Cricket in Wales
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cricket is a popular sport in Wales.
Contents |
[edit] History
- See main articles: History of English cricket to 1696, 1697 to 1725 English cricket seasons, Overview of English cricket 1726 - 1815, English cricket in the 18th century, Overview of English cricket 1816 - 1918
[edit] Domestic competitions
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is the only Welsh participant in the England and Wales County Championship. They also play the one day National League, a one day knock out competition called the Friends Provident Trophy, and the short-form Twenty20 Cup.
A Wales team also plays in the English Minor Counties competition which is a season-long competition in England for county clubs that do not have first-class status.
[edit] Cricket grounds
- See main article: List of cricket grounds in England and Wales
Glamorgan play at the following grounds Colwyn Bay Cricket Club Ground, St Helen's and Sophia Gardens.
Wales does not have any grounds with Test match status but one day internationals have been played at Sophia Gardens.
[edit] Governing body
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is the governing body of cricket in England and Wales. It was created on 1 January 1997 combining the roles of the Test and County Cricket Board (TCCB), the National Cricket Association (NCA) and the Cricket Council.
They are full members of the International Cricket Council.
[edit] National team
A Welsh cricket team has appeared on a number of occasions. Generally however, England and Wales field a single representative team in international competition which is known as England.
The following Welsh people have played Test cricket for England Johnnie Clay, Robert Croft, Jeff Jones, Simon Jones, Tony Lewis, Austin Matthews, Hugh Morris, Gilbert Parkhouse, Pat Pocock, Greg Thomas, Maurice Turnbull, Cyril Walters, Steve Watkin and Allan Watkins.
England is a founding Test cricket, One Day International and Twenty20 nation. England played in the first ever Test match in 1877 (against Australia in Melbourne) and also the first ever One-day International in 1971 (also against Australia in Melbourne).
Each summer two foreign national teams visit England to play seven test matches and numerous one-day internationals. In the British winter the England team tours abroad. The highest profile rival of the England cricket team is the Australian team, with which it competes for The Ashes, one of the most famous trophies in British sport.
[edit] Popularity
In 2005 the ECB concluded a commercial arrangement with BSkyB which gave Sky the exclusive television rights for live Test cricket in England for four years (the 2006 to 2009 seasons). This deal, which took live Test cricket for home England matches away from terrestrial television for the first time generated substantial future revenues for English cricket, but was criticised by many England cricket supporters and others.
The Cricket Writers' Club Young Cricketer of the Year is an annual award voted by the Cricket Writers' Club for the best young cricket player in England and Wales, and has been awarded since 1950.
