Cricket in America, 1710-2000

by P. David Sentance

Overview

Cricket was played in Virginia in 1710 and was enjoyed on Georgia plantations in 1737. Teams representing New York and Philadelphia faced each other as early as 1838. By 1865, Philadelphia was considered the best cricket-playing city in the United States, competing against Canadian, English and Australian teams from 1890 to 1920. This 30 year span was essential to the formation of America's sports identity--and by its end, while the sport of baseball drew increasing attention, the game of cricket moved from being the game of America's aristocrats to a safe haven for America's nonwhite immigrants who were excluded from baseball because of Jim Crow laws.

Here, the game's unique multi-ethnic, religious and cultural tradition in the United States is fully explored. The author explains cricket's ties to the beginnings of baseball and covers the ways in which the game continues to play an important role in America's inner cities.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786420407
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	03/16/2006
Pages:	332
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.66(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

P. David Sentance’s cricket career spans 40 years and five continents. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Preface     

1. Cricket’s Prologue in America     
2. How Cricket in New York Helped Establish Baseball as America’s National Pastime     
3. Philadelphia: The Cradle of Competitive Cricket in America, 1834–1890     
4. Cricket in New York and New England from 1890 to 1920     
5. International Cricket Comes of Age in Philadelphia, 1890–1926     
6. A Century of Cricket in and Around Chicago, 1836–1936     
7. Cricket and Baseball on the Western Frontier, 1852–1890     
8. The California Cricket Rush, 1890–1914     
9. Southern California’s Cricket Pioneers, 1888–1913     
10. The Hollywood Cricket Club and the Rebirth of Southern California Cricket     
11. Cricket for Americans     
12. Trends in Contemporary United States Cricket     

Appendix: Chronology of Cricket in the United States, 1710–2000     
Chapter Notes     
Bibliography     
Index