Cricket in Canada
Encyclopedia
In fact, it was so popular that it was declared the national sport by John A. Macdonald
, the first Prime Minister of Canada
. There are well over 40,000 cricketers in the country.
While Canada is not sanctioned to play Test matches
, the team does take part in One Day International (ODI) matches (there are a few grounds in Canada that are sanctioned to host ODI's by the International Cricket Council
or ICC) and also in first-class games (in the ICC Intercontinental Cup) against other non-Test-playing opposition, with the rivalry against the United States being as strong in cricket as it is in other team sports. The match between these two nations is in fact the oldest international fixture in cricket
, having first been played in 1844. This international fixture even predates the Olympics by over 50 years.
The most famous Canadian cricketer is John Davison, who was born in Canada and participated in the Cricket World Cup
in both 2003 and 2007. At the 2003 World Cup, Davison hit the fastest century
in tournament history against the West Indies in what was ultimately a losing cause. In that World Cup he also smashed a half-century at a strike rate of almost 200 against New Zealand. One year later, in the ICC Intercontinental Cup against the USA, he proved the difference between the two sides, taking 17 wickets
for 137 runs as well as scoring 84 runs of his own. In the 2007 Cricket World Cup
in the West Indies, Davison scored the second-fastest half-century against New Zealand
. Canada has participated in the 1979, 2003, 2007 and 2011 Cricket World Cup
s.
Canada has traditionally had a strong Women's team. Also The Canadian Under 19 team have competed in the Under 19 World Cup on two occasions. In 2002, they were eliminated in the first round, meaning they competed in the plate competition, in which they did not win a game. They repeated this performance in the 2004 competition.
Canada Senior Men's team qualified in April 2009 at the ICC World Cup qualifier held in South Africa to compete in 2011 World Cup, their third World Cup appearance in a row.
The first reference to cricket being played on an organized basis is in 1834 when a club was founded in Toronto
and there are reports of matches being played in Hamilton and Guelph.
In 1840, there was a game between the Toronto and New York clubs. Similar strength teams played each other in 1844 as Canada
v United States
and this has been called the first-ever cricket international.
of the sport of cricket
in Canada
. It was established in 1892 and has its current headquarters in Toronto, Ontario
. Cricket Canada is Canada's representative at the International Cricket Council
and has been an associate member of that body since 1968. It is also a member of the Americas Cricket Association
. Prior to November 2007, the organization was known as the Canadian Cricket Association.
Canada is one of the team's in Division 1
of Associate Members of International Cricket Council
who has One Day International and T20
International status.
. National T20 Championship is a Twenty20
format competition with eight domestic teams. Until 2006, the Under-18 National Tournament in Canada was called as Canada Cup.
In 2009, a new professional Twenty20 league was formed. Known as the TJT National Cricket League (TJT NCL), the league initially consisted of six teams - the Warriors, Titans, Gladiators, Royals, Chiefs, and Kings. About 90 professional cricket players were drafted from across Canada in the inaugural draft. The inaugural season commenced play August 7, 2009 at G. Ross Lord Park in Toronto
. The six teams played each other in a round robin match over the season which lasted six weeks. The top four teams Gladiators, Warriors, Titans, and Kings played in semi-finals and the final match was played on September 27, 2009 between the Titans and the Kings. The 2009 TJT NCL championship was won by the Kings.
Cricket Canada's competitions:
was the only ground in Canada approved to host official One Day Internationals. It was joined at this date by the Maple Leaf Cricket Club
in King City, Ontario
.
matches, the team does take part in One Day International matches and also in first-class
games (in the ICC Intercontinental Cup
) against other non-Test-playing opposition, with the rivalry against the United States cricket team
being as strong in cricket as it is in other team sports. The match between these two nations is in fact the oldest international fixture in cricket
, having first been played in 1844.
Canadian cricket has tended to take a lower profile than most other sports, and the team tends to be composed of expatriates from more successful cricketing nations either trying to achieve a level of international experience or having been deemed too old for their respective national teams. The 2003 World Cup squad, for example, contained players born in Sri Lanka
, India
, Pakistan
, and the West Indies.
made their international debut in September 2006 in a three match series of one-day games against Bermuda
to decide which team would represent the Americas region in the Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier
in Ireland
in 2007. Canada started well, with a five wicket win in the first win, but Bermuda came back with 24 run win in the second. The third game went down to the wire, with Bermuda triumphing by just 3 runs.
John A. Macdonald
Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century...
, the first Prime Minister of Canada
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
. There are well over 40,000 cricketers in the country.
