and 1712 (The Secret Diaries of William Byrd of Westover), he refers to an early morning game with family and friends played on the front lawn. The entry was made on April 25, 1709.
He noted: "I rose at 6 o'clock and read a chapter in Hebrew. About 10 o'clock Dr. Blair, and Major and Captain Harrison came to see us. After I had given them a glass of sack we played cricket. I ate boiled beef for my dinner. Then we played at shooting with arrows and went to cricket again till dark." The Byrd Park in Richmond is named after William Byrd II.
1737: After 1709, the next mention of cricket in America was in 1737, this time on Oglethorpe's colony and William Stephens’ colony in Georgia. This was noted by Lester in his book titled ‘A Century of Philadelphia Cricket.’
According to Lester, William Stephens, a planter living in Georgia wrote in 1737 that “Many of our townsmen, freeholders, inmates and servants were assembled in the principal square at cricket and divers other athletick sports.” Stephens was educated at Winchester and Cambridge before taking up plantations in the American colonies. So it may be assumed that he picked it up outside Georgia.
1739: An advertisement in a New York newspaper appeared asking for more players for a match.
April 29, 1751: First recorded match in New York
The first recorded American cricket match was in New York in 1751, on the site of what is today the Fulton Fish Market in Manhattan. A record of this match was preserved by Alfred H Wright of New York, an enthusiastic collector of cricket literature in the 19th century. Not only that, he himself was a cricketer who features prominently in the history of American cricket.
The New York Weekly Gazette and Post Boy reported that a match between New York XI and London XI was played according to the ‘London method' probably a reference to the 1744 Code of the game which was stricter than the rules governing the contemporary game in England. The match was won by the New Yorkers, the scores being 80 and 86 against 43 and 47. Both XIs were drawn from residents of New York.
1753: The British General Braddock marched on Fort Duquesne (later to be renamed Pittsburgh). So confident was Braddock about defeating the French and Indian, that he brought heavy rollers with him so he can make a cricket pitch. The resulting massacre - in which Braddock died - was the first time the supposedly invincible British had been defeated on American soil. With the British went the cricket pitch too but one American officer at Fort Duquesne apparently enjoyed the game, as we will find out later. His name was George Washington.
1754: The rules of the game on this side of the Atlantic were certainly formalized in 1754, when Benjamin Franklin brought back from England a copy of the 1744 Laws, cricket’s official rule book which was referred to until now as ‘London Method’. This gave cricket a 100 year lead before the first book of baseball rules was published. Certainly, cricket was played in Baltimore in 1754.
1759: Historical records do not divulge when cricket was first played in Canada, but it is generally assumed that the game was introduced into the country by British soldiers following the historic battle at the Plains of Abraham near Quebec City, between the armies of General Wolfe and General Montcalm in 1759. Records are said to exist of cricket being played by the Royal Navy and the British army, starting from the mid 1700s.
May 20, 1767: Earliest recorded cricket in Hartford
The Connecticut Courant published a cricket challenge to be held by the Grand Bridge in Hartford. The challenge was signed by William Pratt. The match was played on election day between two sides representing the ‘north’ and ‘south’ of the bridge.
1776: Cricket came up in the debate at the Independence Hall over what to call the new nation's head of state: John Adams disapproved—and noted futilely—that "there are presidents of fire brigades and cricket clubs." As J Alfred Reeves (President of Philadelphia’s British Officer’s Cricket Club) once said, the game of cricket was in the States before we were States.
May 4, 1778: George Washington and cricket
Having survived the battle at Fort Duquesne in 1753 (see Timeline year 1753), George Washington rose up the ranks and was now commander of the American forces who were rebelling against the army of King George. The same King whose father was hit on the head with a cricket ball and died a few years later of that injury.
Having survived a savage winter in Valley Forge, George Washington rebuilt his army's shattered morale with courts martial, drills, theatrical entertainments and cricket.
George Washington even played the game himself.
