The Staten Island Cricket Club (SICC) is a

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by str ...

club on Staten Island, New York that was incorporated as the Staten Island Cricket and Base Ball Club on March 22, 1872. It became the first

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

venue in the United States.Morris, Ira K. (1900) page 483.

History

The club originally played at St. George on the "Flats" or old Camp Washington Terminal from 1866 to 1886.According to Ira K. Morris: "The club was incorporated in January 1866." But according to the club's own website it: "was founded on or about March 22nd 1872". While not the oldest cricket club in the United States, it does claim to be the oldest cricket club in continuous use since its founding in that country. Mary Outerbridge brought tennis to the club in 1874. The first national tennis tournament in America was held at the club on September 1, 1880. 'The waterfront land was known by its Civil War use as Camp Washington. It was here that Mary Ewing Outerbridge, resident of the historic area, introduced lawn tennis in the spring of 1874. Her brother Emilius helped her to set up a net and mark out a tennis court on the grounds of Camp Washington used by the Staten Island Cricket and Baseball Club. The club had to give way to

Erastus Wiman Erastus Wiman (21 April 1834 – 9 February 1904) was a Canadian journalist and businessman who later moved to the United States. He is best known as a developer in the New York City borough of Staten Island. Biography Wiman was born in Churc ...

's ventures at that site and move to the former

Rufus King Delafield Rufus King Delafield (November 18, 1802 – February 6, 1874) was an American banker and manufacturer. Early life Delafield was born at his father's residence, 16 Wall Street in New York City, on November 18, 1802, and named after Rufus King, t ...

estate in the Livingston neighborhood of Staten Island about away from St. George. In 1906 the name of the club was changed to the Staten Island Cricket and Tennis Club, and changed again in 1931 to the Staten Island Cricket Club. In 1925 the property was sold to the Staten Island Academy then sold in 1930 to the city of New York. After the sale to city the estate was originally named Livingston Park but was later renamed Walker Park in memory of Randolph St. George Walker Jr., a casualty of World War I and son of a prominent member and officer of the club." A clubhouse on the grounds burned down in 1932, taking many of the club's records with it. The clubhouse was replaced with a Tudor style brick structure in 1934 that is still standing. Famous cricketers that have played while visiting at the SICC include England captain Pelham Warner played there in 1903

Gilbert Jessop Gilbert Laird Jessop (19 May 1874 – 11 May 1955) was an English cricket player, often reckoned to have been the fastest run-scorer cricket has ever known. He was Wisden Cricketer of the Year for 1898. Career Jessop was born in Cheltenham, ...

, Donald Bradman,

Everton Weekes Sir Everton DeCourcy Weekes, KCMG, GCM, OBE (26 February 19251 July 2020) was a cricketer from Barbados. A right-handed batsman, he was known as one of the hardest hitters in world cricket. Weekes holds the record for consecutive Test hundre ...

, and

Garry Sobers Sir Garfield St Aubrun Sobers, (born 28 July 1936), also known as Sir Gary or Sir Garry Sobers, is a former cricketer who played for the West Indies between 1954 and 1974. A highly skilled bowler, an aggressive batsman and an excellent fielder, ...

. Uncorroborated club lore has it that

W. G. Grace William Gilbert Grace (18 July 1848 – 23 October 1915) was an English amateur cricketer who was important in the development of the sport and is widely considered one of its greatest players. He played first-class cricket for a record-equal ...

Colin Blythe Colin Blythe (30 May 1879 – 8 November 1917), also known as Charlie Blythe, was an English professional cricketer who played Test cricket for the England cricket team during the early part of the 20th century. Blythe was a Wisden Cricketer of ...

, and K. S. Ranjitsinhji also played at Walker (Livingston) Park. Early movie scenes of the S I Cricket Club can be seen in the famous silent film ''

Raffles the Amateur Cracksman ''Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman'' is a 1917 American silent film starring John Barrymore and Evelyn Brent. The movie also co-stars Frank Morgan and Mike Donlin, and was directed by George Irving.

'' (1917) with famous actor

John Barrymore John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen and radio. A member of the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage, and briefly att ...

. Barrymore lived on Staten Island as a child. The film is also on youtube. Scenes show a cricket match played at the club.

Recent activity

Walker Park has the SICC cricket field with cricket pitch prominently placed in the center of the park, but it also has six asphalt tennis courts in its southeast corner, a little league baseball field in its southwest corner, two

basketball court In basketball, the basketball court is the playing surface, consisting of a rectangular floor, with baskets at each end. Indoor basketball courts are almost always made of polished wood, usually maple, with -high rims on each basket. Outdoor sur ...

s along the west, and a children's playground in the northwest corner. The cricket club uses the 1934 brick and half-timbered clubhouse in the northeast corner of the park at 50 Bard Avenue. In the 2000s the club participated in competitive matches in the New York Metropolitan and District Association League. The Latin motto of the club is ''Lude Ludum Insignia Secundaria'' which is translated to mean "Winning the game is a secondary concern. Playing the game is a primary reward. (It's just a game...)" In popular culture it was depicted in Joseph O'Neill's novel ''

Netherland ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

'' which was a story about a New York banker shaken up by the events of

September 11, 2001 The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...

who takes up cricket and starts playing at the Staten Island club.

References

Bibliography

External links

* * The club's later Livingston location, also known as Walker Park, is at . {{Cricket in the United States Cricket teams in New York City Cricket grounds in New York City Cricket clubs established in 1872 American club cricket teams United States cricket in the 19th century United States cricket in the 20th century United States cricket in the 21st century Baseball venues in New York City History of Staten Island Parks in Staten Island Sports venues in Staten Island Sports in Staten Island Tennis venues in New York City

History

Recent activity

See also

References

Bibliography

External links