Quick as a Cricket

I just returned from Fort Collins, Colorado -- which, I have learned, is the new test market for introducing Cricket to the United States. A man named Sir Allen Stanford who lives in Antigua (and is related, I believe, to the founder of Stanford University) has used his wealth to promote a Cricket tournament in the Caribbean. I congratulate the winner of this year's championship, even though I don't understand the press release.

Trinidad & Tobago, led by William Perkins' aggressive half century and Dave Mohammed four-wicket haul, trashed Jamaica by nine-wicket in a one-sided Stanford 20/20 final at the Stanford Cricket ground on Sunday night. Replying to Jamaica's mere 91 all out in 16.4 overs, Trinidad & Tobago raced to 94 for 1 in 9.2 overs and secured the Stanford US$1m jackpot, which lost to Guyana in 2006.

It isn't your British father's Cricket, apparently, but a more fast-paced variation known as 20/20 Cricket. Having decided that island nations shouldn't have all of the fun, Stanford has started blanketing the streets of Fort Collins with advertisements.

Local pubs carried the championship games last weekend (unless I am supposed to call them matches, or something else), and the town square played host to a Caribbean festival replete with music, costumes and food. In my favorite component of the scheme, Stanford invited local journalists to Antigua to cover the tournament. Antigua residents received trips to Fort Collins. Stanford picked the Colorado town as a starting point because its residents are "active," according to his excellent Web site, and "open to trying new things." If it catches on, he will try the same thing in other American communities. I am an enthusiastic supporter of the new Cricket phenomenon and I intend to follow the game religiously, even though I do not follow any other sports. The best possible outcome would be for our country to become an honorary member of the British commonwealth.

Comments

[Pants]

Interesting. So, 2/3 of the world cares about Caribbean cricket? Or cricket, generally? I was under the impression that India and Pakistan field reliably good teams in the World Cup, so I assume that accounts for like 1/10 of the world's population right there. However, I can't imagine a Polish pensioner waking up at 3AM and tuning in to see how Barbados is doing in this Caribbean tourney. That said, watching a cricket match is a pretty fun way to spend two or three days.

[Avery Palmer]

There were reports of people in India waking up at all hours to follow the Caribbean tournament. My understanding is that they don't compete with India or Britain and the rules are somewhat different, but there's a lot I don't know about how it works.