"This day His Excellency dined with General Nox" wrote first lieutenant George Ewing in his diary, "and after dinner did us the honor to play at Wicket with us." Wicket was a type of informal cricket prevalent across America.
A festival match to commemorate an anniversary of the occasion was organized near Wayne's Woods below the Memorial Arch in the summer of 1993.
1779: A cricket club existed and cricket was regularly played in Greenwich on Manhattan.
1780: Cricketers used to meet at the Ferry House Tavern between Fulton St and Elm St in Brooklyn on Mondays. Tom Melville wrote in his ‘Tented Field’ that these matches may have been organized by the Brooklyn Club besides the Jewish burial grounds.
The Ferry House Tavern appears to have been the favorite spot for the British soldiers who were stationed in New York at that time. And the pitch by the Jewish burial grounds appears to have been the favored pitch for cricket for over 50 years until 1838.
1782: According to Lt. Feltman, cricket was played in South Carolina before this year.
1783: Treaty of Paris recognizes the sovereignty of United States.
1784: The date that marked the Laws of cricket as revised at the Star and Garter. In 1788, the MCC published the Laws of the Noble Game of Cricket. These laws still govern the sport today.
1785: The earliest record of a Canadian civilian match is a reference to a game played in 1785 at Ile-Ste-Helene, near Montreal.
1785: Massachusetts clergymen played cricket throughout the year according to Tom Melville’s ‘Tented Field.’
April 19, 1786: Wanted! Cricketers in New York
In 1786, an advertisement for cricket equipment appeared in the New York Independent Journal, and newspaper reports of that time mentioned "young gentlemen" and "men of fashion" taking up the sport.
1793: The earliest known portrayal depicting cricket is the same one that also depicts Dartmouth College. It is an engraving that appeared in the Massachusetts Magazine for February 1793. The copper engraving is signed by J. Dunham, delineator and S. Hill, sculpt (the engraver). Accompanying the engraving in the Massachusetts Magazine is a short description of Dartmouth College that included the following: 'The new College [predecessor of Dartmouth Hall], which is represented in the plate, is an elegant wooden building, 150 feet by 50, and three stories high. It was erected in 1786, and since finished; and contains 36 rooms for students, beside two rooms for the library and apparatus. Its situation is elevated, healthful and pleasant, commanding an extensive prospect to the west.'
In addition to Dartmouth, there is evidence that cricket was played at Harvard in the late 18th century and it is generally believed that the two prestigious schools played cricket matches as the century drew to a close although there is no concrete evidence to support such a belief.
1795: Cricket played in Richmond, Virginia. Organized matches were played under the playing rules of the club there.
1797: 1797 marked the first known account of women’s cricket in Great Britain, where 11 married women of Bury beat 11 unmarried women by 80 runs.
1798: Jane Austen writes about baseball and cricket in Northanger Abbey.
1800: By the time the century drew to a close, cricket’s popularity was soaring. The Britishness of the game was a problem and the American Revolution had an impact on cricket - just like it did on all things British including tea and taxes.
1833
Cricket begins in what was to become its US hotbed in Philadelphia when
students at Haverford College form a team.
1844 The first international match in any sport takes place in New York as the USA play Canada at cricket, the match becomes a semi-annual event.
1853 After a seven year gap in the fixture, the USA win the match against Canada for the first time.
1859 George Parr's XI tour North America on the first ever international cricket tour. They beat the US national side by an innings.
1862 Brothers George and Harry Wright play for the US national team together. Both would eventually become key figures in the early years of Major League Baseball and both are in the baseball hall of fame.
1864 Haverford College play the University of Pennsylvania for the first time in what is the third-oldest inter-collegiate match in the USA.
1872 An English side featuring WG Grace tours the USA.
1874 Philadelphia play in the Halifax International Cricket Tournament in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is believed to be the first international cricket tournament.
A baseball team tours England, playing both baseball and cricket.
