New USA Cricket League Starts

[BhoysFC1995]

Finally Set to Start June 18th (http://uscricket.com/newsdetail.asp?id=679&news=usnews&category=General)

the teams are (try not to laugh at some of them):
NY Storm
Jersey Fire
DC Forward
Florida Thunder
Chicago Tornadoes
SF Freedom
LA Unity
Texas Arrow Heads

the leagues website is- http://www.procricket.com/ there is mention of a 'media partner' with a tv contract, but nothing mentioned of who.

as for the NY team, its pretty silly to have them play in Staten Island, as its really hard for people to travel to. it would have been much more reasonable (attendance wise at least) to have them play in Queens or Brooklyn.

[BhoysFC1995]

Indians get set for US Pro Cricket (http://usa.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2004/JUN/167218_USA_11JUN2004.html)

some interesting bits of info-
The 20-overs-a-side games will feature former Test and one-day players, as well as domestic stars, who will be divided among the eight teams

is this really the making of a pro league, or is it reasonable for an upstart league-
the players will be given the option of committing for as many games as they like....I've asked the players to view it as a cricket-playing holiday and then decide if they might want to play more matches...

[Iceblink]

So is this really going to fly?

I'm curious about it, but it really seems like a rinky dink operation at the moment. Chicago seems to have a team, so I am definitely interested.

I've been looking for a way to get involved with cricket for some time... especially since I understand it a little better after seeing Lagaan!

The web site doesn't really seem to be updated enough considering matches are supposed to start this weekend or something.

[PsychedelicCeltic]

I'd definitely be interested in going (I live in SF, so there's a team), but I'll believe it when I actually see it.

Until then, BS detector's on high.

[Andy TAUS]

Guys,

This might not be a starter. Check out this story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/3815979.stm

:(

[BhoysFC1995]

well, i went to the first ever game of this league last night.

here's a photo of the first bowl of the match (i hope it works)-

http://us.f2.yahoofs.com/users/40d51aa1_40cb/bc/e118/__sr_/bd5e.jpg?phPZS1ABmNiCMbL7

and for those wondering 'what does cricket look like on a baseball pitch)-

http://us.f2.yahoofs.com/users/40d51aa1_40cb/bc/e118/__sr_/af3f.jpg?ph_rS1ABhe5OjfY8

well i went to the game tonite at richmond stadium. just random points-

- game time was suppose to be 7pm, but started around 7:30

- attendance was (guess-timate) 500 people.

- NJ elected to bat first for some crazy reason, b/c they whined alot about not being able to see b/c of the sunlight shining directly into their eyes

- the first bowl ever produced the first out

- nj won, 8-137, ny was all out with 106 i believe (at 18.4 overs i think)

- a few sixes were hit, with a two going over the baseball homerun wall into the water.

- the boundery line was the walls surrounding the baseball pitch

[BhoysFC1995]

ok, i don't think those links work so try this to view them (i switched to ofoto)

http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=j46i8vu.ihjftq2&x=0&y=ti0kn7

http://images.ofoto.com/photos653/1/58/26/24/30/0/30242658106_0_ALB.jpg

[Iceblink]

So how was the experience overall? Were they truly professional players?

Was it a good match?

I'm waiting to go to a match of the Chicago team with my English buddy, so he can explain everything to me!

Was there merchandise available?

[BhoysFC1995]

the experience overall was positive. for you- well do you come from a long experience/history of cricket?

i had a great time- nj scored 137 runs in 20 overs, not a bad rate (right)? NY did terrible, which made for some excitment getting something like 3 or 4 outs in 2 overs i think.

plus there were a few sixes hit, and a bunch of bounderies as well. as for crowd- well, lets say it was intimate and you were able to put you feet up. that being said, i went there with the realistic thoughts of there not being anyone.

as for professional- well, it was my first game ever. sure it could be done alot better, but i was able to go watch cricket in a stadium in NYC. without this, i would probably never go watch a match in a park. the players seemed good enough and they knew what they were doing.

i'd say go check it out, let me know what you think. hey, whats the worst that could happen- give it a chance.

as for merchandise, the workers all had the jerseys on, but nothing was for sale there.

[(TxT)]

Is a crowd of 500 good for cricket? Whenever I see highlights on TV it looks like no one is even there at all and these are highlights from England.

[BhoysFC1995]

well, theres nothing really to compare it to here in the USA. it was the first ever game, with no real advertising. that being said, tickets were free too. lets see waht happens next week, when its $7 a ticket.

[(TxT)]

But how much do they draw in England, Inida, and Africa because on the highlights the "stadiums" look empty?

[Craig the Aussie]

Depends on what sort of cricket you are talking about.

For domestic cricket, crowds are normally pretty small.

For internationals they are usually sell-outs (which in Australia means 40,000+ at some grounds, and over 80,000 in Melbourne).

[Kaushik]

But how much do they draw in England, Inida, and Africa because on the highlights the "stadiums" look empty?


In India, people are crazy about cricket. An international game draws huge crowds (>50,000 per game). If you are talking about the Eden Gardens in Calcutta, one of the best cricket stadiums in the world, the total number of spectators usually exceeds 100,000 per game.

[BhoysFC1995]

here's a link to a story on the game (not too good)

http://uk.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2004/JUN/000203_USA_21JUN2004.html

[riverplate]

There's an article in today's New York Times concerning American Pro Cricket:

http://nytimes.com/2004/06/24/sports/othersports/24cricket.html

[caddawyk]

and for those wondering 'what does cricket look like on a baseball pitch)-

....- the boundery line was the walls surrounding the baseball pitch


The places they are playing at are Baseball DIAMONDS.. or Fields..or Parks.. Not Pitches.

[OldFanatic]

The places they are playing at are Baseball DIAMONDS.. or Fields..or Parks.. Not Pitches.
Hehehehe. Cricket by definition has to have a pitch. But I agree with your original point.

[AndyMead]

The places they are playing at are Baseball DIAMONDS.. or Fields..or Parks.. Not Pitches.

Agreed.

[BhoysFC1995]

Big-name signings unveiled (http://usa.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2004/JUN/002191_USA_24JUN2004.html)

Don't Believe Everything You Read (http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2004/JUN/000536_USA_24JUN2004.html)

The first link states all the foreign players the league has signed. The second story (both from cricinfo) states how the Englishman Stewart, never heard of ProCricket and he has no contract with them,

This all makes for some interesting news. Keep in mind both articles are from cricinfo, not the official league site (which so happens to have no news listed). So is what cricinfo reported true? If so, how could they say they signed a player, who happens to have no clue of it?

the article says American ProCricket (APC) has finally unveiled the much-publicised big-name signings which it hopes will help attract fans and push the venture into the public consciousness in the USA...
but if it really officially unveiled the signings, why is cricinfo reporting it and not the official site?

The league is set to start tomorrow with NY vs FLA, I wonder what will happen. It stinks that the US cricket assoc will not support the league (b/c it has nothing to do with them), nor the ICC (for the same reason).



oh, and honestly, who gives a poo that i called it a baseball pitch