An American Cricket Odyssey
A Journey into the Soul of the Cricket in the United States
Author: Mark Greenslade and Beth Simpson
This is the story of US cricket in the 21st century, a game that was once a proud part of American sports, lost its way and is now returning. Along the way we meet its players, movers, shakers, dreamers and schemers, its romantic souls and lost causes and, as the sport – and nation – stand at a crossroads, we look at what lies ahead.
21st July 2025
Hardcover
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Summary
This is the story of US cricket in the 21st century, a game that was once a proud part of American sports, lost its way and is now returning. Along the way we meet its players, movers, shakers, dreamers and schemers, its romantic souls and lost causes and, as the sport – and nation – stand at a crossroads, we look at what lies ahead.
Description
Compelling story of US cricket in the 21st century – a game that was once a proud part of American sports, lost its way and is now returning.
Cricket in America? Usually the conjunction of those words is greeted with disbelief. Most Americans, if they are aware of cricket at all, regard it as an esoteric pastime popular with South Asians. Even old world cricket fans are often unaware of America’s long and proud cricketing history. This riveting book:
- Introduces us to the men and women at the helm of the US cricketing resurgence: from LA ex-gang members to the Bronx woman teaching cricket at a New York high school, to the dreamers and idealists keeping the cricket flag flying in the most unlikely of backwaters
- Tells the full story of the Compton Homies and Popz, the team from South Central Los Angeles that brought cricket to one of the harshest urban environments on the planet
- Features the tragi-comic tale of the dysfunctional governing body and the ups and downs of the national team, from underachievement to exile to an unlikely triumph on the world stage
- Brings us the views of players, administrators, movers and shakers, plus commentators who have strived to revive the game in the US
- Spotlights the gutsy individuals who have endeavoured to create a space for women to play the game in the US
- Uncovers the thriving but largely ignored subculture that exists for the game: one that could – eventually – change cricket’s global balance of power
An American Cricket Odyssey examines the revival and the cultural forces underpinning it, as well as the unique difficulties cricket faces in establishing a bridgehead in the country’s sporting culture.
About the Author
Beth Simpson has worked as a journalist and editor for more than 25 years. He has written for International Herald Tribune, Metro, Four Four Two, When Saturday Comes, Classic Rock, Dazed & Confused and Record Collector magazine. Mark Greenslade is a leading open source software practitioner, a writer and keen cricketer. In 2000 he helped to organise a cricket tour to California, which revealed the transformative potential of cricket in America.
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21st July 2025