1878 Australia tour the USA. They beat All New York, draw with Philadelphia, beat the Peninsular Cricket Club in St Louis and beat California in San Francisco. The match against Philadelphia is the first first-class match in the USA, meaning that first-class cricket in the USA started before first-class cricket in Asia and Africa.
1879 Ireland tour the USA, drawing a two match series against Philadelphia.
1882 Australia tour the USA for the second time. They beat 18 of Philadelphia by 9 wickets.
1883 George Wright makes his first-class debut for the USA against the Gentlemen of Philadelphia, making him the first and to date, only, person to play first-class cricket and Major League Baseball.
1884 Philadelphia tour England, but do not play any first-class matches.
1885 Philadelphia gain their first first-class win over a touring side when they beat EJ Sander's XI by 109 runs at Germantown Cricket Club.
1886 The West Indies tour North America, including matches in New York and Philadelphia.
1888 Second tour of the USA by Ireland. They beat Longwood and All New York, but lose twice to Philadelphia.
On a tour to the West Indies, the USA beat the West Indies in Guyana.
1889 Second Philadelphian tour to England, again without first-class matches. They also visit Ireland and Scotland, drawing against the Irish and beating the Scots by 10 wickets.
1891 Lord Hawke's XI tours the USA. They win and lose first-class matches against Philadelphia before playing in New York, Baltimore, Boston and Chicago.
1892 Another tour of the USA by Ireland. They play matches in Philadelphia, Boston, New York and Baltimore. A three match series against Philadelphia is drawn 1-1.
Bart King makes his debut for the USA in the annual match against Canada. He goes on to be considered the greatest of all American cricketers.
1893 Australia tour the USA again. They lose to Philadelphia by an innings in a first-class match, with Bart King taking seven wickets on his first-class debut. Australia follow this with a draw against New York, a win in a first-class match against Philadelphia, and wins against Massachusetts and Detroit.
1894 Another tour of the USA by Lord Hawke's XI. They win both first-class matches against Philadelphia.
George Patterson scores 271 for his XI against Arthur Wood's XI in a first-class match. This remains the highest first-class score by a player from one of the current non-Test countries.
1895 University of Pennsylvania beats F Mitchell's XI in a first-class match. The touring team also draw a two match first-class series against Philadelphia.
1896 Another win for Philadelphia over Australia in a first-class match, though they lose the series 2-1. Australia also play against New Jersey, Chicago and California on the tour.
1897 Pelham Warner's XI tour the USA, playing matches in New York, Baltimore and Philadelphia. They win and lose first-class matches against Philadelphia.
Philadelphia tour England a third time, this time playing first-class matches. They win twice and lose nine of the 14 matches.
1898 Pelham Warner's XI tour the USA for a second consecutive year, this time adding Chicago to their itinerary. They win both first-class matches against Philadelphia.
1899 KS Ranjitsinhji (Ranji) takes an XI to the USA. They beat Philadelphia by an innings in both first-class matches.
1901 Bernard Bosanquet, inventor of the googly, takes an XI to the USA. The two match first-class series against Philadelphia is drawn 1-1.
1903 Kent become the first English county side to visit the USA. They beat Philadelphia in the tour's two first-class matches.
A second tour of England featuring first-class matches for Philadelphia. They win six of the 15 matches.
1905 The MCC tour the USA for the first time. The two match first-class series against Philadelphia is drawn 1-1.
1907 A second MCC tour sees both first-class matches against Philadelphia drawn.
Philadelphia tour Bermuda. They lose to the national side by 47 runs in a two day match.
1908 A second tour of Bermuda for Philadelphia. This time they beat the national side, winning by 8 wickets.
The final tour of England for Philadelphia. They play ten first-class matches, winning four and losing six. Bart King takes 87 wickets at 11.01 on the tour, the best single season bowling average in England until 1958.
1909 Ireland tour the USA. In the first first-class match against Philadelphia, Bart King takes all ten in the first innings (also bowling the not out batsman with a no-ball) and a hat-trick in the second as Philadelphia win by an innings. Philadelphia also win the second match by an innings.
