Philadelphian cricket team
Encyclopedia
The Philadelphian cricket team was a team that represented Philadelphia in first-class cricket
between 1878 and 1913. Even with the United States having played the first ever international cricket match
against Canada in 1844, the sport began a slow decline in the country. This decline was furthered by the rise in popularity of baseball. In Philadelphia, however, the sport remained very popular and from the end of the 19th century until the outbreak of World War I
, the city produced a first class team that rivaled many others in the world. The team was composed of players from the four chief cricket clubs in Philadelphia–Germantown, Merion
, Belmont
, and Philadelphia
. Players from smaller clubs, such as Tioga
and Moorestown, and local colleges, such as Haverford
and Penn
, also played for the Philadelphians. Over its 35 years, the team played in 88 first-class cricket matches. Of those, 29 were won, 45 were lost, 13 were drawn and one game was abandoned before completion.
When R.A. Fitzgerald's team from England
toured North America in 1872, they played a match against Philadelphia over three days beginning on September 21. The match was played at the Germantown Cricket Club Ground, Nicetown, Philadelphia. It was not a first-class fixture, the Philadelphians having 22 players and the visitors, who won by 4 wickets, having 12. Amongst the English players were W.G. Grace, the future Lord Harris and A.N.Hornby. Grace did little as a batsman, but took 21 wickets (out of a possible 42) in the match.
The first time that the Gentlemen of Philadelphia played a first-class cricket match was on 3 October 1878 against Australia
. This match took place on the Australians' trip home after playing in England
earlier in the year. The game was a three day match, and finished in a low scoring draw, with Australia still needing 43 runs when the game ended. The following year saw Ireland
visit for two matches against the Philadelphians. The first match was a two day game which the home side won by an innings. This was followed by a one day game which was won by the Irish.
The next time the Philadelphians played in a major match was in 1883, when they played the USA national side
in a first-class match. They lost this game by 8 wickets, but gained revenge when the fixture was played again the next year, winning by 3 wickets. This match then became an occasional game played between the best amateur players of Philadelphia and the country's best professionals. The fixture was played six times between 1885 and 1894. Also in 1884, the Gentlemen of Philadelphia toured the United Kingdom
.
In 1885, a team from England organised by Edward Sanders visited Philadelphia, playing two first-class matches. The English side, captained by Richard Thornton, split the series with the Philadelphians. The team toured again the following year with more success–winning both matches. In 1888 Ireland visited Philadelphia, playing two first-class games which were both won by the Philadelphians. The final tour of the decade came in 1889 when the Gentlemen of Philadelphia again toured the UK.
led by Lord Hawke visited from England, playing two matches. The Philadelphians won a high-scoring first match but the tourists won a low-scoring second match, Sammy Woods
taking 15 wickets.
1892 saw Ireland visit Philadelphia. The teams each won one match, with one game drawn. This series was notable as it was the debut of Bart King
, who would go on to a successful career bowling for the Philadelphians. The following year saw the first visit of Australia since the game in 1878. It visited on its way home from a tour of England. Australia fielded a strong side, but the team was tired after a long tour and trip. In spite of this fatigue, the Australians chose to face the full strength of the Gentlemen of Philadelphia. On a small ground at Elmwood, the September grass was coarse and rolled very fast. The Australian side, fielding first, dropped many balls and could not cope with the short boundary
. They allowed the Philadelphians to run up a total of 525 runs. When the Australians came to bat, they had hoped that they were recovered from their journey, but they soon encountered Bart King's developing swing. The side was all out for 199, and King took 5 wickets for 78 runs. The Australians followed on
and were all out again for 268, allowing the Gentlemen of Philadelphia to win by an innings and 68 runs. This win came about with the help of Bart King's batting and, more importantly, his bowling. The Australians won the return match by six wickets, but the Australian captain, Jack Blackham
, said to the Americans, "You have better players here than we have been led to believe. They class with England’s best."
