The Wesleyan University Cricket Club was founded in June 1999 by students willing to play the game of cricket at a more organized level. Previously, we would get an old bat and a tennis ball and knock around in a quiet campus corner, but with increasing interest and an influx of equipment, it was decided that a club be formed. The aim of the club is to introduce the sport to all members of the Wesleyan community (including graduate students, faculty and staff), solicit their involvement during practices and matches, as well as teach the game to those who are unfamiliar with cricket.

Cricket is widely played throughout the Commonwealth countries (England, Australia, India, etc.). It is played at some level in almost 60 countries, and these countries are members of the International Cricket Council (ICC). It is the most popular sport in the Indian subcontinent, and its popularity in England, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand parallels that of rugby and soccer.

The United States is an Associate Member of the ICC and every four years the national team takes part in the ICC trophy, which determines which three of the 23 Associate Member nations gets to join the nine "Test-playing" nations for the quadrennial World Cup. The very first international match was played between the United States and Canada in 1845. However, the advent of baseball led to the demise of cricket in North America in the early part of the 20^th century.

Well-organized leagues have sprung up in various parts of the U.S. and in the northeastern states, there are leagues in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York. Some universities even have teams which take part in their local leagues.

In addition to introducing cricket to the Wesleyan community, we are also aiming to join the Connecticut Cricket League in the year 2000 and participate in home and away games against the other clubs in the area. We are also planning to play several friendly matches within Wesleyan and against other universities, such as Yale, U.Mass and Rutgers.

Cricket is primarily an outdoor sport and in Connecticut we envision our season running from mid-April to early-October. In the winter months we are hoping to practice indoors in an area enclosed with nets.

Cricket is played on a standard-sized field, with the main action taking place in a rectangular "pitch", located in the center of the field. Runs can be scored in all directions and each team comprises of eleven players. The length of each game varies. CT Cricket League games last no longer than 5 ½ hours and friendly matches and/or practice games are usually shorter (2-3 hours). The CT Cricket League requires all teams to have a permanent home ground. League matches take place on Sundays, starting mid-May and ending in mid-September. In countries where cricket is played at the international level, the "pitch" is specially made using several layers of soil and clay, and is carefully maintained by professional "groundspeople". In the United States and other non-"Test playing" countries, the "pitch" is replaced by a flat surface, with very little grass, over which a "mat" (made of coir and jute) is laid out. This type of surface provides an even bounce and minimizes the risk of injury to the batsmen, which may arise from playing on an uneven, grassy surface. Therefore, the main requirement of the Wesleyan Cricket Club would be a ground whose central area is either devoid of grass, or is flat and even and has a very small layer of grass, so that a "mat" can be laid out for practice and/or match purposes. The standard length of the "pitch" is no more than 22 yards and the width usually varies between 7-9 feet.

This will primarily depend on everyone’s individual class and/or work schedules, but two 2-hour practice sessions during the week (in the late afternoon/evening hours) and an extended practice/match session on either Saturday or Sunday would be ideal. During the summer months, there will be more flexibility among those members who are around. League matches are held on Sundays from noon.

With the early sunset in late-September, evening practices on weekdays will not be possible. Therefore, we are hoping for a few hours of indoor practice in the Bacon Field House, where a net will protect other groups in the Field House from the cricket ball.

The initial cost of batting gear, stumps, cricket balls, bats and wicketkeeping gear has been defrayed by contributions from the founding members and those who have been playing in the summer of 1999. Over time, we will be requesting the University for funds to purchase a "mat" and a fresh set of cricket balls (when the need arises). The exact requirements will be determined over time.

The Wesleyan University Cricket Club will be headed by a committee, comprising of the President, Vice President, Treasurer and Fixtures Coordinator. The President and Vice President will be responsible for the organization of the club and deal with internal matters (facility access, etc.). The Treasurer will handle all financial matters, oversee and implement the budget and act as a link between the team and the Student Budget Committee. The Fixtures Coordinator will oversee all matters of scheduling (practice and matches) and assist the President and Vice President with establishing contacts with the local cricket community. The positions will be reviewed at the start of each season (mid-March). Over this summer we have had about 15 students participate in our practice sessions and one of our chief goals is to reach out into the Wesleyan community and expand our membership to rival that of other sports on campus.

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