| Russia | |
| Flag of Russia | |
| ICC membership granted | N/A |
| ICC member status | Non-member |
| ICC development region | Europe |
| World Cricket League division | N/A |
| Captain | Ashwani Chopra |
| Coach | Unknown |
| First recorded match | v Carmel & District Cricket Club (2007) |
| As of 8 October 2010 | |
The Russian Cricket Team is a fledgling team which represents the nation of Russia in International Cricket competitions. They are not officially endorsed by the International Cricket Council and are therefore not entitled to participate in ICC Official events, however they do have an application to the European Cricket Council pending, which should see them granted Affiliate Status in the near future.
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The game was played in St. Petersburg as early as the 1870s. In 1875, the British residents of the city challenged the sailors of the Prince of Wales’ Royal Yacht Osbourne to a match. By 1880 cricket was well established in St. Petersburg, with British diplomats and merchants challenging the British managers and foremen of the textile mills in an annual match. By 1895 there were 4 cricket clubs in St. Petersburg.
The Communist Revolution of 1917 put paid to the spread of cricket in Russia as it was seen as a game of the “bourgeois” and playing it was discouraged. With the British moving out of St. Petersburg following the Revolution, the game quickly died with them.[1]
The bulk of the players representing the Russia national cricket team are drawn from the United League of Nations Cricket League which is played in Moscow.
The Russian National Cricket team played their first home representative match against a touring side from North Wales - Carmel & District Cricket Club - at the Moscow State University Baseball Stadium in 2007.
There is also sporadic games of cricket played in St. Petersburg and an international tournament was held in St. Petersburg in 2006, although teams had to use a tennis ball as no cricket balls were available.
A St Petersburg XI, made up primarily of students from, Mechnikov State Medical Academy also contested two Twenty20 matches against Carmel & District Cricket Club in 2007 using a proper cricket balls and equipment.
Russia played their first international fixtures at the Carmel European Twenty20 tournament held in July 2008. Russia suffered defeats to Estonia, Czech Republic and a Cricket Board of Wales side.
The Russia side were much improved when they travelled to Prague in August 2008 where they won the Prague International Twenty 20 cricket cup. In the final, the Czech Republic collapsed to 61 all out against Russia who knocked off the required runs within 11 overs.
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