Philadelphia visit Jamaica, winning a three match first-class series 2-1.
The ICC is formed, restricting membership to what is now the Commonwealth, thus excluding the USA despite their strength at this time.
1910 Bermuda beat Philadelphia by 9 wickets in Hamilton.
1911 First tour of the USA by Bermuda. In the match against Philadelphia at Haverford, Gerald Conyers takes six wickets for two runs, including two hat-tricks, at the end of the Philadelphian innings, finishing with match figures 15/138 in the six run win.
Now an annual visit, Bermuda beat Philadelphia by 7 wickets in Hamilton.
1912 The final first-class matches for Bart King in a drawn two match series against Australia.
Another tour of Bermuda by Philadelphia, featuring a 4 wicket loss to the national side.
1913 Final tour by Australia to feature first-class matches. They win two and draw one in the first-class matches against Philadelphia, also beating a combined Canada/USA team in both Philadelphia and Toronto, both of which were first-class matches. They also play matches in New York, Chicago, Pittsburgh and Rhode Island on the tour, which also includes a win for Germantown Cricket Club against the tourists.
1918 Philadelphian cricket begins to decline after the war. They lose a four match series against New York 3-1.
1921 Eastern Canada tour the USA, drawing their match against Philadelphia.
1923 Bermuda tour the USA, losing a two match series against Philadelphia 1-0.
1928 Bermuda tour the USA, drawing against Philadelphia.
1932 Australia tour North America, including Don Bradman in the side. During the tour, Bradman watches a baseball match at Yankee Stadium with Babe Ruth.
1958 Pakistan tour the USA, playing matches in Philadelphia, New York and Massachusetts.
Cricket is televised in the USA for the first time, a match between Corinthians and Hollywood in Los Angeles.
1959 The MCC tour the USA, playing matches in Philadelphia and Washington DC.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower watches a Test match in Pakistan, gaining some publicity for cricket.
1961 The USA Cricket Assocation is formed.
1963 The Canada v USA match resumes, with Canada winning by an innings in Toronto.
1964 Yorkshire tour the USA, playing matches in New York, Washington DC and Hollywood.
1965 The USA become an associate member of the ICC.
Worcestershire tour the USA before the English season starts, playing matches in Honolulu and Hollywood.
New Zealand tour the USA, including a match in Los Angeles.
1967 MCC tour the USA, playing matches in Washington DC, Philadelphia and New York.
1968 The USA national side tour England for the first time, playing against minor counties and county second Xis.
1973 The USA beat Ireland by 42 runs in Los Angeles.
1979 The USA play in the first ICC Trophy in England, beating Israel and Wales.
1982 The USA finish sixth out of eight teams in their ICC Trophy first round group.
1986 The USA finish third out of nine teams in their ICC Trophy first round group, missing out on the semi finals on run rate.
1987 The West Indies tour the USA, playing two matches in Mount Vernon, Washington DC. They repeat the tour in the following two years. They play matches against a USA Select XI on the 88 and 89 tours.
1989 India play Pakistan in New York and Los Angeles and play the West Indies in Mount Vernon.
1990 Australia play Pakistan in New York and Los Angeles.
England play the West Indies in New York.
The USA reach the second round of the ICC Trophy in the Netherlands.
1992 Pakistan play a World XI in New York.
1993 Pakistan play the West Indies in New York.
The West Indies beat the USA for the Sir Garfield Sobers Cup.
1994 The USA reach the plate final of the ICC Trophy, but opt not to play due to prior travel arrangements.
1995 West Indies A tour the USA.
1996 Sri Lanka tour the USA, playing two matches in Philadelphia.
A USA Select XI play against the West Indies in Florida.
1997 The USA finish 12th in the ICC Trophy in Malaysia.
1998 The USA play in the Red Stripe Bowl, their first List A matches.
1999 Australia A play India A in a five match one-day series in Los Angeles, the first List A games to be played in the USA.
