On June 12, the Seattle Orcas of Major League Cricket kicked off their third season at Oakland Coliseum in Northern California.
Seattle captured the cricketing world’s attention in 2023 when the Orcas made it to the MLC’s inaugural championship game, losing a thrilling final to New York.
As it has for the past two years, Seattle will play its entire season away from home, on the road, at venues in California, Texas and Florida. However, one stipulation for each team in the MLC is that it must have a home pitch of its own.
Cricket has established a vibrant and expanding presence in Seattle, with a fan base that is already substantial and poised for further growth as professional teams and community leagues continue to thrive. The Seattle Orcas organization is working to build a cricket community park, aiming to create a home for the region’s passionate cricket fans. The sport’s local popularity is evident: Data analysis estimates the region boasts 160,000 fans already familiar with the game — 5,000 active players and 300 cricket clubs. Seattle-area youth cricket academies now boast hundreds of young players, with youth participation growing tenfold since 2017. Reflecting this growing demand, Northshore School District’s new cricket program quickly filled up with students, while the University of Washington demonstrated the region’s competitive spirit by taking second place in the national collegiate tournament.
Cricket in the United States has exploded in popularity over the past several years, driven in no small part by the South Asian diaspora. Cricket’s World Cup was played last summer in New York City and it will debut at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Cricket in America? Yes! George Washington played it with his troops. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, cricket drew large crowds from Philadelphia to New York. Once a game played among aristocrats in England, cricket is now a dynamic sport played professionally by men and women around the world. It is the second-most popular sport on the planet with an estimated 2.5 billion fans, and that number is growing in the U.S. as evidenced by the popularity of Willow, a leading broadcaster of cricket in the U.S. and Canada.
One of the best ways to accelerate fandom in a market like Seattle is to have a venue, or community park. This will allow players to finally participate in the sport they love right here at home, and for others, it will help develop a pathway through college teams and tournament play, and eventually produce players who can play for the U.S. national team. We need world-class infrastructure for players at every level to train in, from gyms and cricket nets, to turf pitches and international-class fields.
A local, world-class park also catalyzes player activity and commitment. With the right year-round facilities, more players and coaches will find it worthwhile to move into the area, which in turn will boost the “intellectual property” of the sport in the region. A local park is essential for stakeholders to feel vested in the sport, and will encourage further investment in infrastructure and teams through sponsorships and support.
In time, when infrastructure, the grassroots system and national teams are all working together, the virtuous cycle among players, fans, media rights and sponsors begins, and a future for the sport in the U.S. will be assured.
We are a long way from that reality, but the pieces are in place. It is time for local, regional, and state leaders to prioritize this unique cultural and economic development opportunity as they’ve done in other states and work together with MLC and the cricket community to bring a world-class venue to King County.
Whether you are a cricket enthusiast or simply curious, I invite you to watch a match this summer — online or in person. No, it does not last for days (just a few hours). And if you can understand baseball or golf, you can easily understand cricket.
