The Haverford varsity Cricket program had a unique opportunity to face off with a side from the US Women's National team on Sunday, September 11. The matchup was part of the US women's team's development camp, which took place in areas throughout the cricket-rich Delaware Valley.
Haverford's role in developing the sport of cricket in the area was evident in the fact that two athletes from the US Women's side are graduates of Haverford College. The alumnae, Hannah Solomon-Strauss '12 (pictured on left) and Alisa Strayer '13 (on right) gave us some perspective on what the experience meant to them and how Haverford helped shape their role in the global game of Cricket.
Hannah: I started playing cricket in 2013 when I started my masters at the University of St Andrew's, in Scotland. I grew up playing baseball and, once in Scotland, I thought would just see what the transition might be like. After playing with the Saints for two years, I wasn't ready to give up on cricket, but I wasn't sure what the options might be for women's cricket in the United States. Just as I was leaving Scotland to come back to the US, a teammate told me about the tryouts Team USA were holding. I kept having scheduling conflicts, like final exams, and wasn't ever able to actually make it to tryouts. So it was just a brilliant stroke of luck when, a few weeks before the development camp, I got an email from a teammate from Scotland telling me that USA were still looking for players! I got in touch, sent a video and some other information about me and my experience, and was invited along. I am still a little in shock that it all worked out! I am very grateful and excited by the invitation, and glad that Team USA took a chance on inviting me though I hadn't met anyone in person yet.
Alisa: When the USA Women's team was looking to host a development camp in the Philly area and met with some of the local teams (including Haverford College) to discuss logistics, they mentioned their recent recruitment efforts and interest in finding additional female players. I received several messages, including from the Haverford coach, Kamran Khan, and the Haverford Athletic Director, Wendy Smith, suggesting I email the team to see if they could still use more players. After communicating via email they invited me to join this development camp at Evansburg and Haverford. From here, I hope to be further involved and to be a regular member of the squad, though we'll see what happens in the coming months.
What was it like playing against the varsity side at Haverford?
Hannah: I was thrilled to get to play against Haverford on Sunday. I didn't play cricket at Haverford, and as I've come to play elsewhere, I wondered a bit if that was a mistake! I was glad to at least play a match on Cope Field because, as with most things about Haverford, few other places I've been are quite as nice. I was also really proud, as an alumna, to see Haverford hold their own. Obviously on Sunday I was a partisan for Team USA. But the Fords are clearly a strong side, and I expect they'll do quite well this season. Any day you get to play cricket is a great one - if that's a package deal with a trip back to Haverford, that's pretty hard to beat.
Alisa: It was strange to play against Haverford since I only ever played cricket for Haverford, but there was such a friendly atmosphere between the two teams it felt like the best environment to go against them. Also, while it was a tough loss for the Women's team, I was so pleased to see the Haverford team thriving and excelling (I think playing beyond the skill level when I played for Haverford!). Especially after seeing the impressive skill of the players who had only been playing cricket for a year or less, I couldn't help but (secretly) root for the Fords.
How has your Haverford experience shaped your involvement with Cricket and the US team?
Hannah: I think the values that Haverford teaches has helped me to improve as a teammate. At St Andrew's I was the wicket-keeper for two years. The keeper has a particular view of the pitch and, in certain circumstances, is in charge of making calls about who fields the ball or where it's thrown. When your teammates are newer to cricket, or you have a group of players who haven't played together much, these sorts of judgment calls can be tricky. Heat-of-the-moment decisions need to be made without jarring anyone's confidence and while maintaining everyone's investment in the team's success. Haverford gave me a set of skills for working with people from all backgrounds, in all contexts, to reach a common purpose and understanding so we can move forward together.
Alisa: If I hadn't been introduced to cricket through Haverford and Kamran, I doubt I would have played cricket in a different environment. The Haverford Cricket team was always an extremely open and welcoming group to me, perhaps a surprising fact given that it is primarily played by men (for the duration of my time playing there was only one, if any, other woman playing). But for all my teammates and coach, there was never any question of my ability to learn the game and play at the same quality as the rest of the team. If anything, my male teammates believed in my skill and ability far beyond what I thought I could accomplish. Even now though we no longer play together, when I doubt myself on the cricket field, they are still the ones I call for support and a quick pep talk. Without those bonds, I have no doubt that I never would have learned the game or have an interest in continuing to play at any level. Another important aspect of Haverford that shaped my involvement with cricket is that Haverford espouses values such as patience, respect, and unity, all values that are essential to playing cricket well. I believe that the harmony in character between the sport and the student body is why there has been a Haverford cricket team since the mid-1800s; given the people who are attracted to Haverford, there will always be people and players who can see a match in spirit between themselves and cricket.
Obviously Cricket is one of the most popular games globally, but is still an emerging sport in the United States. What challenges and opportunities are there in growing the game here in the US?
Alisa: There is certainly a lot of room for cricket to grow in the US. With a large population of US families from South Asia and the Caribbean passing cricket knowledge to their children and grandchildren, more people living in the US are familiar with the game, and after all, an audience is a large part of what's needed for a game to excel. But the structure of US cricket is still developing and it can be challenging to find players interested in being part of a fledgling and not yet popular sport. It would be difficult for cricket to be an established sport in the US without extensive funding and strong organization getting a wider audience familiar with and invested in the game. However, currently there are youth leagues and college club teams that are getting younger people involved and interested in cricket.
Hannah: I don't know if this is a perfect historical analogy, but I wonder if cricket's position today isn't unlike soccer's position maybe 20 or 30 years ago. It's a popular game worldwide, but though it's played in corners of the US, it isn't what's on ESPN every night. But if the analogy roughly holds, I think cricket has a pretty good chance of really going places - just look at how the World Cup last year occupied everyone's summer. I certainly don't think there's anything insurmountable that cricket faces en route to occupying a significant position in the US. It's similar to baseball and softball in skills, which helps. But cricket is also well-suited to being a pick-up game, the way soccer and football are - on the beach, say, or during an extended lunch break, you can get in some quick hits or do some bowling. Having spent the weekend with representatives from the International Cricket Council, it's clear there are some serious plans in place to grow cricket in the US, and I can't wait to see how it all goes (and to help out, if I can).