School Cricket Page


Figure 1.--Quite a number of English schools in the 1990s and 2000s adopted the American baseball cap, like these boys here. Also notice their colored polo shirts. A reader sent this image to us thinking it was British. An English reader tells us that it probanly is not English.

Quite a number of English schools in the 1990s and 2000s adopted the American baseball cap, like these boys here. Also notice their colored polo shirts. Beyond the fashions shown, an interesting aspect of this photigraph is the Kwik Cricket. A reader sent this image to us thinking it was British. An English reader tells us that it probably is not English ahd after looking at it more carefully we would tend to agree.

Reader Comments

Several readers have commented on the image here to help locate it as well as other aspects.

English Comment

Abn English reader writes, "The photograph on the page here with the boys in yellow shirts I don't think is English. The background gives it away as appearing American rather than British. Style of housing, air conditioning unit!, lack of boundary fencing... ;) There is also a subtle fashion difference too ... I have never noticed the pronounced V shape in the peaks of baseball caps over here whilst I have Stateside. I don't know whether others have noticed that (or if I am wrong). ...or of course they could be Aussies or Kiwis!!! Not too many Americans play cricket! (even the kids KwikCricket which is played in a fair few junior schools over here)." Further comment: "What I took to be some form of air conditioning is the window grill just behind the boys. Possibly not an AC unit but it does not look like something typical from over here. The photo just does not 'feel' British. Hardly important really as the text is the useful bit."

American Comment

An American reader writes, "I rather thought the white wooden building looked vaguely English. A lot of English schools have white wooden builfings on the cricket pitch. The corrugated metal roofs, however, do not look English, nor do they look American. I don't see an air coinditioner. I think the cricket rules out America. I would tend to guess New Zealand or possibly Australia. I do recall seeing these metal roofs in both countries."

English Comment

Another English reader writes, "The photograph seems to be a of a group of boys in the same team or school. The crest on the cap would suggest a school. It does not seem to be English. School teams and clubs are more likely to wear a traditional white cricket outfit. I think this is an Austrlian or New Zealand team. The KwiK Cricket bat is interesting. This could be an introductory Cricket Kit promoting cricket. I think the Cricket Council have promotional games packs for children who have never played cricket. I remember visiting a school in America who had cricket equipment and I took a class for cricket. I made up a short form of the game to be played in 30 minutes. When I returned to England I was telling colleagues of my experiwence in the US. The sports teacher listened and said that the Cricket Council had resources I could have taken out and that my game inivation was very similar to the Kwik Cricket idea."

English Comment

Another English reader writes, "I would agree this image looks more like something from Australasia than England. The boys actually don't look British to me - I guess that might just be a mad thing to say, but their faces just don't strike me as being those of British boys. Something about the light is very un-British as well. However, the real reason I'm replying here is because one of your readers was speaking about the 'V' in the caps and saying that wasn't seen in Britain. Not true. When I was working in schools in the mid-1990s, I remember I was actually taught a lesson by a ten-year-old in Manchester! It was popular at that time not only to be wearing baseball caps but to bend the peak. The intention was to get a curve in it, but it was acheived by forcing each side down by gripping it in your fists and bending the sides into each other. Sometimes if done roughly the peak of the cap would take on the 'V' shape here."

Canadian comment

A canadian reader tells us, "This picture is definitely in Australia. 'Kwik Cricket' sets are only sold in the UK and in Australia and New Zealand."

English reader

I'm not sure your reader is right. I can't see an air conditioning unit, and the link on the page to Asda Kwik Cricket seems to suggest it probably is English.

Baseball Caps

The most interesting aspect of this photograph is the baseball caps. This is a destinctly American cap style. I don;t recall English boys weating them in the 1980s. Actually the first baseball caps I saw in Britian was striking coal miners taking on Mrs. Thatcher. Apparently baseball caps began to appear at schools in the 1990s. The ituatiin in New Zealand and Australia is dufferent. While school uniform ttles are basically British, baseball caps were being commonly worn by boys in both countries as early as the 1970s. One interesting aspects of these caps is how the bill (peak/brim) is worn. These boys wear it in a kind of "V", formed by simply folding it in half. There were many other ways of doing it. I recall from my baseball era in the 1950s that folding over the ends was possible. Other boys liked a kind of founded look. This swas all very important to us at the time. Boys who didn't do it right were considered "out of it".

Kwik Cricket

ASDA Kwik Cricket is a simple game for boys and girls from 5 years of age upwards. Asda Kwik Cricket s the result of many years of detailed product development and research by the England and Wales Cricket Board in consultation with cricket coaches, Cricket Development Managers, education authorities, teachers and children. Kwik Cricket was designed to msake cricket more available to children. The ASDA Kwik Cricket section shows you how the game is played with examples of different formats, and gives details of the Awards Scheme to test the children's skills as they develop. A French reader writes, "I have a feeling Kwik Cricket was deliberately created with USA in mind. Thanks for introducing this/ Of course, it doesn't explain the background of the pic. For now, I think it is probably American. Actually the United States, a country where cricket is not commonly played, did quite well in the ICC Champions Trophy." A pres report indicated, "In an amazing conclusion to the ICC Six Nations Challenge UAE 2004, USA were crowned winners of the event and will now travel to England for the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy where they will take on Australia and New Zealand. Going into the final round, USA had to defeat Scotland, and required UAE to defeat Holland to have any chance of qualification. Both these results occurred, and with Namibia defeating Canada, five teams were locked together on three wins from five matches in a remarkable finish to the tournament." [England and Wales Cricket Board]

Sources

England and Wales Cricket Board. "USA claim ICC Champions Trophy berth in thrilling finish" (2004).





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Created: 5:58 AM 7/9/2004
Last updated: 6:36 PM 4/30/2007