History of Cricket in Canada
Jon Howell |
Cricket is among the first major games ever to be played in Canada. Although immigrants brought it, cricket is widely popular in Canada. There are over 40,000 cricketers in the country, with both men’s and women’s national teams. Over 820 clubs, including the famous Edmonton Cricket club, offer cricket training in the country.
A Brief History of Cricket in Canada
Like many other popular sports in North America, cricket was brought by the British in the 18th century.
Army officers of the Royal Navy and the British Army would play the game with the local gentry in the vast British North America, which formed the Dominion of Canada. Halifax and Quebec City were the first garrisons where cricket was played in Canada in 1749 and 1759, respectively.
The game later spread on to other garrisons in the empire. The game reached the City of Toronto in 1792 in the Fort York garrison. By then, the first civilian cricket game in the country had been played on Ile Sainte-Helene, Montreal (there is a painting depicting a cricket match dated 1785). Today the place hosts the Montreal exposition building.
Canada holds a very soft spot in the growth of cricket globally. The first international cricket match (and the first ever international game) was played between Canada and the USA at St. George’s cricket club at Bloomingdale Park in Central New York in 1844.
The teams played for three days, while on the second day, the play was stopped due to rain. On the first day, the US won the toss and scored 61 for 9, responding to the 82 scores Canada had recorded in the morning. On the last day of the series, Canada emerged the overall winner with 23 runs.
Betting on Cricket in Canada
Although the game is not as popular as basketball and ice hockey, many Canadians like to wager on cricket at different sports bookies in the country. Use this link to find the best cricket betting sites in Canada.
The first publicized betting on cricket in Canada was in 1849 between St. George’s Club and Toronto on the shores of Lake Ontario.
Mr. Phillpotts invited St. George’s Club to play Toronto. However, when the former arrived, they found that Toronto was not aware of the game, and they had been duped. However, Toronto still formed a team that played for a stake of $250 a side before a sizable crowd. St. Georges won by ten wickets.
Four years after their first encounter, St. George’s Club and Toronto met again. St. George’s sent a genuine invite to play their opponents near East 31 Street and First Avenue this time. The two-day event attracted 5000 fans on the first day. The bookies also upped the stakes, and as much as $100,000 was wagered on the games.
The first international cricket game attracted about $120,000 in wagers and a crowd of about 20,000 spectators.
Cricket has a wide betting market, and you can’t miss something to bet on. Many Canadians like to wager on the Indian Premier League and other major cricket leagues. Cricket World Cup is fans’ favorite in the country with high wagering amounts.
Before you sign up with any betting site in Canada, verify if it has a legal permit to operate in Canada. Every province in Canada has betting rules, and you should check the terms and conditions before you bet in any jurisdiction.
Management of Cricket in Canada
Cricket Canada (CC) is the country’s body in charge of cricket. It was established in 1892 with its headquarters in Toronto. It is also the official representative of Canada in the International Cricket Council and has been a member since 1968.
Cricket is enjoyed by both men and women, with numerous grassroots teams for people of various ages. CC Canada has many partners who also aid in developing cricket in the country.
Canadians have been passionate about playing cricket since they learned the game. The country has been to four cricket world cups in 1979, 2003, 2007, and 2011.
The Rocky Cricket Path in Canada
The immigrants introduced the game of cricket in Canada, and later, when the local civilians knew how to play it, they fell in love with it. In 1867, the country’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. MacDonald, declared cricket a national sport.
The immigrants perpetuated the development of this game in Canada and its subsequent decline towards the end of the 19th century.
The military personnel who often played the game were temporary personnel who only stayed during the mission. The wave of British immigrants moving from the US to start a new life in Canada revitalized the game as they brought a new generation of cricketers to the country.
However, when the Scandinavians and other Eastern Europeans started swarming the now Canada, they came in with a new approach to the game and caused its downturn in 1870. The Canadians were also looking for a national sport that wasn’t affiliated with the British (or colonist) culture. The American culture was also beginning to penetrate Canadian society.
CC has put immense effort into regenerating the game in the country, and results have been showing. Many immigrants in different parts of the country still enjoy playing this game, especially in the province of Saskatchewan. Larger centers like Saskatoon have an increasing cricket fanbase for the game. The country also hosted the Global T20 tournament in 2018.
Conclusion
Historically, cricket and Canada are as close as two coats of paint. Despite the geographical obstacles that Canada poses to the game of cricket, the sport was at one time a national identity for the country.
Today, playing cricket is not very popular in Canada, but many people still enjoy watching and betting on the game. Watching and betting on cricket is both a fun and profitable affair.
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