Cricket Club at OU offers an outlet for international sports fans

By David Sanders, student writer

Every Saturday in the parks and fields of metro Detroit, Oakland University students can be seen playing cricket, a sport that is little known in America but popular in the United Kingdom.

Oakland’s team plays on clear weather Saturdays throughout the year at parks in metro Detroit like Belle Isle. Soon they hope to host matches in a new cricket pitch field on campus.

Cricket tends to draw in a largely international population, as the sport originated in England, where some games can last as long as four days. OU plays a shortened version which last closer to four or eight hours for a full game.

The 13 members of the team have worked to give OU a reputation as strong contenders in university tournaments.

“In 2007 we won a university cricket tournament, and we played against schools such as Wayne State that have more than 3,000 international students and can support three full cricket teams,” said David Archbold, director of the International Students and Scholars Office and advisor to the Cricket Club.

The game of cricket is played similarly to baseball, where one team is at bat and the other is in the outfield. There are many changing rules, guidelines and versions of the game. Each team begins either at bat or in the field with 11 players, and the teams switch when 10 members of the batting team are out or dismissed.

Assembling a cricket pitch field can be expensive, but funds have been raised to assemble a cricket pitch field, with the help of Mary Beth Snyder, vice president for Student Affairs. A large portion of the funds went toward laying down concrete and putting up fencing.

“Mary Beth Snyder is someone we want to thank because without her we couldn’t practice batting,” Archbold said.

The team hopes to get use out of the field by hosting the first ever Grizz Cricket Tournament. The dates will be set shortly, with actual play dependent on good weather.

“This gives us a chance to honor our team that has been existence for six years,” Archbold said. “Within two years we have already won our first tournament, and we almost won a tournament of last year by one hit.”

For more information or to learn how to join, contact oaklandcricket@yahoogroups.com.