Cricket matches Americans-British

Discussion in 'General' started by Pieter F, Sep 8, 2010.

  1. Pieter F

    Pieter F Very Senior Member

    Somewhere, I thought it was in one of David Staffords books, I read about cricket matches between American and British servicemen. Does anybody know if there are pictures or other sources of these matches?
     
  2. Pieter F

    Pieter F Very Senior Member

    Nobody knows anything about these matches?
     
  3. Vitesse

    Vitesse Senior Member

    I think I've seen mention of matches being played in POW camps, with the Americans being challenged to play cricket and the British to play baseball, but nothing other than that. I've just trawled through The Times for 1942-45 and found nothing even remotely relevant - a cricket match against our former colony (at whatever level) would surely have been of interest to readers of The Thunderer.

    Added to that, given the patchy history of American cricket, which had been almost moribund since the halcyon days of the great Philadelphia teams of the late 19th and early 20th century, I have to wonder if even the entire US Army in Europe could have raised a team with enough experience to beat even a minor public school eleven, let alone a services side, most of which seemed to manage to field at least three or four county players backed up with others with minor county or public school experience.

    Cricket in the USA | Cricket News | USA | Cricinfo.com
     
  4. Pieter F

    Pieter F Very Senior Member

    You are right with that, there would have been a huge difference in experience and quality between the sides. I will check Stafford's book what kind of cricket match it was exactly.
     
  5. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

    Ahhh, but in those days if an American boy was awake and not in school, he was playing baseball, with a proper round bat. Can't image they would have had too much trouble with that big flat paddle hitting the ball after it bounced on the ground.

    JOKING !!!!!!!! Just poking a little fun at you 'chaps'.
     
  6. Pieter F

    Pieter F Very Senior Member

    Baseball? Ain't that the sport where the ball has to be thrown at just the right place to hit is easely? And where they use huge gloves to catch the ball? I wonder how those baseballers would have handled a toe crushing yorker. Or how they would have catched a skier without those huge gloves..

    :wink:
     
  7. Vitesse

    Vitesse Senior Member

    Not in England, but this is from the Sydney Morning Herald, December 5th 1942:
    Cricket
    AMERICANS ARE KEEN

    McCabe as Coach

    Keen to learn something about cricket, American Service men have secured the former international S. J. McCabe as coach.

    The Americans are hopeful of meeting Australian Service men in matches. They realise they know very little of the game, but are anxious to secure the best possible advice on the subject.

    Cricket officials are delighted at the opportunity of introducing the game among the Americans. They see the time when international cricket trials of strength will be played by the English-speaking nations.

    As an official said yesterday : "The Americans are apt learners and their baseball knowledge should stand them in good stead. They are already excellent fieldsmen. Bowling may be strange for s time, but they are likely to favour big hitting with the bat. It will be extremely interesting to follow their progress."

    The Americans are to see the secretary of the Cricket Association, Mr. Harold Heyden. next week and discuss a scheme for coaching.

    Same paper, December 9th, 1942:
    Cricket
    AMERICANS SHOW KEENNESS

    In an endeavour to learn something about cricket, American Servicemen will attend a specially arranged exhibition to be given by internationals, S J McCabe, W J O Reilly and S G Barnes, next week.

    During the exhibition points of the game will be explained through loud speakers.

    It is likely that former English players now with the Americans have played cricket and a drive is in progress to bring them together.

    But that seems to have been it as far as the SMH was concerned. There are reports of American Football being played at both the SCG and MCG - and even basketball at the SCG - but nothing more about Americans playing cricket.

    However, I did find this "ain't it quaint" piece about Americans playing in Australia in a US regional paper:

    The Southeast Missourian - Google News Archive Search

    Plus this one, which says there was to be a game between the Americans and Canadians at Lord's on July 20th 1944:

    Gettysburg Times - Google News Archive Search

    However, the Americans seem to have pulled out very late: according to The Times, the Canadians turned up expecting to play the Americans but found themselves up against a Lord's XI, who made 329-5 declared and won by 213 runs! Among the Canucks was a West Indian fast bowler called Cpl H Padmore, who could conceivably be related to Albert Padmore, a Barbadian who played two Tests in the 70s.

    Then again, there was always that mutual misunderstanding ...

