United States Youth Cricket Association
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Historic Staten Island Cricket Club Joins USYCA

March 30, 2011

Staten Island Cricket Club, with 139 successful seasons under its belt, is America's oldest continuously operating cricket club. The club's original members were recently emigrated officers of the British Armed Forces, and their exploits are first recorded in the New York Times of July 28, 1872.

During the World Wars, the club, working with the British Consul General's Office, would recruit from those soldiers and sailors temporarily in New York and thus managed to keep cricket going under the toughest of conditions. The current club is also notable for being the home of Joe O'Neill, author of the best-selling novel Netherland, which is a favorite of many American cricket lovers.

With all of this rich history, the SICC only instituted a youth program in 2010, after a number of years of preparation. This preparation began in 2009, when club members founded the Staten Island Cricket Club Walker Park Foundation to mark 125 years of the club at Walker Park. The Foundation then instituted a youth cricket program for the club, led by Earl Daley as coach and Dr. Kumar Balakrishnan and Mohan Radakrishnan as chief organizers.

In 2010, the SICC youth team played a number of fixtures with great success. In 2011, a more intensive fixture list has been prepared; notably, they are planning a youth cricket festival in commemoration of the 350th anniversary of the founding of Staten Island (the borough, not the cricket club!).

"The club is delighted to be affiliated to USYCA," said Second Vice President Joe O’Neill.  "New York youth cricket has, in recent years, with the support of Mayor Bloomberg and the New York City Parks Department and Board of Education, become a high school sport. We look forward to playing an important role in the development of the sport regionally and nationally, and to giving USYCA our full support."

"Having the storied and esteemed Staten Island Cricket Club join USYCA gives me particular pride," USYCA President Jamie Harrison said. "To be associated not only with such an accomplished organization, but also with such quality individuals as President Clarence Modeste and his team, can only bring new luster to youth cricket in America. We look forward to assisting SICC in every way possible to grow the game among young people in New York."