In 1894 a second team led by Lord Hawke visited from England, playing two matches. Lord Hawke's XI won the first match at Merion with the Philadelphians coming back to win the second at Germantown's Manheim ground.
In 1897
, the Philadelphian side toured England for 15 first class matches. Though the results may have been less satisfactory than hoped for by the promoters, the tour was arranged mainly for educational purposes and few of those on the American side expected to win many matches. Previous tours had tended to involve amateur English sides with a low level of competition. In 1897 a schedule was made including all of the top county cricket
teams, the Oxford
and Cambridge University teams
, the Marylebone Cricket Club
, and two other sides, though only a few of the counties thought it worthwhile to put their best elevens onto the field. Starting on 7 June at Oxford
, the tour lasted for two months and ended in late July at The Oval
. While it initially aroused some curiosity, many English fans lost interest until Bart King and the Philadelphians met the full Sussex team at Brighton on 17 June. In the first innings, King proved his batting worth in a fourth-wicket stand of 107 with John Lester
. He then took 7 wickets for 13 runs and the team dismissed Sussex for 46 in less than an hour. In the second innings, King took 6 for 102 and helped the Philadelphians to a victory by 8 wickets. Despite the excitement surrounding the team's performance, the Americans did not fare well overall. Fifteen matches were played, but only two were won, while the team lost nine and drew four. The other win of the tour came against Warwickshire
.
This tour was followed by a two game series at home against a team captained by Plum Warner
in which each team won a match. Warner again brought a team the following year, this time winning both games. The decade was rounded out with a tour by a team captained by Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji
. This team won both matches against the Philadelphians in 1899.
1901 saw Bernard Bosanquet
bring a team to Philadelphia for a tied series. The Philadelphians again toured England in 1903, playing 15 first-class games. The team was more successful than in 1897, this time winning six, losing six and drawing three. Bart King continued his successful form on this tour. In the first innings against Lancashire
, he bowled 27 overs and took 5 wickets for 46 runs. After the Philadelphians surpassed Lancashire, their lead was quickly wiped away in the second innings. With the wind strong over King’s left shoulder he went in to dominate the opposition. In his first over after the lunch break, he york
ed one of the opening batsmen and his replacement with successive balls. In the second over he clean bowled two more batsmen, and in the third he bowled a stump out of the ground. He had taken 5 wickets for 7 runs. After this performance, King had to be rested in the field and one wicket was taken. On his return, he took four more to finish with 9 for 62. The Philadelphians won next morning by nine wickets. The tour of England was followed the same year by a visit from Kent
to Philadelphia. The Marylebone Cricket Club
visited for two tours in 1905 and 1907. The first series was drawn one game to one, and the second tour saw both games drawn.
1908 saw the third and final tour of England by the Philadelphians. They played ten first-class games on this tour, winning four and losing six. The tour was highlighted by Bart King, who took 87 wickets and topped the England bowling averages with the figure of 11.01. This was not bettered until 1958 when Les Jackson
of Derbyshire
posted an average of 10.99. They played three first-class games in Jamaica
in 1908-09
, their only tour of a country other than England.
In 1909, the Philadelphians played a two match home series against Ireland, in which they won both games by an innings. In the first of these games, Bart King took all ten Irish wickets in the first innings, and followed up that with a hat-trick
in the second innings.
The second decade of the twentieth century was the last for first-class cricket in Philadelphia, with baseball
increasing its dominance over American sport. With the formation of the Imperial Cricket Conference
in 1909 specifically excluding countries from outside the British Empire
, American cricket had little influence on the global game. This exclusionary policy undercut any momentum to professionalize cricket in the USA. There were still two more first-class tours by Australia, however. The first was a drawn two match series in 1912. The final series was a three match affair, with the Australians winning two games, and one drawn. The drawn game, played on 28 June 1913 was the last first-class game played in the USA until the national side played an Intercontinental Cup
game against Canada
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
in 2004. Today, cricket is played in Philadelphia, but it has not reached the same heights it did during this golden age.
