by Paul V. Tufts
LAUDERHILL – In the fall of 1854, the governing directors of the prestigious Philadelphia Cricket Club (PCC) set a club policy that would literally change the face or faces of cricket in the United States.
A few months earlier in August 1854, the PCC founding fathers, who were predominantly English expatriates, decreed that the Philadelphia Cricket Club would not allow young American cricket players, like the talented Walter Newhall, to join the PCC or gain cricket experience through match participation with or against them.
155 years later, the cricket players of America now have their very own United States Cricket Open. Just like the “OPEN” format of major U. S. Golf and Tennis Opens, the U. S. Cricket Open has 48 teams from around the world converging on South Florida from April 5 – 12 , 2009.
Cricket Council U.S.A. (CCUSA) has pioneered this historical event within the framework of its US T20 International Cricket Tournament 2009.
The U. S. Cricket Open will have an American sports-history-making 48 teams compete in 84 matches during the eight-day tournament. The semi-finals and championship matches will be played in America’s first Cricket Stadium – the Central Broward Regional Park located in Lauderhill, Florida.
This first U. S. Cricket Open will be remembered as setting records as the largest number of competing teams and the richest first place prize of $ 100,000 to date within the United States!
Considering the first U. S. Golf Open had only 11 competitors and a prize of $350 back in 1881, Walter Newhall, after being rejected by the Philadelphia Cricket Club, most assuredly would be boasting about his country’s exciting and first United States Cricket Open. For more information, please see the CCUSA website at www.cricketcouncilusa.com.