While Canada is not sanctioned to play Test matches
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
, the team does take part in One Day International (ODI) matches (there are a few grounds in Canada that are sanctioned to host ODI's by the International Cricket Council
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
or ICC) and also in first-class games (in the ICC Intercontinental Cup) against other non-Test-playing opposition, with the rivalry against the United States being as strong in cricket as it is in other team sports. The match between these two nations is in fact the oldest international fixture in cricket
United States v Canada (1844)
The Canadian cricket team in the United States in 1844 was the first international team to travel to another country and the match between the two national sides that year, billed as "United States of America versus the British Empire's Canadian Province", was the first official international...
, having first been played in 1844. This international fixture even predates the Olympics by over 50 years.
The most famous Canadian cricketer is John Davison, who was born in Canada and participated in the Cricket World Cup
Cricket World Cup
The ICC Cricket World Cup is the premier international championship of men's One Day International cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council , with preliminary qualification rounds leading up to a finals tournament which is held every four years...
in both 2003 and 2007. At the 2003 World Cup, Davison hit the fastest century
Century (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a batsman reaches his century when he scores 100 or more runs in a single innings. The term is also included in "century partnership" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for...
in tournament history against the West Indies in what was ultimately a losing cause. In that World Cup he also smashed a half-century at a strike rate of almost 200 against New Zealand. One year later, in the ICC Intercontinental Cup against the USA, he proved the difference between the two sides, taking 17 wickets
Dismissal (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a dismissal occurs when the batsman is out . Colloquially, the fielding team is also said to have snared, bagged or captured a wicket. At this point a batsman must discontinue batting and leave the field permanently for the innings...
for 137 runs as well as scoring 84 runs of his own. In the 2007 Cricket World Cup
2007 Cricket World Cup
The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sport's One Day International format...
in the West Indies, Davison scored the second-fastest half-century against New Zealand
New Zealand cricket team
The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
. Canada has participated in the 1979, 2003, 2007 and 2011 Cricket World Cup
Cricket World Cup
The ICC Cricket World Cup is the premier international championship of men's One Day International cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council , with preliminary qualification rounds leading up to a finals tournament which is held every four years...
s.
Canada has traditionally had a strong Women's team. Also The Canadian Under 19 team have competed in the Under 19 World Cup on two occasions. In 2002, they were eliminated in the first round, meaning they competed in the plate competition, in which they did not win a game. They repeated this performance in the 2004 competition.
Canada Senior Men's team qualified in April 2009 at the ICC World Cup qualifier held in South Africa to compete in 2011 World Cup, their third World Cup appearance in a row.
History
Historical background
British and French settlers spread into Canada during the 17th century when the first permanent settlements were established. An uneasy co-existence came to a head in 1756 with the outbreak of the Seven Years War. By the terms of Treaty of Paris in 1763, which ended the war, Britain gained control of all of France's North American territory east of the Mississippi River, except for the remote islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon.Early developments
The earliest reports of cricket in Canada date from 1785 where games seem to have taken place in Montreal.The first reference to cricket being played on an organized basis is in 1834 when a club was founded in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and there are reports of matches being played in Hamilton and Guelph.
In 1840, there was a game between the Toronto and New York clubs. Similar strength teams played each other in 1844 as Canada
Canadian cricket team
The Canada cricket team is the national cricket team representing Canada in men's international competition. It is run by Cricket Canada.While Canada is not sanctioned to play Test matches, the team does take part in One Day International matches and also in first-class games against other...
v United States
United States cricket team
The United States national cricket team is the team that represents the United States of America in international cricket matches. The team became an associate member of the International Cricket Council in 1965...
and this has been called the first-ever cricket international.
Governing body
Cricket Canada is the governing bodySport governing body
A sport governing body is a sports organization that has a regulatory or sanctioning function. Sport governing bodies come in various forms, and have a variety of regulatory functions. Examples of this can include disciplinary action for rule infractions and deciding on rule changes in the sport...
of the sport of cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was established in 1892 and has its current headquarters in Toronto, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. Cricket Canada is Canada's representative at the International Cricket Council
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
and has been an associate member of that body since 1968. It is also a member of the Americas Cricket Association
Americas Cricket Association
The Americas Cricket Association is an international body which oversees cricket in countries in North and South America, and the Caribbean islands. It is a subordinate body to the International Cricket Council. The ACA has 16 member countries...
. Prior to November 2007, the organization was known as the Canadian Cricket Association.
Canada is one of the team's in Division 1
2007 ICC World Cricket League Division One
The 2007 ICC World Cricket League Division One was a One Day International cricket tournament played from 29 January 2007 to 7 February 2007 in Nairobi, Kenya. Division One, which is the successor to the now defunct ICC 6 Nations Challenge, is the highest tier of the World Cricket League, and is...
of Associate Members of International Cricket Council
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
who has One Day International and T20
Twenty20
Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
International status.