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
between 1878 and 1913. Even with the United States having played the first ever international cricket match
United States v Canada (1844)
The Canadian cricket team in the United States in 1844 was the first international team to travel to another country and the match between the two national sides that year, billed as "United States of America versus the British Empire's Canadian Province", was the first official international...
against Canada in 1844, the sport began a slow decline in the country. This decline was furthered by the rise in popularity of baseball. In Philadelphia, however, the sport remained very popular and from the end of the 19th century until the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the city produced a first class team that rivaled many others in the world. The team was composed of players from the four chief cricket clubs in Philadelphia–Germantown, Merion
Merion Cricket Club
Merion Cricket Club is a private club in Haverford, Pennsylvania, founded in 1865. The current clubhouse is its sixth, the last four having been designed by Philadelphia architect Frank Furness and his partner, Allen Evans .-History:...
, Belmont
Belmont Cricket Club
The Belmont Cricket Club was one of the four chief cricket clubs in Philadelphia that played from the end of the 19th century until the outbreak of World War I. It was founded in 1874 in west Philadelphia and was disbanded in 1914. Bart King, arguably America's greatest cricketer during its golden...
, and Philadelphia
Philadelphia Cricket Club
The Philadelphia Cricket Club, founded in 1854, is the oldest country club in the United States. It has two locations: Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, and Flourtown, Pennsylvania.-History:...
. Players from smaller clubs, such as Tioga
Tioga Cricket Club
The Tioga Cricket Club was a cricket club in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The club was located at Westmoreland Station, and was one of the clubs contributing members to the famous Philadelphian cricket team. This was the first club team for which Bart King played after switching from...
and Moorestown, and local colleges, such as Haverford
Haverford College
Haverford College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States, a suburb of Philadelphia...
and Penn
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, also played for the Philadelphians. Over its 35 years, the team played in 88 first-class cricket matches. Of those, 29 were won, 45 were lost, 13 were drawn and one game was abandoned before completion.
1870s and 1880s
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
toured North America in 1872, they played a match against Philadelphia over three days beginning on September 21. The match was played at the Germantown Cricket Club Ground, Nicetown, Philadelphia. It was not a first-class fixture, the Philadelphians having 22 players and the visitors, who won by 4 wickets, having 12. Amongst the English players were W.G. Grace, the future Lord Harris and A.N.Hornby. Grace did little as a batsman, but took 21 wickets (out of a possible 42) in the match.
The first time that the Gentlemen of Philadelphia played a first-class cricket match was on 3 October 1878 against Australia
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
. This match took place on the Australians' trip home after playing in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
earlier in the year. The game was a three day match, and finished in a low scoring draw, with Australia still needing 43 runs when the game ended. The following year saw Ireland
Irish cricket team
The Ireland cricket team is the cricket team representing all of Ireland. Because of political difficulties, the Irish Cricket Union was not elected to the International Cricket Council until 1993, and qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 2007. The Irish Cricket Union is the...
visit for two matches against the Philadelphians. The first match was a two day game which the home side won by an innings. This was followed by a one day game which was won by the Irish.
The next time the Philadelphians played in a major match was in 1883, when they played the USA national side
United States cricket team
The United States national cricket team is the team that represents the United States of America in international cricket matches. The team became an associate member of the International Cricket Council in 1965...
in a first-class match. They lost this game by 8 wickets, but gained revenge when the fixture was played again the next year, winning by 3 wickets. This match then became an occasional game played between the best amateur players of Philadelphia and the country's best professionals. The fixture was played six times between 1885 and 1894. Also in 1884, the Gentlemen of Philadelphia toured the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
In 1885, a team from England organised by Edward Sanders visited Philadelphia, playing two first-class matches. The English side, captained by Richard Thornton, split the series with the Philadelphians. The team toured again the following year with more success–winning both matches. In 1888 Ireland visited Philadelphia, playing two first-class games which were both won by the Philadelphians. The final tour of the decade came in 1889 when the Gentlemen of Philadelphia again toured the UK.
