When cricket stoked the American dream

While the “Gentlemen of Philadelphia” visited England thrice there were also as many as six trips by the outfit to Jamaica and Bermuda - all for the sake of playing the game. In return, about a dozen teams from the two islands came and played cricket in Philadelphia.

The legendary Dr W.G.Grace took part in a match between “Eleven Gentlemen who visited Canada” versus “14 Gentlemen of MCC”, in Philadelphia, in July 1873.

Interestingly, Kent was the first English county to tour abroad. The destination - Philadelphia. It did not take too long, thereafter, for Marylebourne Cricket Club (MCC) to follow suit. Among the many giants that toured Philadelphia, with one of the MCC sides, was the Indian prince K.S.Ranjitsinhji whose batting had a rare alchemy: the classy mysticism of the Orient and the sheer technical excellence of the Occident.

And Australia, too, was not far behind. There were three sojourns by teams from Down Under to Philadelphia, even before the celebrated leg-spinner Bill O’Reilly had learned to walk or even hold a ball.

From a purely historical perspective, Philadelphia’s cricketing glory coincided with the years preceding World War I: the golden age of cricket. While its influence on world cricket was also profound, the city boasted two well-produced monthly journals, one of which was the American Cricketer. It was published until the Great War disrupted both sport and life worldwide. The magazine was technically perfect in an age that did not foresee the emergence of computer-to-print (CTP) technology. Only a few countries have been able to support such a publication, even today.

The publication was sponsored by Splanding’s, for most of its existence, when sponsors like Benson & Hedges and others hadn’t foreseen cricket’s bright prospects. The publication was more than a compendium of statistics even though the editor, F.Fitzmaurice Kelly, was just as good as any cricket statistician in Great Britain - the traditional home of the game. The magazine and the annual had a loyal following and a committed readership.

While many of the leading clubs in Philadelphia flourished, cricket was played in the best possible sylvan surroundings, with “international” fixtures, sometimes attracting large crowds of over 20,000. The reason was simple. Local cricket was efficiently organised along with a handful of different leagues and competitions. And, true to the American style, cricket was also something for experimentation. No doubt the purists would not have approved.

The city’s eight clubs were the first to think of 8-ball and 10-ball overs. Australia took the cue to experiment, and the rest, as they say, is history - albeit Ricky Ponting’s country did away with its 8-ball-an-over practice, many years ago.

Philadelphia too had its share of cricketing heroes. John Barton King was a world-class fast bowler and an exciting batsman. Playing in England, King headed the English bowling averages in 1908 - the year cricket marvel Sir Donald Bradman was born - with a phenomenal tally of 87 wickets at 11.01. This awesome figure, by way of merit, has not been scaled or beaten by any touring side bowler until now.

King, as an enterprising batsman, not only held the US batting record for all time, but also the distinction of being the first “professional player”: a reference which most Americans detest today. King holds the highest individual score, with 344 in an innings, in the US. He made 39 centuries during his distinguished cricket career. In 1897, King took 7 for 13 against Sussex, a powerful side, which included the great Ranji. King castled the Indian wizard’s stumps with his first ball.

Philadelphia’s tryst with cricket was short-lived for a variety of reasons, including the change-over of cricket clubs into all-sports bodies, and the growing preference of individuals for shorter games like tennis.

Other factors included the Great Wall Street Crash and overdependence on wealthy amateurs, who neither had the time nor inclination to pump money into the game. Cricket in Philadelphia also died because there was a total lack of cricket in schools - the assembly-line for senior cricket. And, no game, as we all know, can survive without grassroots-level grooming and or continuity.