    The Milwaukee Journal - Google News Archive Search

    ... and it seems the Yanks didn't quite understand the ethos of the game:

    Ottawa Citizen - Google News Archive Search

    But even though the RAF did attempt to educate the heathens of Arizona ...

    The Milwaukee Journal - Google News Archive Search

    ... the Americans turned out to be far more impressed when the RAF lads played Rugby!
     
  8. KevinC

    KevinC Slightly wierd

    Added to that, given the patchy history of American cricket, which had been almost moribund since the halcyon days of the great Philadelphia teams of the late 19th and early 20th century, I have to wonder if even the entire US Army in Europe could have raised a team with enough experience to beat even a minor public school eleven, let alone a services side, most of which seemed to manage to field at least three or four county players backed up with others with minor county or public school experience.


    :D:D
    sorry, can't resist this one.

    How times have changed. Now England has to get players from other nations to make up a decent team ;)
     
  9. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Old Hickory Recon

    You are right with that, there would have been a huge difference in experience and quality between the sides. I will check Stafford's book what kind of cricket match it was exactly.

    I would not doubt that. To most US citizens, cricket is an insect.
     
  10. Formerjughead

    Formerjughead Senior Member

    I would not doubt that. To most US citizens, cricket is an insect.

    Trout bait to be precise
     
  11. Vitesse

    Vitesse Senior Member

    What cricket was played by the Americans in Britain appears to have been confined to the USAAF. I've found a report of a September 1943 match between two Air Force teams from stations 103 (Brampton Grange) and 112 (Bovingdon). Bovingdon made 92, Brampton Grange 35, with one of the Brampton Grange bowlers returning figures of 7 for 56 off 10.6 8-ball overs and another 3 for 13 off seven! For Bovingdon, a Captain Podwaojsky took 5 for 13 off five and also held two further catches.

    According to The Times this was the first all-American cricket match played in England "at least during this war". There was also a bit of damning with faint praise regarding the level of play which was "much above the standard expected by the English spectators."

    But after a bit more digging, I have found an Anglo-American match! A USAAF XI played Public School Wanderers at Dulwich on April 29th 1944. They dismissed Wanderers for 150, but were only able to make 57 in reply. Podwaojsky starred with the bat this time, scoring four fours and a six in one over - all over mid-wicket's head! Attached is a match report, together with a season preview for 1944 - were you aware the Royal Netherlands Navy had fielded a side Pieter?
     

    Attached Files:

  12. ozjohn39

    ozjohn39 Senior Member

    The Yanks would have NO trouble beating the Poms!

    ;-)
     
  13. Vitesse

    Vitesse Senior Member

    "I disagree with what you say, and I shall defend to the death your right to be wrong".

    :p
     
  14. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

    Well, we might have had trouble with a 'yorker' or a 'skier' but but without 'mitts' your boys would be lucky to handle a can of corn yet alone a frozen rope after getting one up in the wheelhouse!
     
  15. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Old Hickory Recon

    Trout bait to be precise

    I didn't want get into that much detail. I was concerned that it might flummox the Limeys, creating a link between that sport and fishing.:lol:
     
  16. Pieter F

    Pieter F Very Senior Member

    were you aware the Royal Netherlands Navy had fielded a side Pieter?
    No I was not beware of that fact! Are there records of this match? Great stuff you have found so far, Vitesse!
     
  17. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

    But then again, the Cricketers might step in the bucket and hit a Baltimore Chop deep in the hole and result in an around the horn double play.

    Sorry. I'll stop now :)
     
  18. Vitesse

    Vitesse Senior Member

    No I was not beware of that fact! Are there records of this match? Great stuff you have found so far, Vitesse!
    I can't find any evidence that they actually played, but the intention was certainly there.

    Perhaps the MCC Library might be able to help?

    MCC Library - History - Lord's

    Opening the subject up slightly, there were some very strong sides put together by the forces and a lot of good cricket played. County cricket had disappeared and most games were one-day single-innings contests: the RAF, Army, Civil Defence and Navy all usually fielded at least four or five Test players and the RAAF side was also very impressive. Prospective spectators were locked out at an England-Australia game at Lord's in 1944 after 30000 were in the ground!
     

Share This Page