Cricket in Wales
Cricket in Wales | |
---|---|
Country | Wales |
Governing body | England and Wales Cricket Board |
National team(s) | Wales (men's) Wales (women's)[a] |
National competitions | |
International competitions | |
Under-19 Cricket World Cup |
History
Cricket, as a sport, has its origins in England, with its
With the development of the railways and better transport links, the game of cricket began to spread slowly across Wales and by the 1830s the first interclub fixtures were regularly played.
1859 saw the first match between select English and Welsh teams, when the All England XI played a South Wales XXII.
From its earliest days Glamorgan refused to designate a county headquarters, playing its matches at both St. Helen's in Swansea and Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, to try to remain neutral between the two main cities of the county. In 1975, St. Helen's Ground in Swansea held the first international game to be played outside the usual Test venues of England, hosting a
Domestic competitions
In men's cricket,
In women's cricket, Wales currently play in the Women's Twenty20 Cup, and previously competed in the Women's County Championship.[4] Within the regional domestic structure, Wales is represented by the Western Storm regional hub.[5]
Welsh Fire represent Wales in both the men's and women's competitions of The Hundred.[6]
Two Welsh cricket leagues have received
Cricket grounds
.On 8 July 2009 Sophia Gardens held its first Test match, when it hosted the first match of the
Official name | City or town | Use by county sides | Capacity | Ends/notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
BP Oil Refinery Ltd Ground | Llandarcy | Glamorgan (1971) | [7] | ||
Cardiff Arms Park† | Cardiff | Glamorgan (1896–1966) | 7,000 | • North Stand • Westgate Street End |
[8] |
Cowbridge Cricket Ground | Cowbridge | Glamorgan (1931–1932) | [9] | ||
Hoover's Sports Ground† | Merthyr Tydfil | Glamorgan (1988–1989) | [10] | ||
Miskin Manor Cricket Club Ground | Rhondda Cynon Taf | Has held a Women's ODI |
[11] | ||
Parc-y-Dwrlyn Ground | Pentyrch | Glamorgan (1993) | [12] | ||
Pontarddulais Park | Pontarddulais | Wales National County (1992–present) | [13] | ||
Sophia Gardens | Cardiff | Glamorgan (1967–present) Wales Minor Counties (1988 & 2000–2002) |
15,600 | • River Taff End • Cathedral Road End Has held Tests, ODIs, T20Is and WODIs and WT20Is |
[14][15] |
Sully Centurions Cricket Club Ground | Sully | Wales Minor Counties (2002) | [16] | ||
St. Helen's |
Swansea | Glamorgan (1897–present) Wales Minor Counties (1989–2008) |
4,500 | • Mumbles Road End • Pavilion End Has held ODIs and a Women's ODI |
[17] |
Steel Company of Wales Ground | Margam | Glamorgan (1953–1963) | [18] | ||
The Gnoll | Neath | Glamorgan (1934–present) Wales Minor Counties (2000) |
6,000 | • Llantwit Road End • Dyfed Road End |
[19] |
Ynysangharad Park | Pontypridd | Glamorgan (1926–1999) Wales Minor Counties (1995–2004) |
5,000 | • River End • Nursury End |
[20] |
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.
Proposed national team
Welsh men's and women's cricket teams have played matches on a number of occasions. Generally however, Wales do not field a team in international competition, with players instead playing for England.
Recently there have been calls for Wales to be represented by
Notable Welsh cricketers
The following Welsh people have played Test cricket for England:[22][23][24][25]
- Johnnie Clay – Clay played one Test match for England in 1935.[26]
- Robert Croft – Croft played international cricket for both England and Wales. He is first Welsh cricketer to score 10,000 runs and take 1,000 wickets in first-class cricket.[27]
- Joan Davis – She played in three Test matches for England in 1937.[22]
- Carol Evans – She played in three Test matches for England in 1968 and 1969.[25]
- Kay Green – She played in one Test match in 1954 and two ODIs in 1973 for England, becoming the oldest debutant in WODI history.[23]
- wicketkeeper between 2004 and 2006, most notably part of the team that regained the Ashes from Australia in 2005. He subsequently represented the Papua New Guinea national cricket team.