1890s
The decade of the 1890s marks the golden age of Philadelphian cricket. This was the period in which the most well-known players from the team made their marks. The first match of the decade for the Philadelphians that is classified as first-class was played against a team of English Residents. This fixture had been played annually from 1880 to 1883. This was the last time it was played, and the only time it featured a team specifically named as the Philadelphians, who won the game by six wickets. In 1891 a teamLord Hawke's XI cricket team in North America in 1891–92
In the English winter of 1891–92, Lord Hawke led a touring party of English amateur cricketers on a tour of North America. During their tour they played eight matches, six in the United States of America and two in Canada. The tour contained two first-class fixtures, both contested against the...
led by Lord Hawke visited from England, playing two matches. The Philadelphians won a high-scoring first match but the tourists won a low-scoring second match, Sammy Woods
Sammy Woods
Samuel Moses James "Sammy" Woods was an Australian sportsman who represented both Australia and England at Test cricket, and appeared thirteen times for England at rugby union, including five times as captain. He also played at county level in England at both soccer and hockey...
taking 15 wickets.
Bart King
John Barton "Bart" King was an American cricketer, active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. King was one of the Philadelphian cricketers that played from the end of the 19th century until the outbreak of World War I...
, who would go on to a successful career bowling for the Philadelphians. The following year saw the first visit of Australia since the game in 1878. It visited on its way home from a tour of England. Australia fielded a strong side, but the team was tired after a long tour and trip. In spite of this fatigue, the Australians chose to face the full strength of the Gentlemen of Philadelphia. On a small ground at Elmwood, the September grass was coarse and rolled very fast. The Australian side, fielding first, dropped many balls and could not cope with the short boundary
Boundary (cricket)
Boundary has two distinct meanings in the sport of cricket:# the edge or boundary of the playing field, and# a manner of scoring runs.-Edge of the field:...
. They allowed the Philadelphians to run up a total of 525 runs. When the Australians came to bat, they had hoped that they were recovered from their journey, but they soon encountered Bart King's developing swing. The side was all out for 199, and King took 5 wickets for 78 runs. The Australians followed on
Follow-on
Follow-on is a term used in the sport of cricket to describe a situation where the team that bats second is forced to take its second batting innings immediately after its first, because the team was not able to get close enough to the score achieved by the first team batting in the first innings...
and were all out again for 268, allowing the Gentlemen of Philadelphia to win by an innings and 68 runs. This win came about with the help of Bart King's batting and, more importantly, his bowling. The Australians won the return match by six wickets, but the Australian captain, Jack Blackham
Jack Blackham
John McCarthy Blackham was a Test cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia.A specialist wicket-keeper, Blackham played in the first Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in March 1877 and the famous Ashes Test match of 1882...
, said to the Americans, "You have better players here than we have been led to believe. They class with England’s best."
In 1894 a second team led by Lord Hawke visited from England, playing two matches. Lord Hawke's XI won the first match at Merion with the Philadelphians coming back to win the second at Germantown's Manheim ground.
In 1897
Philadelphian cricket team in England in 1897
The Philadelphian cricket team toured England in the summer of 1897. Starting on 7 June at Oxford, the tour lasted for two months and ended in late July at The Oval. The Americans played 15 first-class matches captained by George Stuart Patterson. The tour is, perhaps, most notable for the...
