Jump to content

St George's Cricket Club

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from St. George's Cricket Club)
Not to be confused with the St George Cricket Club, Sydney, Australia.

Harry Wright was a successful bowler for St George's Club before he moved to the Cincinnati Red Stockings

The St George's Cricket Club, also referred to as the St George Cricket Club, was the leading cricket club in the United States from the 1840s to the 1870s.[1] Founded in 1839,[2][3] with assistance from prominent members of the St George's Society of New York,[4] it was originally located in Manhattan, New York, and later moved to Hoboken, New Jersey. Nicknamed the "Dragonslayers", in 1844 the club hosted the first international cricket match, between teams representing Canada and the United States.

History[edit]

The St George's Cricket Club (SGCC) was originally located in Manhattan, New York, and later moved to the corner of Clinton Street and 9th Street in Hoboken, New Jersey.[5] As recalled in 1894 by one of the SGCC's early players, Robert Waller, the club's name was not adopted until St George's Day (April 23) 1840, although it had been formed the previous year.[6] However, according to Henry Chadwick, its first match was played (as "New York"[a] against "Long Island") on October 22–23, 1838.[9] In July 1840, an advert was placed in the Spirit of the Times, stating that the SGCC was "open to play a friendly Match between any Club, or any eleven players in the United States, for a sum not less than $100, or over $500" (a "Match" was to consist of one game in New York, and another at any location between Philadelphia and Troy).[10] It hosted the first international cricket match in 1844, between Canada and the United States.

Most of its playing members were British-born and excluded Americans from participating in their "English game". The local resentment of this English social exclusivity amongst New York ball players may have been the impetus for cricket to be designated as an "English" game in the US, though it had been played for over a century at the time. The SGCC club traveled to Canada on several occasions in the 1850s, encouraging a touring tradition for American sports which culminated in George Parr's All-England XI visiting New York, Philadelphia, and Montreal in 1859.[11] This was the first occasion that a professional team of players in any sport had played in the United States. The All England Team of professionals played a US XXII team that included five SGCC players.

In 1866, it was reported that the SGCC had 200–300 members and was in a "flourishing condition", being able to field "three excellent elevens".[12] It continued its dominant New York cricket organizational role until 1876, when the founding of the New York Metropolitan league and the Staten Island Cricket and Baseball Club at Walker Park ushered in a new era of league cricket in New York.[13] Its first ground was located in Midtown Manhattan off of Bloomingdale Road (now Broadway) between 30th and 31st Street. The ground was located behind the Casper Samler farmstead, which was later replaced by the Gilsey Hotel.[14] In May 1846, it was reported that the club had purchased a new ground "near the Red House on the Harlem Road", which it was in the process of "levelling and filling".[15] Known colloquially and referred in the press as the "Red House" ground, it was located between what is now 105th and 106th streets and First Avenue. The Red House ground played host to domestic competitions between teams from New York and Philadelphia, as well as international matches with Canadian teams including the 1853 match between the US and Canada. Ultimately, the team relocated to Hoboken, New Jersey. After the Civil War, St George's was slated to get a ground in Central Park before moving to Hudson City. St George's opponents included the Staten Island Cricket and Baseball Club, the Philadelphia Cricket Club, and the Toronto Cricket Club. George Wright includes a picture of St George's cricket grounds in his biography.

George Wright's older brother Harry also played for St George's team. The Wrights' father, Samuel, was the professional groundskeeper for the team and is depicted, along with his son Harry, in a famous daguerreotype holding a cricket bat while Harry holds a baseball bat.

The club hosted the inaugural Middle States Tennis Championship at its Hoboken ground on June 10–12, 1885.[16][17]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ In 1839, the club was referred to in the press as the "New York Cricket Club",[7] but this would have been a natural description as there were no other cricket clubs in the city at the time.[8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Malcolm, Dominic (2006). "The Diffusion of Cricket to America: A Figurational Sociological Examination". Journal of Historical Sociology. 19 (2): 151–173. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6443.2006.00276.x. ISSN 0952-1909.
  2. ^ Noboa y Rivera, Raf (March 28, 2015). "How Philadelphia became the unlikely epicenter of American cricket". The Guardian. London. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  3. ^ Kirsch, George B. (1984). "American Cricket: Players and Clubs Before the Civil War". Journal of Sport History. 11 (1): 28–50. ISSN 0094-1700 – via JSTOR.
  4. ^ A History of St. George's Society of New York from 1770 to 1913. St. George's Society of New York. 1913. p. 32 – via Internet Archive.
  5. ^ Boyd, W. Andrew (1889). Gospill's Directory for Jersey City, Hoboken, Union Hill, West Hoboken, and Weehawken, 1889–1890. Washington, D.C.: W. Andrew Boyd. p. 487 – via HathiTrust.
  6. ^ Wister, William Rotch (1904). Some Reminiscences of Cricket in Philadelphia Before 1861. Philadelphia: Allen, Lane & Scott. pp. 140–141 – via HathiTrust.
  7. ^ "Cricket Match". Morning Herald. Vol. 5, no. 136. New York. October 21, 1839. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Adelmam, Melvin L. (1986). A Sporting Time: New York City and the Rise of Modern Athletics, 1820-70. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press. p. 319. ISBN 025201250X.
  9. ^ Chadwick, Henry (1873). Chadwick's American Cricket Manual. New York: Robert M. De Witt. pp. 85–87 – via HathiTrust.
  10. ^ "Cricket Challenge". Spirit of the Times. Vol. 10, no. 21. New York. July 25, 1840. p. 1 – via Internet Archive.
  11. ^ The International Cricket Match, Played Oct., 1859, in the Elysian Fields, at Hoboken, on the Grounds of the St. George's Cricket Club. New York: Vinten. 1859 – via Internet Archive.
  12. ^ Peverelly, Charles A. (1866). The Book of American Pastimes, containing a History of the Principal Base-ball, Cricket, Rowing, and Yachting Clubs of the United States. New York: Charles A. Peverelly. pp. 529–530 – via HathiTrust.
  13. ^ Sentance, P. David (2006). Cricket in America 1710-2000. McFarland.
  14. ^ Dayton, Abram C. (1882). Last Days of Knickerbocker Life in New York. New York: George W. Harlan. pp. 98–99 – via Internet Archive.
  15. ^ "Sporting Intelligence". The New York Herald. Vol. 12, no. 123#4336. May 4, 1846. p. 2.
  16. ^ "Experts at Lawn Tennis". The New York Times. Vol. 34, no. 10535. June 9, 1885. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Lawn Tennis Champions". The New York Times. Vol. 34, no. 10538. June 12, 1885. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=St_George%27s_Cricket_Club&oldid=1227721726"