Cricket in Iceland

Cricket is a fledgling sport in Iceland, with only a couple of teams playing the sport.[1] Iceland is not a member of the International Cricket Council (ICC), but has ambitions to eventually join the European Cricket Council, which would make it an associate member of the ICC.

Cricket in Iceland
CountryIceland
Governing bodyKrikketsamband Íslands
National team(s)Iceland
First played20th century
Registered players35

History

It is likely that cricket was introduced to the country in the 20th century by immigrants and expatriates from cricket-playing nations such as England, Australia, and India. The 1944 edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack records two wartime games played between the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, with the Air Force winning by 36 runs in the first game and 24 runs in the second.[2]

Efforts to grow participation in cricket by Icelanders are ongoing,[3] however, there remains strong competition from more popular and established sports, such as football, handball, swimming, skiing and athletics.

Governing body

Cricket in Iceland is organised by Krikketsamband Íslands (the Icelandic Cricket Association). As of 2018, they had 35 registered players.[4]

National team
Main article: Iceland national cricket team

A national team was formed in 2008, and competed at the 2016 Pepsi Cup tournament in Prague, finishing fifth out of six teams. They played their first (unofficial) international match, a win against Switzerland, in England during July 2018. Members of the r/Cricket forum on Reddit had raised money for the team through crowdfunding and became their official sponsors.[5][6]

Domestic competitions

Two cricket clubs, the Reykjavík Vikings and the Kópavogur Puffins, were set up in 2014.[7] They compete in a five-match series for the Domestic Cup, now rebranded as the Volcanic Ashes as part of the Reddit sponsorship. A six-a-side tournament called the Íslensk Premier League (ÍPL) was introduced in 2018.[8]

Grounds

Iceland's first purpose-built cricket ground, the most northerly in the world, opened in Hafnarfjörður in May 2019 and was officially inaugurated by Katrín Jakobsdóttir, the Prime Minister of Iceland.[9] Previously the country had no turf wicket, with matches being played on astroturf football pitches.[10]

References
  1. "From Iceland to Azerbaijan". BBC. 2002-02-01. Retrieved 2008-06-22.
  2. Wisden's Cricketers Almanack. Wisden. 1944.
  3. "On with the butter – the story of cricket in Iceland". 2016-07-27. Archived from the original on 2016-07-30. Retrieved 2016-08-10.
  4. "Five facts about Iceland Cricket, the body that has offered Ambati Rayudu permanent residency". The New Indian Express. Chennai. 3 July 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  5. Bell, Chris (27 April 2018). "BBC Trending: Cricket fans stump up cash for Iceland team". BBC News. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  6. Middleton, Dave. "Fans chip in to grow Iceland 'krikket'". cricket.com.au. Cricket Australia. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  7. Chandar, Anisha (2 June 2017). "Batting Up A Storm: Iceland's Cricket Scene". The Reykjavik Grapevine. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  8. Prasad, Vishnu (20 May 2018). "Ice, fire... cricket". The New Indian Express. Chennai. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  9. Ćirić, Jelena (16 May 2019). "World's Northernmost Cricket Ground to Open in Iceland". Iceland Review. Reykjavík. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  10. Banerjee, Sandipan (27 July 2018). "Krikket — Iceland's 'game of thorns'". The Hindu. Chennai. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
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