Big win for the U.S.A. in cricket :)

[Neilster]

The Olympics indicates that the U.S. is quite good at many sports [;)]

Cricket's global popularity is, to a large extent, all about the rise of India. It's an absolute obsession there and hundreds of millions of people have joined the middle class and have disposable income. Then there's the huge Indian diaspora. It's always been popular with Indians but money really talks. To a lesser extent this is also true of other very populous South Asian nations.

For that reason, I think it will eventually be quite popular in places it currently isn't. I'll give you an example. In Australia, the largest Winter sport is Australian Football, followed by Rugby League. Rugby Union is popular but is mainly played in private schools and by old-boys of those schools. Soccer was initially a migrant's sport. We kept being told, "It's the global game" but for a long time it didn't cut through because of the lack of scoring and some other aspects of the sport such as crazy ethnic crowd behaviour and simulation, went against the grain here.

What eventually happened was that people couldn't ignore the vast amounts of money players were making internationally. Coupled with mothers who didn't want their boys playing "rough" sports [8|], an increasing proportion of kids started playing soccer. I have several friends who grew up playing Aussie Rules but who now follow global football closely. I think the same thing will happen with cricket. Also, these billions of people aren't fools. It's a subtle, skilful, athletic and exciting sport.

Additionally, in places like Africa, cricket was the sport of the hated coloniser. Those days are long gone and the indigenous populations can play it without stigma and potentially make a pile of cash doing so. Take South Africa, for example. The black population was basically excluded from the sport under Apartheid but now the black kids love it and their team features several excellent black players, with heaps more to come.

I have a young German friend who was staying with me during the 2015 Cricket World Cup. Unsurprisingly, he knew nothing about the sport. When Australia played India in a semi final we sat down with several drinks and watched it. I answered his questions and (after a stirring Aussie win) he said, "Wow. This is a great sport. Great athletes and cool physics". He now follows Australia. Good lad [;)]

[IslandInland]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: IslandInland

ORIGINAL: Neilster

Second only to Soccer as a global sport.

https://sportsshow.net/top-10-most-popu ... the-world/

I would question this but I know the US is only any good at three sports and one of them they have the audacity to call the "World Series".

[:D]

Which three sports?

All the sports you dislike [:D]

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: IslandInland

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: IslandInland





I would question this but I know the US is only any good at three sports and one of them they have the audacity to call the "World Series".

[:D]

Which three sports?

All the sports you dislike [:D]

Who said that I dislike any sports?

[gamer78]

ORIGINAL: Neilster

The Olympics indicates that the U.S. is quite good at many sports [;)]

Cricket's global popularity is, to a large extent, all about the rise of India. It's an absolute obsession there and hundreds of millions of people have joined the middle class and have disposable income. Then there's the huge Indian diaspora. It's always been popular with Indians but money really talks. To a lesser extent this is also true of other very populous South Asian nations.

For that reason, I think it will eventually be quite popular in places it currently isn't. I'll give you an example. In Australia, the largest Winter sport is Australian Football, followed by Rugby League. Rugby Union is popular but is mainly played in private schools and by old-boys of those schools. Soccer was initially a migrant's sport. We kept being told, "It's the global game" but for a long time it didn't cut through because of the lack of scoring and some other aspects of the sport such as crazy ethnic crowd behaviour and simulation, went against the grain here.

What eventually happened was that people couldn't ignore the vast amounts of money players were making internationally. Coupled with mothers who didn't want their boys playing "rough" sports [8|], an increasing proportion of kids started playing soccer. I have several friends who grew up playing Aussie Rules but who now follow global football closely. I think the same thing will happen with cricket. Also, these billions of people aren't fools. It's a subtle, skilful, athletic and exciting sport.

Additionally, in places like Africa, cricket was the sport of the hated coloniser. Those days are long gone and the indigenous populations can play it without stigma and potentially make a pile of cash doing so. Take South Africa, for example. The black population was basically excluded from the sport under Apartheid but now the black kids love it and their team features several excellent black players, with heaps more to come.

I have a young German friend who was staying with me during the 2015 Cricket World Cup. Unsurprisingly, he knew nothing about the sport. When Australia played India in a semi final we sat down with several drinks and watched it. I answered his questions and (after a stirring Aussie win) he said, "Wow. This is a great sport. Great athletes and cool physics". He now follows Australia. Good lad [;)]

I was going to say Australia is very young nation and still very culturally part of the Commonwealth but then India example makes it all wrong about sport preference [:)] Century ago sports started to be defined as team sports not about individual performance. Wrestling, horse archery no longer a sport anymore to the masses.

[Neilster]

Another USA victory over Papua New Guinea means the U.S. wins the series 2-0. This one was emphatic and historic. USA scored 9/271 before dismissing PNG for 137.

The U.S. innings was completely dominated by Jaskaran Malhotra who scored 173 not out from 124 balls and hit six sixes in the final over, becoming only the fourth man to do that in international cricket history and the second in one day cricket. After his century, he went berserk, scoring his last 73 from 22 balls.

This is the final over with all the sixes and it's some really good hitting; with commentary by an excited Irishman [:)]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eAC9Ql ... twithAbdur

Next up for USA, a series against the wily Nepal and Oman.

[RangerJoe]

WOW! [&o]

[Neilster]

Bumped due to an even bigger and quite historic win for the USA. They defeated top-tier Ireland in Florida in a T20 game. This is really significant as Ireland are a very competitive international team.

Batting first, USA got off to an awful start but gradually rebuilt and really accelerated to end with 188 runs, which is a good score. Ireland started their chase briskly but sustained solid bowling and fielding from the Americans gradually wore them down for a 26 run win.

USA are a rapidly improving side. They will have automatic entry to the 2024 T20 World Cup as co-hosts but look a chance to qualify for the 2022 one in Australia as well.

Extended highlights here...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3XOTEQ ... USACricket

[Lobster]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: IslandInland

ORIGINAL: Neilster

Second only to Soccer as a global sport.

https://sportsshow.net/top-10-most-popu ... the-world/

I would question this but I know the US is only any good at three sports and one of them they have the audacity to call the "World Series".

[:D]

Which three sports?

Take your pick:
Team USA has won 11 golds at the Tokyo Olympics.
Four have come in swimming, while two gold medalists are teenagers.
Team USA won 46 golds at both Rio 2016 and London 2012.

And that isn't counting winter sports.

[DD696]

Picked up a dead cricket in the master bathroom. Great win for the USA and Cingo critter control!!