, the Philadelphian side toured England for 15 first class matches. Though the results may have been less satisfactory than hoped for by the promoters, the tour was arranged mainly for educational purposes and few of those on the American side expected to win many matches. Previous tours had tended to involve amateur English sides with a low level of competition. In 1897 a schedule was made including all of the top county cricket
County cricket
County cricket is the highest level of domestic cricket in England and Wales. For the 2010 season, see 2010 English cricket season.-First-class counties:...
teams, the Oxford
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
and Cambridge University teams
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
, the Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
, and two other sides, though only a few of the counties thought it worthwhile to put their best elevens onto the field. Starting on 7 June at Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, the tour lasted for two months and ended in late July at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
. While it initially aroused some curiosity, many English fans lost interest until Bart King and the Philadelphians met the full Sussex team at Brighton on 17 June. In the first innings, King proved his batting worth in a fourth-wicket stand of 107 with John Lester
John Lester
John Ashby Lester was an American cricketer, active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Lester was one of the Philadelphian cricketers who played from the end of the 19th century until the outbreak of World War I...
. He then took 7 wickets for 13 runs and the team dismissed Sussex for 46 in less than an hour. In the second innings, King took 6 for 102 and helped the Philadelphians to a victory by 8 wickets. Despite the excitement surrounding the team's performance, the Americans did not fare well overall. Fifteen matches were played, but only two were won, while the team lost nine and drew four. The other win of the tour came against Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
.
This tour was followed by a two game series at home against a team captained by Plum Warner
Plum Warner
Sir Pelham Francis Warner MBE , affectionately and better known as Plum Warner, or even "the Grand Old Man" of English cricket was a Test cricketer....
in which each team won a match. Warner again brought a team the following year, this time winning both games. The decade was rounded out with a tour by a team captained by Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji
K S Ranjitsinhji
Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji, Maharaja Jam Sahib of Nawanagar was an Indian prince and Test cricketer who played for the English cricket team...
. This team won both matches against the Philadelphians in 1899.
1900s and 1910s
Bernard Bosanquet (cricketer)
Bernard James Tindal Bosanquet was an English cricketer best known for inventing the googly, a delivery designed to deceive the batsman. When bowled, it appears to be a leg break, but after pitching the ball turns in the opposite direction to that which is expected, behaving as an off break instead...
bring a team to Philadelphia for a tied series. The Philadelphians again toured England in 1903, playing 15 first-class games. The team was more successful than in 1897, this time winning six, losing six and drawing three. Bart King continued his successful form on this tour. In the first innings against Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
, he bowled 27 overs and took 5 wickets for 46 runs. After the Philadelphians surpassed Lancashire, their lead was quickly wiped away in the second innings. With the wind strong over King’s left shoulder he went in to dominate the opposition. In his first over after the lunch break, he york
Yorker
Yorker is a term used in cricket that describes a ball bowled which hits the cricket pitch around the batsman's feet. When a batsman assumes a normal stance this generally means that the cricket ball bounces on the cricket pitch on or near the batsman's popping crease...
ed one of the opening batsmen and his replacement with successive balls. In the second over he clean bowled two more batsmen, and in the third he bowled a stump out of the ground. He had taken 5 wickets for 7 runs. After this performance, King had to be rested in the field and one wicket was taken. On his return, he took four more to finish with 9 for 62. The Philadelphians won next morning by nine wickets. The tour of England was followed the same year by a visit from Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
to Philadelphia. The Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
visited for two tours in 1905 and 1907. The first series was drawn one game to one, and the second tour saw both games drawn.
1908 saw the third and final tour of England by the Philadelphians. They played ten first-class games on this tour, winning four and losing six. The tour was highlighted by Bart King, who took 87 wickets and topped the England bowling averages with the figure of 11.01. This was not bettered until 1958 when Les Jackson
Les Jackson
Les Jackson was an English cricketer. A fast or fast-medium bowler renowned for his accurate bowling and particular hostility on uncovered wickets, he played county cricket for Derbyshire from 1947 to 1963, and was regularly at, or near the top of, the English bowling averages...
of Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
posted an average of 10.99. They played three first-class games in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
in 1908-09
Philadelphian cricket team in Jamaica in 1908-09
The Philadelphian cricket team made a tour of Jamaica in February 1909. The Philadelphians played 3 first-class matches against the Jamaicans winning two and losing one. This was one of the last first-class tours for the Philadelphian team...
, their only tour of a country other than England.
In 1909, the Philadelphians played a two match home series against Ireland, in which they won both games by an innings. In the first of these games, Bart King took all ten Irish wickets in the first innings, and followed up that with a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in the second innings.
The second decade of the twentieth century was the last for first-class cricket in Philadelphia, with baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
increasing its dominance over American sport. With the formation of the Imperial Cricket Conference
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
in 1909 specifically excluding countries from outside the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, American cricket had little influence on the global game. This exclusionary policy undercut any momentum to professionalize cricket in the USA. There were still two more first-class tours by Australia, however. The first was a drawn two match series in 1912. The final series was a three match affair, with the Australians winning two games, and one drawn. The drawn game, played on 28 June 1913 was the last first-class game played in the USA until the national side played an Intercontinental Cup
ICC Intercontinental Cup
The ICC Intercontinental Cup is a cricket tournament organised by the International Cricket Council as part of its cricket development programme...
game against Canada
Canadian cricket team
The Canada cricket team is the national cricket team representing Canada in men's international competition. It is run by Cricket Canada.While Canada is not sanctioned to play Test matches, the team does take part in One Day International matches and also in first-class games against other...
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
in 2004. Today, cricket is played in Philadelphia, but it has not reached the same heights it did during this golden age.
Summary of first-class matches
- Note: This table includes first-class matches played by both the Philadelphians and the Gentlemen of Philadelphia
| Opposition | P | W | D | L | A | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia Australian cricket team The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877... |
11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/2/2256.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4057.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4059.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4682.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4684.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4685.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/8/8908.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/8/8909.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/9/9037.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/9/9053.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/9/9055.html |
| BJT Bosanquet's XI Bernard Bosanquet (cricketer) Bernard James Tindal Bosanquet was an English cricketer best known for inventing the googly, a delivery designed to deceive the batsman. When bowled, it appears to be a leg break, but after pitching the ball turns in the opposite direction to that which is expected, behaving as an off break instead... |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/5/5833.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/5/5834.html |
| Cambridge University Cambridge University Cricket Club Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4783.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/6/6201.html |
| Derbyshire Derbyshire County Cricket Club Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire... |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/7/7712.html |
| EJ Sander's XI | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/3/3035.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/3/3036.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/3/3162.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/3/3165.html |
| English Residents | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/3/3643.html |
| F Mitchell's XI Frank Mitchell Frank Mitchell was a cricketer and rugby union player.-School, University and Yorkshire:... |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4463.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4465.html |
| Gloucestershire Gloucestershire County Cricket Club Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators.... |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4829.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/6/6216.html |
| Hampshire Hampshire County Cricket Club Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it... |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4811.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/6/6272.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/7/7632.html |
| Ireland | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/7/7680.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/8/8031.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/8/8033.html |
| Lord Hawke's XI | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/3/3766.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/3/3767.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4242.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4244.html |
| Jamaica | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/7/7773.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/7/7774.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/7/7777.html |
| Kent Kent County Cricket Club Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent... |
5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4847.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/6/6239.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/6/6364.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/6/6365.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/7/7734.html |
| Lancashire Lancashire County Cricket Club Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then... |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4777.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/6/6257.html |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/6/6305.html | |
| MCC Marylebone Cricket Club Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of... |
7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4841.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/6/6232.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/6/6813.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/6/6828.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/7/7470.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/7/7471.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/7/7707.html |
| Middlesex Middlesex County Cricket Club Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/4/4793.html http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/7/7654.html |