Two matches between an Asian XI and a World XI are played in New York and San Francisco.
2000 The USA tour England.
The USA finish third in the first Americas Championship.
In the Red Stripe Bowl, the USA beat Barbados by two wickets.
2001 The USA finish sixth in the ICC Trophy in Canada.
2002 A rain affected Americas Championship in Argentina is won by the USA.
2004 The first first-class match in the USA for more than 90 years is played in Florida as the USA lose to Canada in the Intercontinental Cup. John Davison takes 17 wickets for Canada, the best bowling figures in first-class cricket since Jim Laker. The USA beat Bermuda later in the competition, but do not reach the semi finals.
The USA win the ICC Six Nations Challenge in the UAE to qualify for the ICC Champions Trophy.
The USA are runners-up to Canada in the Americas Championship in Bermuda.
The ICC Champions Trophy in England sees the USA play their first ODIs, losing heavily to Australia and New Zealand.
2005 The USA finish 10th in the ICC Trophy in Ireland.
The USA Under-19s side wins the Americas Championship to qualify for the Under-19 World Cup.
Administration problems in the USA see the USACA suspended from the ICC, and the national sides kicked out of international competition, starting with the USA being replaced with the Cayman Islands in the Intercontinental Cup.
2006 USA Under-19s reach the plate semi-final in the Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka.
Despite their suspension, the USA are invited to take part in the Americas Championship in Canada. They finish second to Bermuda.
1844 The first international match in any sport takes place in New York as the USA play Canada at cricket, the match becomes a semi-annual event.
1853 After a seven year gap in the fixture, the USA win the match against Canada for the first time.
1859 George Parr's XI tour North America on the first ever international cricket tour. They beat the US national side by an innings.
1862 Brothers George and Harry Wright play for the US national team together. Both would eventually become key figures in the early years of Major League Baseball and both are in the baseball hall of fame.
1864 Haverford College play the University of Pennsylvania for the first time in what is the third-oldest inter-collegiate match in the USA.
1872 An English side featuring WG Grace tours the USA.
1874 Philadelphia play in the Halifax International Cricket Tournament in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is believed to be the first international cricket tournament.
A baseball team tours England, playing both baseball and cricket.
1878 Australia tour the USA. They beat All New York, draw with Philadelphia, beat the Peninsular Cricket Club in St Louis and beat California in San Francisco. The match against Philadelphia is the first first-class match in the USA, meaning that first-class cricket in the USA started before first-class cricket in Asia and Africa.
1879 Ireland tour the USA, drawing a two match series against Philadelphia.
1882 Australia tour the USA for the second time. They beat 18 of Philadelphia by 9 wickets.
1883 George Wright makes his first-class debut for the USA against the Gentlemen of Philadelphia, making him the first and to date, only, person to play first-class cricket and Major League Baseball.
1884 Philadelphia tour England, but do not play any first-class matches.
1885 Philadelphia gain their first first-class win over a touring side when they beat EJ Sander's XI by 109 runs at Germantown Cricket Club.
1886 The West Indies tour North America, including matches in New York and Philadelphia.
1888 Second tour of the USA by Ireland. They beat Longwood and All New York, but lose twice to Philadelphia.
On a tour to the West Indies, the USA beat the West Indies in Guyana.
1889 Second Philadelphian tour to England, again without first-class matches. They also visit Ireland and Scotland, drawing against the Irish and beating the Scots by 10 wickets.
1891 Lord Hawke's XI tours the USA. They win and lose first-class matches against Philadelphia before playing in New York, Baltimore, Boston and Chicago.
1892 Another tour of the USA by Ireland. They play matches in Philadelphia, Boston, New York and Baltimore. A three match series against Philadelphia is drawn 1-1.
Bart King makes his debut for the USA in the annual match against Canada. He goes on to be considered the greatest of all American cricketers.
