Cricket is a sport that is not as popular in the United States as it is abroad, but it is a sport that is growing in the U.S.
A local team called the Columbus Indiana Cricket Club (CICC) finished its regular season in September, and it ended on a big note.
At the Midwest Cricket Tournament Sept. 22 and 23 in Cleveland, Ohio, CICC defeated the Cincinnati CC Orange in Division I, and in Division II, defeated Cleveland CC United to win the championship.
The MCT has approximately 40 teams that participate each year. The top 12 ranked teams in the league are Division I, and then the 13-through-28-ranked squads are Division II. The teams all come from Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and the southern stretch of Michigan.
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CICC has been successful in the MCT over the past several years. It was MCT champions in 2012, MCT champions and runner-up in 2014 and 2015 with both teams. It was the MCT T20 Titans Cup winners in 2016. Both teams were runners-up in the MCT last year.
Cricket has historic origins dating back as far as the late 16th century. It originated in southeast England in the 18th century and has grown on a global scale during the 19th and 20th centuries. Today, it is the second largest sport worldwide behind soccer.
The U.S. first participated in international competition in 1793. Cricket has two governing bodies in the United States of American Cricket Association (USACA) and the American Cricket Federation (ACF). CICC is a member club of the ACF.
CICC has been around since 2002 and had only seven members at the time. Today, it has grown to 70 members and has two teams. Most of the members come from new hires and workers from industries in Columbus, including Cummins.
CICC hosts several games for players and visitors across the Midwest and plays most of its home matches at Ceraland Park. CICC also has an idea in the works of hosting a three-day tournament event that could be annually or quarterly.
The traveling funds for going to tournaments are mostly through the club funds that are made at the expense of the player. More sponsorships will usually offset the cost.
“We expect more engagement at the local and regional levels to take off with more sponsorship and publicity,” said CICC President Harish Bonam. Right now, our main source of revenue is membership fee. Because we have a high membership fee, we’ve seen people fade away from trying out for the sport. So hopefully, more sponsorships and publicity can help offset that and help the cause.”
The season for Cricket starts around the middle of April and lasts until late September. During the offseason, CICC meets biweekly, starting around early-to-mid February to prepare for the upcoming season.
CICC is in the beginning stages in working with the Columbus Parks and Recreation of trying to get a ground established for the future. The ground it has been playing on at Ceraland is rented out. Players hope with more publicity and interest, the process can be moved along much quicker.
Any interested parties looking for sponsorship opportunities or individuals with an interest about joining CICC can contact the program via its Facebook page at facebook.com/ColumbusIndianaCricketClub/ or by email at marketing.cicc@gmail.com.
“As cricket is second most popular game in the world, we want more people to show up and try out for the sport with the help of our club, pursue it and make to the highest level,” Bonam said. “We expect to continue dominate the local league and have a more influx of talent, which could help expand the number of teams to three and have recognition for CICC players at the national level. With the rising interest in cricket within the United States and having a national team, we want to put CICC on the cricketing map.”
By winning the MCT championship, it’s off to a great start.
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Name: Columbus Indiana Cricket Club
Founded: 2002
Accomplishments: Won the 2018 Midwest Cricket Tournament in Division I and Division II
How to Join: facebook.com/ColumbusIndianaCricketClub/
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