| Northamptonshire Northamptonshire County Cricket Club Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/7/7669.html |
| Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws... |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4826.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/6/6226.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/7/7725.html |
| Oxford University Oxford University Cricket Club Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England... |
2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4773.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/6/6211.html |
| Oxford University Past and Present | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4801.html |
| PF Warner's XI Plum Warner Sir Pelham Francis Warner MBE , affectionately and better known as Plum Warner, or even "the Grand Old Man" of English cricket was a Test cricketer.... |
5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4909.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4910.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/5/5117.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/5/5118.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/6/6290.html |
| Players of the USA | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/3/3028.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/3/3161.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/3/3892.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/3/3984.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4204.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4240.html |
| KS Ranjitsinhji's XI | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/5/5357.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/5/5358.html |
| Somerset Somerset County Cricket Club Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset... |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4836.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/6/6247.html |
| Surrey Surrey County Cricket Club Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions... |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4851.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/6/6316.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/7/7676.html |
| Sussex Sussex County Cricket Club Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a... |
2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4791.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/6/6295.html |
| USA United States cricket team The United States national cricket team is the team that represents the United States of America in international cricket matches. The team became an associate member of the International Cricket Council in 1965... |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/2/2772.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/2/2909.html |
| Warwickshire Warwickshire County Cricket Club Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor... |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4822.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/6/6264.html |
| Worcestershire Worcestershire County Cricket Club Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire... |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/6/6269.html http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/7/7632.html |
| Yorkshire Yorkshire County Cricket Club Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure.... |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4810.html |
| Totals | 88 | 29 | 13 | 45 | 1 |
Notable players
- Percy ClarkPercy ClarkPercy Hamilton Clark was an American cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast-medium bowler. He began playing cricket in 1885 and soon found himself at the top of the game in the USA during the brief "Golden Age" of North American cricket.-Biography:He was born on 7 August 1873...
– a bowler with a career average of 21.97. - Nelson GravesNelson GravesNelson Zwinglius Graves was an American cricketer, active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Graves was one of the Philadelphian cricketers that played from the end of the 19th century through the early years of the next...
– made his first-class debut at age 14. - "Ranji" HordernRanji HordernDr. Herbert Vivian "Ranji" Hordern was an Australian cricketer who played in 7 Tests from 1911 to 1912. He was the first major leg-spin and googly bowler to play for Australia...
– AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Test cricketTest cricketTest cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
er who played for Philadelphia between 1907 and 1909 - Bart KingBart KingJohn Barton "Bart" King was an American cricketer, active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. King was one of the Philadelphian cricketers that played from the end of the 19th century until the outbreak of World War I...
– almost universally recognized as the greatest American cricketer of all time. - John LesterJohn LesterJohn Ashby Lester was an American cricketer, active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Lester was one of the Philadelphian cricketers who played from the end of the 19th century until the outbreak of World War I...
– led the team's batting averages from 1897 until his retirement in 1908. - Christie MorrisChristie MorrisCharles Christopher "Christie" Morris was an American cricketer during the sport's brief North American "golden age". He was a right-handed batsman and a leg-break bowler.-Early cricket:...
– the CC Morris Cricket Library at Haverford CollegeHaverford CollegeHaverford College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States, a suburb of Philadelphia...
, the largest collection of cricket literature and memorabilia in the western hemisphere, was named after him. - George PattersonGeorge Patterson (cricketer)George Stuart Patterson was an American cricketer, active in the late 19th century. Patterson played most notably for the Philadelphians, which flourished from the end of the 19th century until the outbreak of World War I...
– made the highest first-class score by a player from a non-Test nation. - Henry ScattergoodHenry ScattergoodJoseph Henry Scattergood was an American cricketer, active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Scattergood was one of the Philadelphian cricketers that played from the end of the 19th century through the early years of the next. Scattergood was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to a...
– was a successful wicket-keeperWicket-keeperThe wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
for the team. - John ThayerJohn Thayer (cricketer)John Borland Thayer, Jr. was a first-class cricketer and later a Pennsylvania Railroad vice president, who died shortly before his 50th birthday in the sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912...
– had a short career with the team but is notable as the only first-class cricketer to have died on the RMS Titanic.