The Popularity Of Cricket In America In 1900

John Barton "Bart" King at bat in a Philadelphia match in 1900.

In 1900, cricket and baseball (or “base ball”) both enjoyed great popularity in America. People of that era probably couldn’t imagine a time when cricket wouldn’t be an important part of our sporting life. An excerpt from the 1901 Brooklyn Daily Eagle Almanac:

“Cricket continued to flourish in the United States during 1900. The annual contest with Canada again resulted in favor of the United States. Philadelphia is the stronghold of American Cricket, and in the Inter-City match with All New York maintained her superiority by winning the match in most hollow fashion. The Germantown Cricket Club won the Halifax Cup, the emblem of Quaker supremacy, for the sixth time in succession. In the metropolitan district, chief interest in the game is now centered in Brooklyn, where no less than six clubs have their headquarters. The championship of the Metropolitan District Cricket League was again captured by the Knickerbocker Athletic Club, while in the New York Cricket Association series the Paterson Cricket Club proved successful and retained the championship.”

Tags: