Sports

SwankyXomb

(2,030 posts) Thu Jul 28, 2016, 03:16 PM Jul 2016

Cricket CPL comes to Florida: 'It's not been a grab-and-run operation'

'Good to pass knowledge to younger fellows' - Chanderpaul

It's a glorious early morning on the Atlantic coastline of Florida route A1A. Cruise ships are out in the distance, swimmers and surfers are beginning to populate the waters, and beachgoers lounging around in the sand looking to get a good tan.

On the opposite side of the street, two cricket administrators are having a casual morning coffee, looking fairly relaxed despite the historic event they are overseeing.

"It's a fun few days coming up, but a serious few days as well" Caribbean Premier League chairman Richard Bevan tells ESPNcricinfo. "It's not just about turning up and playing a bit of cricket on some grass. It's about serious progression.

"This is the first professional tournament being played in America. Cricket has come and gone in America going back to the 1750s, but for the CPL being the first professional tournament, it's a very serious business."

http://www.espncricinfo.com/caribbean-premier-league-2016/content/story/1040195.html

3 replies

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Highlight:

Cricket CPL comes to Florida: 'It's not been a grab-and-run operation' (Original Post) SwankyXomb Jul 2016 OP

At least one member of Hawai'i's royal family was a cricketer KamaAina Jul 2016 #1

On the other side of the Pen, in Hillsborough State Park, the game has a persistent presence... Eleanors38 Jul 2016 #2

We are starting to see CPL cricket televised in the UK T_i_B Jul 2016 #3

KamaAina

(78,249 posts)

1. At least one member of Hawai'i's royal family was a cricketer

Reply to SwankyXomb (Original post)

Thu Jul 28, 2016, 03:26 PM

Jul 2016

Eleanors38

(18,318 posts)

2. On the other side of the Pen, in Hillsborough State Park, the game has a persistent presence...

Reply to SwankyXomb (Original post)

Thu Jul 28, 2016, 05:50 PM

Jul 2016

I visited the park as a child in the early 50s, and remember the clink of horseshoes, a favorite game of the Plain Folks. In recent years, I still hear the sound of the game, but also see cricket, usually played by Indians and Pakistanis. Tampa is a major port, and as such draws in many different peoples. Indeed, C. Fla has burgeoned recently with Puerto Rican-Americans (hardly a measurable population in the 70s, now the biggest outside NYC.) Z. N. Hurston was right nearly a century ago when she said that Florida was perhaps the most diverse state in the union. I am used to it, but still amazed by it.

T_i_B

(14,738 posts)

3. We are starting to see CPL cricket televised in the UK

Reply to SwankyXomb (Original post)

Sun Jul 31, 2016, 08:46 AM

Jul 2016

I think that it would be a very good way of introducing Americans to the sport. Especially when you look at the geography.

Far better than transplanting English county sides to the States for a one off exhibition game.

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