Domestic competitions
Cricket Canada organizes domestic inter-provincial cricket in Canada. In 2008, Cricket Canada has introduced two domestic competitions that are Scotia Shield U-19 and National T20 ChampionshipScotiabank National T20 Championship
Scotiabank National T20 Championship is the first ever Twenty 20 domestic competition in Canada held by Cricket Canada. First season started in 2008 from May 17th to 19th, at Maple Leaf Cricket Club near Toronto, Ontario...
. National T20 Championship is a Twenty20
Twenty20
Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
format competition with eight domestic teams. Until 2006, the Under-18 National Tournament in Canada was called as Canada Cup.
In 2009, a new professional Twenty20 league was formed. Known as the TJT National Cricket League (TJT NCL), the league initially consisted of six teams - the Warriors, Titans, Gladiators, Royals, Chiefs, and Kings. About 90 professional cricket players were drafted from across Canada in the inaugural draft. The inaugural season commenced play August 7, 2009 at G. Ross Lord Park in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. The six teams played each other in a round robin match over the season which lasted six weeks. The top four teams Gladiators, Warriors, Titans, and Kings played in semi-finals and the final match was played on September 27, 2009 between the Titans and the Kings. The 2009 TJT NCL championship was won by the Kings.
Cricket Canada's competitions:
- Scotiabank National T20 ChampionshipScotiabank National T20 ChampionshipScotiabank National T20 Championship is the first ever Twenty 20 domestic competition in Canada held by Cricket Canada. First season started in 2008 from May 17th to 19th, at Maple Leaf Cricket Club near Toronto, Ontario...
- Scotia Shield U-19
- TJT National Cricket League
Cricket grounds
Until September 2006, Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling ClubToronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club
The Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club is a sporting club in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-History:The club's history dates back to 1827 when the Toronto Cricket Club was established in part by the efforts of George Anthony Barber. Cricket was joined by the Curling Club in 1836, and the Skating...
was the only ground in Canada approved to host official One Day Internationals. It was joined at this date by the Maple Leaf Cricket Club
Maple Leaf Cricket Club
The Maple Leaf Cricket Club is a cricket ground in King City, Ontario, Canada, about 30 kilometres north of Toronto. It was established in 1954 and operates a turf wicket facilitys. In 2006, it became the second ground in Canada to be approved to host One Day Internationals by the...
in King City, Ontario
King City, Ontario
King City is an affluent, unincorporated village in King Township, Ontario, Canada, located just north of Toronto. It is the largest community in King Township, with 1,629 dwellings and a population of 4,902.-History:...
.
National team
While Canada is not sanctioned to play TestTest cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
matches, the team does take part in One Day International matches and also in first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
games (in the ICC Intercontinental Cup
ICC Intercontinental Cup
The ICC Intercontinental Cup is a cricket tournament organised by the International Cricket Council as part of its cricket development programme...
) against other non-Test-playing opposition, with the rivalry against the United States cricket team
United States cricket team
The United States national cricket team is the team that represents the United States of America in international cricket matches. The team became an associate member of the International Cricket Council in 1965...
being as strong in cricket as it is in other team sports. The match between these two nations is in fact the oldest international fixture in cricket
United States v Canada (1844)
The Canadian cricket team in the United States in 1844 was the first international team to travel to another country and the match between the two national sides that year, billed as "United States of America versus the British Empire's Canadian Province", was the first official international...
, having first been played in 1844.
Canadian cricket has tended to take a lower profile than most other sports, and the team tends to be composed of expatriates from more successful cricketing nations either trying to achieve a level of international experience or having been deemed too old for their respective national teams. The 2003 World Cup squad, for example, contained players born in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, and the West Indies.
Women's Cricket
The Canadian women's cricket teamCanadian women's cricket team
The Canadian women's cricket team is the team that represents the country of Canada in international women's cricket matches. They made their international debut in September 2006 in a three match series of one-day games against Bermuda to decide which team would represent the Americas region in...
made their international debut in September 2006 in a three match series of one-day games against Bermuda
Bermudian women's cricket team
The Bermudian women's cricket team is the team that represents the British overseas territory of Bermuda in international women's cricket matches...
to decide which team would represent the Americas region in the Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier
Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier
The Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier, formerly the IWCC Trophy, is a cricket tournament that serves as a qualifying tournament for the Women's Cricket World Cup. It has been played once so far, in 2003, the second tournament was to take place in Lahore, Pakistan in November 2007 but was...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in 2007. Canada started well, with a five wicket win in the first win, but Bermuda came back with 24 run win in the second. The third game went down to the wire, with Bermuda triumphing by just 3 runs.