Cricket in Iceland

Cricket in Iceland is still a fledgling sport, with only a handful of incorporated clubs playing the sport.^[1] Iceland is not a member of the International Cricket Council (ICC), but has applied to join the European Cricket Council, which would make it an affiliate member of the ICC.

Origin of the game

Some cricket writers have speculated that the game of cricket has its origins in sports devised in Iceland during the Middle Ages,^[2] although this theory does not seem to have gained wide acceptance. It is far more likely that the game was introduced to the country in the 20th century by immigrants and expatriates from cricket-playing nations such as England, Australia, and India. The 1944 edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack records two wartime games played between the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, with the Air Force winning by 36 runs in the first game and 24 runs in the second.^[3]

Modern Times

Icelandic cricket clubs include Kylfan (Icelandic for "the bat"), based in Reykjavík, and Ungmennafélagið Glaumur, based in Stykkishólmur.^[4] Major difficulties for the development of the sport in Iceland include the popularity of other sports in the country (especially football), and the lack of cricket fields on which to play. This second problem has led to some novel solutions, including one game which was played between the Iceland national cricket team and an amateur team from Britain on top of Langjökull glacier.^[5] In 2011, an Iceland XI played the "Fellowship of Fairly Odd Places CC", and won by 26 runs.^[6]

References