Major League Cricket, the most serious attempt to create a domestic competition in the United States to date, began play in Texas on Thursday, and it contained all the components of a contemporary Twenty20 league.
USA’s new Major League Cricket start: Fans donned the yellow shirts of the winning home team, the Texas Super Kings, and enjoyed the usual spectacle of massive sixes and constant action at the purpose-built cricket stadium, located just a 15-minute drive from Dallas Fort Worth airport.
The Super Kings bowled out the Los Angeles Knight Riders for 112 runs after scoring 181 for six themselves, securing a 69-run victory.
The crowd’s applause for the home team’s powerful hitting immediately dispelled any doubts about the authenticity of cricket in America as soon as play got underway.
The stadium was formerly home to the now-defunct Texas Airhogs minor league baseball team, but MLC has spent more than $20 million converting it to cricket.
Spectators of the TV broadcast would have found it difficult to distinguish between the MLC and the various T20 competitions that have emerged worldwide.
The style of play was unmistakably professional, and the field and wicket appeared to be of the highest calibre. International players competed alongside domestic talent from the USA national team.
That was in stark contrast to numerous earlier, unsuccessful attempts to “break the American market” with one-time events in inappropriate locations. Playing on matting tracks had been the norm for the majority of domestic cricket for many years. However, it marked a significant departure from that tradition.
Rusty Theron, a South African bowler for Texas, was surprised by how well the first game went.
To be honest, I’m a little emotional right now. This event is so impressive. I want to thank each and every person who came out here because the atmosphere was incredible, he remarked.
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The hard-hitting 61 from 42 balls, which included four sixes and earned Super Kings batsman David Miller Player of the Match honours, also impressed.
“It’s wonderful to see such a big turnout, and the facilities are wonderful. The South African player was one of many who had experience playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the best Twenty20 league in the globe. “I think there have been a few guys who kind of questioned around what it was going to be like but it shot the lights out here,” he added.
Four IPL teams, including the Mumbai Indians, whose New York squad kicked off play on Friday, support the MLC.
Among the international players chosen by the six nations were Australia’s Aaron Finch, West Indies spinner Sunil Narine, South African pace bowler Kagiso Rabada, and England’s opening batsman Jason Roy.
The organizers have scheduled additional games to be played in Morrisville, North Carolina before the playoffs and the final trip back to Texas.
Along with the participation of IPL teams, Australia’s Cricket Victoria and Cricket New South Wales both have high-performance relationships with the San Francisco Unicorns and the Washington Freedom, respectively.
The league has broadcast agreements with Viacom18 in India as well as with streaming provider Willow TV, whose founders are also MLC investors.