1893 Australia tour the USA again. They lose to Philadelphia by an innings in a first-class match, with Bart King taking seven wickets on his first-class debut. Australia follow this with a draw against New York, a win in a first-class match against Philadelphia, and wins against Massachusetts and Detroit.
1894 Another tour of the USA by Lord Hawke's XI. They win both first-class matches against Philadelphia.
George Patterson scores 271 for his XI against Arthur Wood's XI in a first-class match. This remains the highest first-class score by a player from one of the current non-Test countries.
1895 University of Pennsylvania beats F Mitchell's XI in a first-class match. The touring team also draw a two match first-class series against Philadelphia.
1896 Another win for Philadelphia over Australia in a first-class match, though they lose the series 2-1. Australia also play against New Jersey, Chicago and California on the tour.
1897 Pelham Warner's XI tour the USA, playing matches in New York, Baltimore and Philadelphia. They win and lose first-class matches against Philadelphia.
Philadelphia tour England a third time, this time playing first-class matches. They win twice and lose nine of the 14 matches.
1898 Pelham Warner's XI tour the USA for a second consecutive year, this time adding Chicago to their itinerary. They win both first-class matches against Philadelphia.
1899 KS Ranjitsinhji (Ranji) takes an XI to the USA. They beat Philadelphia by an innings in both first-class matches.
1901 Bernard Bosanquet, inventor of the googly, takes an XI to the USA. The two match first-class series against Philadelphia is drawn 1-1.
1903 Kent become the first English county side to visit the USA. They beat Philadelphia in the tour's two first-class matches.
A second tour of England featuring first-class matches for Philadelphia. They win six of the 15 matches.
1905 The MCC tour the USA for the first time. The two match first-class series against Philadelphia is drawn 1-1.
1907 A second MCC tour sees both first-class matches against Philadelphia drawn.
Philadelphia tour Bermuda. They lose to the national side by 47 runs in a two day match.
1908 A second tour of Bermuda for Philadelphia. This time they beat the national side, winning by 8 wickets.
The final tour of England for Philadelphia. They play ten first-class matches, winning four and losing six. Bart King takes 87 wickets at 11.01 on the tour, the best single season bowling average in England until 1958.
1909 Ireland tour the USA. In the first first-class match against Philadelphia, Bart King takes all ten in the first innings (also bowling the not out batsman with a no-ball) and a hat-trick in the second as Philadelphia win by an innings. Philadelphia also win the second match by an innings.
Philadelphia visit Jamaica, winning a three match first-class series 2-1.
The ICC is formed, restricting membership to what is now the Commonwealth, thus excluding the USA despite their strength at this time.
1910 Bermuda beat Philadelphia by 9 wickets in Hamilton.
1911 First tour of the USA by Bermuda. In the match against Philadelphia at Haverford, Gerald Conyers takes six wickets for two runs, including two hat-tricks, at the end of the Philadelphian innings, finishing with match figures 15/138 in the six run win.
Now an annual visit, Bermuda beat Philadelphia by 7 wickets in Hamilton.
1912 The final first-class matches for Bart King in a drawn two match series against Australia.
Another tour of Bermuda by Philadelphia, featuring a 4 wicket loss to the national side.
1913 Final tour by Australia to feature first-class matches. They win two and draw one in the first-class matches against Philadelphia, also beating a combined Canada/USA team in both Philadelphia and Toronto, both of which were first-class matches. They also play matches in New York, Chicago, Pittsburgh and Rhode Island on the tour, which also includes a win for Germantown Cricket Club against the tourists.
1918 Philadelphian cricket begins to decline after the war. They lose a four match series against New York 3-1.
1921 Eastern Canada tour the USA, drawing their match against Philadelphia.
1923 Bermuda tour the USA, losing a two match series against Philadelphia 1-0.
1928 Bermuda tour the USA, drawing against Philadelphia.
1932 Australia tour North America, including Don Bradman in the side. During the tour, Bradman watches a baseball match at Yankee Stadium with Babe Ruth.