- Jeff Jones – He took forty-four wickets in fifteen Tests for England from 1964 to 1968.[28]
- Simon Jones – He became an integral member of England's triumphant Ashes-winning team in 2005. Jones's pace and mastery of reverse-swing carried him to 18 wickets at 21 in four Tests, before he was forced to sit out a nervy final match due to an ankle problem.[29]
- Tony Lewis – 9 Tests. He is the only Glamorgan cricketer to captain England and lead a major tour abroad. He went on to become the face of BBC Television cricket coverage in the 1990s, and become president of the MCC.[30]
- Austin Matthews – He played for Northamptonshire, Glamorgan and single Test for England.[31]
- Matthew Maynard – He played four tests for England from 1988 to 1993 and 14 one day internationals. Captained Glamorgan CCC and part of the England backroom staff for their Ashes winning series in 2005.[32]
- Hugh Morris – He played in three Tests for England in 1991.[33]
- Gilbert Parkhouse – He played in seven Tests for England in 1950, 1950–51 and 1959.[34]
- Pat Pocock – He played in twenty Tests and one ODI for England from 1968 to 1985.[35]
- Greg Thomas – He played in five Tests and three ODIs for England between 1986 and 1987.[36]
- Lynne Thomas – She played in 10 Tests and 12 ODIs for England between 1966 and 1979. In 1973, she became the first women to hit a century in a One Day International.[24]
- Maurice Turnbull – He played in nine Tests for England from 1930 to 1936.[37]
- Cyril Walters – Played 11 Tests for England in 1933 and 1934.[38]
- Steve Watkin – He played three Test matches in 1991 and 1993, and four One Day Internationals in 1993 and 1994.[39]
- Allan Watkins – He played for England in fifteen Tests from 1948 to 1952.[40]
Popularity
Cricket has struggled for national attention in Wales, whereas Cricket is said to be the
Bibliography
- Bowen, Rowland (1970). Cricket: A History of its Growth and Development. Eyre & Spottiswoode.
- Davies, John; Jenkins, Nigel (2008). The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. ISBN 978-0-7083-1953-6.
See also
Notes
References
- ^ Bowen, p. 265.
- ^ a b c d e Davies (2008), pg 177.
- ISBN 0-9504421-0-0.
- ^ "Team Profile: Wales Women". CricketArchive. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
- ^ "Women's regional hubs to play for Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy". the Cricketer. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
- ^ "The Hundred team names, kits and badges revealed for the first time". Sky Sports. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
- ^ BP Oil Refinery Ltd Ground, CricketArchive.com Retrieved on 6 August 2010.
- ^ Cardiff Arms Park, CricketArchive.com Retrieved on 6 August 2010.
- ^ Cowbridge Cricket Ground, CricketArchive.com Retrieved on 6 August 2010.
- ^ Hoover's Sports Ground, CricketArchive.com Retrieved on 6 August 2010.
- ^ Miskin Manor Cricket Club Ground, CricketArchive.com Retrieved on 6 August 2010.
- ^ Parc-y-Dwrlyn Ground, CricketArchive.com Retrieved on 28 July 2010.
- ^ Pontarddulais Park, CricketArchive.com Retrieved on 6 August 2010.
- ^ Trent Bridge to host Ashes Tests in 2013 and 2015, BBC Retrieved on 22 September 2011.
- ^ SWALEC Stadium, CricketArchive.com Retrieved on 6 August 2010.
- ^ Sully Centurions Cricket Club Ground, CricketArchive.com Retrieved on 6 August 2010.
- ^ St Helen's, CricketArchive.com Retrieved on 6 August 2010.
- ^ Station Road, Darley Dale, CricketArchive.com Retrieved on 6 August 2010.
- ^ The Gnoll, CricketArchive.com Retrieved on 6 August 2010.
- ^ Ynysangharad Park, CricketArchive.com Retrieved on 6 August 2010.
- ^ "Cricket Wales". www.cricketwales.org.uk.
- ^ a b "Joan Davis". Cricinfo. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ a b "Kay Green". Cricinfo. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ a b "Lynne Thomas". Cricinfo. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
- ^ a b "Carol Evans". Cricinfo. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ "The Home of CricketArchive". cricketarchive.com.
- ^ "Croft".
- ^ "Jeff Jones". Cricinfo.
- ^ "Simon Jones". Cricinfo.
- ^ "Tony Lewis". Cricinfo.
- ^ "Austin Matthews". Cricinfo.
- ^ "Matthew Maynard". Cricinfo.
- ^ "Hugh Morris". Cricinfo.
- ^ "Gilbert Parkhouse". Cricinfo.
- ^ "Pat Pocock". Cricinfo.
- ^ "The Home of CricketArchive". cricketarchive.com.
- ^ "Maurice Turnbull". Cricinfo.
- ^ "Cyril Walters". Cricinfo.
- ^ "Steve Watkin". Cricinfo.
- ^ "Allan Watkins". Cricinfo.
- ^ "Why is Wales not a cricket nation like Scotland and Ireland?". Institute for Welsh Affairs. 6 September 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2022.