The chants of “USA, USA” resonated at Grand Prairie, a tight-knit Texas network par excellence just 15 miles from downtown Dallas.
Most citizens were probably wondering where the commotion was coming from that warm Saturday night when the stormy weather dissipated just in time for the United States to make history and beat Canada in a thrilling T20 World Cup opener.
It was the United States’ highly anticipated debut in any World Cup format, with a seven-wicket victory earned with a capacity of about 6,000 spectators, usually made up of other South Asians.
While Dallas is in the midst of NHL and NBA fever, with the Stars and Mavericks making the playoffs, a bigger sporting occasion has begun in its wake.
Many locals may not know this, but the flagship event of the year in cricket (by some metrics, the second biggest game in the world) is played across the United States and broadcast to hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide.
Cricket, a very popular British sport with bat and ball, nevertheless seeks to identify itself on the other side of the Atlantic and in its target market.
Fans, media and officials from around the world flocked to the Grand Prairie cricket stadium in the western suburbs of the Dallas metro area, which is the center of American cricket.
Some of cricket’s most prominent figures are lately based in the United States, and T20 World Cup matches were also played in New York and Lauderhill, Florida, before being fully in the Caribbean for the final stages of the month-long tournament.
Cricket superpowers India, Australia and England, whose ridiculous nickname of “Big Three” extends to their monetary and political influence, are the clear favourites for the title.
But on Saturday night, it was the U. S. who stole the show by notably chasing down Canada. This game has been widely regarded as the oldest rivalry in cricket, however, North American countries take little delight on the big stage.
Canada also debuts in the tournament, despite having played 4 World Cups of 50 and more.
But the U. S. came in as favorites given their impressive form ahead of the tournament with strings of victories over Canada and established cricket country Bangladesh.
It is a team made up mainly of players from India and the Caribbean, which could have been strengthened had it not been for a policy of uncompromising variety, which excluded the speedy Australian Cameron Gannon.
It might not have been the “Miracle on the Ice” (or the field, cricket’s vernacular), but Aaron Jones produced some striking force as the USA chased the big goal of 195.
Aaron Jones, America’s Hero (Photo via Matt Roberts-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
The tough hitter, born in Queens and raised in Barbados, unleashed the kind of fireworks that are the best publicity for a game that is now far removed from its slow stereotype.
When Jones fell to his knees with his helmet and bat in the air, amid the chaos coming from the stands, it was not only American cricket’s finest moment, but also a nod to a bigger, more inclusive 20-team World Cup.
In last year’s 50-team World Cup there were only 10 measly groups, while 16 competed in the 2022 T20 World Cup, but some were subjected to a discreet first circular that was necessarily a glorified qualifier.
The smaller teams, which are unfortunately still ridiculed as “minnows” by some cricket hounds who deserve to know more, have performed well so far. There are some notable stories, which are regularly overlooked amid the “big three” obsession.
The wealthy Gulf countries, Oman and Namibia, are two thriving off-the-beaten-path cricket countries (thanks to influential directors) and played a harvest with the southwest African country emerging triumphant after a Super Over.
While Papua New Guinea challenged the West Indies, hosts of the T20 World Cup, in a tight competition.
Papua New Guinea defied the West Indies (Photo by Darrian Traynor-ICC/ICC Getty Images)
Cricket in PNG was largely based on its popularity in Hanuabada, on the outskirts of the capital, Port Moresthrough. The houses are supported on stilts over the sea, there is no electricity and running water is difficult to find.
PNG’s strong start was a mockery for those who didn’t deserve a spot in the T20 World Cup.
These nations justified the directors’ efforts to globalize cricket, which for too long had been shackled by advertising whims heavily geared toward India, the monetary sector.
“You can’t call it a World Cup with so few teams,” a director of the International Cricket Council’s board of directors once told me, pointing to football and basketball events involving 32 teams.
But that’s slowly changing for the worse, as highlighted in those surreal scenes in Grand Prairie as this sleepy Dallas community moved into the night.
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