1958 Pakistan tour the USA, playing matches in Philadelphia, New York and Massachusetts.
Cricket is televised in the USA for the first time, a match between Corinthians and Hollywood in Los Angeles.
1959 The MCC tour the USA, playing matches in Philadelphia and Washington DC.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower watches a Test match in Pakistan, gaining some publicity for cricket.
1961 The USA Cricket Assocation is formed.
1963 The Canada v USA match resumes, with Canada winning by an innings in Toronto.
1964 Yorkshire tour the USA, playing matches in New York, Washington DC and Hollywood.
1965 The USA become an associate member of the ICC.
Worcestershire tour the USA before the English season starts, playing matches in Honolulu and Hollywood.
New Zealand tour the USA, including a match in Los Angeles.
1967 MCC tour the USA, playing matches in Washington DC, Philadelphia and New York.
1968 The USA national side tour England for the first time, playing against minor counties and county second Xis.
1973 The USA beat Ireland by 42 runs in Los Angeles.
1979 The USA play in the first ICC Trophy in England, beating Israel and Wales.
1982 The USA finish sixth out of eight teams in their ICC Trophy first round group.
1986 The USA finish third out of nine teams in their ICC Trophy first round group, missing out on the semi finals on run rate.
1987 The West Indies tour the USA, playing two matches in Mount Vernon, Washington DC. They repeat the tour in the following two years. They play matches against a USA Select XI on the 88 and 89 tours.
1989 India play Pakistan in New York and Los Angeles and play the West Indies in Mount Vernon.
1990 Australia play Pakistan in New York and Los Angeles.
England play the West Indies in New York.
The USA reach the second round of the ICC Trophy in the Netherlands.
1992 Pakistan play a World XI in New York.
1993 Pakistan play the West Indies in New York.
The West Indies beat the USA for the Sir Garfield Sobers Cup.
1994 The USA reach the plate final of the ICC Trophy, but opt not to play due to prior travel arrangements.
1995 West Indies A tour the USA.
1996 Sri Lanka tour the USA, playing two matches in Philadelphia.
A USA Select XI play against the West Indies in Florida.
1997 The USA finish 12th in the ICC Trophy in Malaysia.
1998 The USA play in the Red Stripe Bowl, their first List A matches.
1999 Australia A play India A in a five match one-day series in Los Angeles, the first List A games to be played in the USA.
Two matches between an Asian XI and a World XI are played in New York and San Francisco.
2000 The USA tour England.
The USA finish third in the first Americas Championship.
In the Red Stripe Bowl, the USA beat Barbados by two wickets.
2001 The USA finish sixth in the ICC Trophy in Canada.
2002 A rain affected Americas Championship in Argentina is won by the USA.
2004 The first first-class match in the USA for more than 90 years is played in Florida as the USA lose to Canada in the Intercontinental Cup. John Davison takes 17 wickets for Canada, the best bowling figures in first-class cricket since Jim Laker. The USA beat Bermuda later in the competition, but do not reach the semi finals.
The USA win the ICC Six Nations Challenge in the UAE to qualify for the ICC Champions Trophy.
The USA are runners-up to Canada in the Americas Championship in Bermuda.
The ICC Champions Trophy in England sees the USA play their first ODIs, losing heavily to Australia and New Zealand.
2005 The USA finish 10th in the ICC Trophy in Ireland.
The USA Under-19s side wins the Americas Championship to qualify for the Under-19 World Cup.
Administration problems in the USA see the USACA suspended from the ICC, and the national sides kicked out of international competition, starting with the USA being replaced with the Cayman Islands in the Intercontinental Cup.
2006 USA Under-19s reach the plate semi-final in the Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka.
Despite their suspension, the USA are invited to take part in the Americas Championship in Canada. They finish second to Bermuda.
References:(http://www.cricketamerica.com, http://www.dreamcricket.com)
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