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Cricket as we know it today was first played in England in the 1500s, but its roots date back as much as 500 years earlier than that. Most "cricket historians" agree that English soldiers brought the sport to Canada, particularly during battle at the Plains of Abraham in 1759 in Quebec City. These soldiers played cricket for fun and started the cricket tradition in Canada - probably without even knowing it!
A "barber" makes it cricket the "in" sport
The person who made cricket very popular in Canada was a young English schoolmaster named George A. Barber. He taught at Upper Canada College in Toronto, published the newspaper the Toronto Herald and was a founder of the Toronto Cricket Club.
Barber started the historic series between the Toronto Cricket Club and Upper Canada College in 1836. To this day, these matches are played annually.
The rest of the country joins in
From 1860 to 1890, cricket spread across the country, with clubs forming west of Ontario, in British Columbia, Alberta and the prairie provinces. But at the same time, following the end of the U.S. Civil War in 1865, baseball grew rapidly in the United States and drew fans away from cricket. Cricket's popularity declined further in the 1900s as ice hockey, skiing and baseball becoming more popular among players and spectators.
But that certainly wasn't the end of cricket in Canada!
Cricket still going strong
In 1892, the Canadian Cricket Association was formed, and Canadians have remained cricket enthusiasts throughout history. New Canadians arrive every day from countries where cricket is an important part of life. These newcomers bring a passion an excitement for the sport of cricket with them.
Today, cricket has a strong following in Canada, with some 368 teams in total, including 91 school teams.
And it's growing all the time!
Illustrations supplied courtesy of England and Wales Cricket Board
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