United States v Canada (1844)
Encyclopedia
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 cricket
match. The match took place between 25 and 27 September 1844 at the St George's Cricket Club, Bloomingdale Park
in New York
. Canada won by 23 runs. The game was watched by between 10,000 and 20,000 spectators and around $120,000 worth of bets were placed.
, almost destitute after a hard slog by stage coach through New York State
, and across Lake Ontario
by steamer
. A certain Mr Phillpotts had invited St George's to play the Toronto Cricket Club
at home, but when the 18 men arrived on 28 August 1840, the Canadians were not expecting them and their mysterious host could not be found.
Despite the lack of preparations, a cricket match was hastily arranged, which was attended by a good number of spectators, a brass band and Sir George Arthur, the Governor of Upper Canada
. The New Yorkers won, and left on such good terms that they invited the Canadians down for what was to be the first international cricket match.
The game was scheduled for two days and the score after the first day saw Canada with 82, beating the USA's 64 runs. On the second day, bad weather prevented play, so the game was extended to a third day when Canada scored 63 and the USA 58. So, finally Canada won by 23 runs. The US player Wheatcroft arrived too late on the third day and was replaced by Alfred Marsh.
style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
CANADA:
|
1
D Winckworth
2
JC Wilson
3
CJ Birch
4
GA Barber
5
G Sharpe
6
GA Phillpotts
7
JB Robinson
8
HJ Maddock
9
Freeling
10
F French
11
W Thompson
at McGill University
, Montreal
, and the fixture has been played sporadically ever since.
International Cricket
International Cricket is a cricket video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System that was only released in Australia in 1992. Developed by Melbourne-based Beam Software, it was the only cricket game released for the NES. There were no attempts to release a cricket video game to the North...
match. The match took place between 25 and 27 September 1844 at the St George's Cricket Club, Bloomingdale Park
Bloomingdale Park
Bloomingdale Park is a park on the South Shore of Staten Island. It is located in the Prince's Bay neighborhood, and is bounded on the north by Ramona Avenue, on the west by Bloomingdale Road, on the east by Lenevar Avenue, and on the south by Drumgoole Road West and the Korean War Veterans Parkway...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Canada won by 23 runs. The game was watched by between 10,000 and 20,000 spectators and around $120,000 worth of bets were placed.
Background
The origins of the match lay four years earlier when a team from the St George's Club turned up in TorontoToronto
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...
, almost destitute after a hard slog by stage coach through New York State
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and across Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
by steamer
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
. A certain Mr Phillpotts had invited St George's to play the Toronto Cricket Club
Toronto 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...
at home, but when the 18 men arrived on 28 August 1840, the Canadians were not expecting them and their mysterious host could not be found.
Despite the lack of preparations, a cricket match was hastily arranged, which was attended by a good number of spectators, a brass band and Sir George Arthur, the Governor of Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
. The New Yorkers won, and left on such good terms that they invited the Canadians down for what was to be the first international cricket match.
Match
The US team was drawn from clubs in Philadelphia, Washington, DC and Boston, as well as a number in New York. Likewise, the Canadians tried to present a representative national team, rather than simply the Toronto CC team. Advertisements and posters for the game found in libraries have the game between the USA and Canada, rather than two city teams.The game was scheduled for two days and the score after the first day saw Canada with 82, beating the USA's 64 runs. On the second day, bad weather prevented play, so the game was extended to a third day when Canada scored 63 and the USA 58. So, finally Canada won by 23 runs. The US player Wheatcroft arrived too late on the third day and was replaced by Alfred Marsh.
Match details
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | UNITED STATES: | ||
| 1 | J Turner | ||
| 2 | R Ticknor | ||
| 3 | G Wheatcroft | ||
| 4 | S Wright | ||
| 5 | J Ticknor | ||
| 6 | RN Tilson | ||
| 7 | J Syme | ||
| 8 | S Dudson | ||
| 9 | H Groom | ||
| 10 | W Wild | ||
| 11 | R Bage | ||
Legacy
In 1845, a return match was arrangedUnited States cricket team in Canada in 1845
The United States cricket team in Canada in 1845 was the second to visit another country following Canada's visit to the USA in 1844.Canada and USA staged the second-ever cricket international at McGill University, Montreal on 30 and 31 July...
at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, and the fixture has been played sporadically ever since.
See also
- The First International Football Match
- First International Rugby Union Game