A countdown to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup has been going on for months as Greater Fort Lauderdale makes history in the world of cricket.
June will mark the first time a cricket World Cup will be hosted on American soil— Lauderhill’s Broward County Stadium, located in Central Broward Regional Park, will be one of just three in the nation to host World Cup matches, and more than 45,000 fans are expected to come to Greater Fort Lauderdale to be a part of it.
While the tournament runs through the entire month of June, Central Broward Regional Park will be hosting four matches on the following dates:
- June 11 — Sri Lanka vs. Nepal
- June 14 — USA vs. Ireland
- June 15 — India vs. Canada
- June 16 — Pakistan vs. Ireland
The Broward County Stadium in Lauderhill is Greater Fort Lauderdale’s premier cricket stadium; it hosted its first tournament in 2008. The 110-acre facility boasts two cricket fields, netball courts, tennis courts, basketball courts, a water playground, and four soccer/football fields.
The stadium will be one of three American stadiums to host 16 of the 55 matches for the World Cup, joined by Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York and Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Dallas. Other matches will be hosted throughout the West Indies, with the finals in Barbados.
In anticipation of the event, Greater Fort Lauderdale unveiled a whopping 400-pound, 8-foot-tall cricket ball that is a replica of the ones that will be used during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The photo-worthy piece was unveiled at Las Olas Oceanside Park (LOOP) on Fort Lauderdale beach and will be traveling throughout Greater Fort Lauderdale before arriving back home at the Broward County Stadium in time for the World Cup.
The history of cricket
Cricket dates back hundreds of years to the Norman and Saxon era in English history, with records counting it as a children’s game. The game has gone global, with the UK and former British colonies partaking in the sport. Today, there are 104 member countries in the International Cricket Council. India currently ranks first in the world for men’s cricket, with players from New Zealand, India, Pakistan, South Africa, England, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh taking top spots in individual positions.
Twenty20, also referred to as T20, is a shorter version of a traditional cricket match, which typically lasts for days. New regulations cap the games at around three hours, so spectators at the World Cup in Greater Fort Lauderdale don’t need to set up camp between tournaments! In 2007, South Africa hosted the inaugural T20 World Cup, where India emerged victorious against Pakistan in the final.
How cricket is played
Many Americans like to compare cricket to baseball, as both sports use balls and bats, but the similarities end there. Cricket fields are an oval shape and on the pitch two wooden wickets—made up of three vertical stumps with two bails resting over them—are placed 22 yards apart.
Two teams of 11 cricket players take turns batting and fielding over the course of two innings with a break between.
To get started, a bowler from the fielding team will attempt to throw the ball at the wooden wicket while a batsman attempts to hit the ball before it makes it. When a batsman successfully hits the ball, the player will run to the other wicket and trade places with a fellow batsman. The entire fielding team goes onto the cricket field while only two batsmen from the batting team goes on at a time. After the fielders have had their shot, during the second inning, the teams trade places.
Whether you’re a lifelong cricket fan or just getting into the game, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup matches hosted right here in Greater Fort Lauderdale are the perfect opportunity to enjoy the world’s second-most watched sport.