Oregon State University has added cricket as an intramural sport this term, with the first tournament happening April 27. 

Cricket is similar to baseball, with two teams of 11 players, and each team takes a turn batting and playing in the field. The fielding team has all 11 players on the field, whereas the batting team has two that are called batsmen. The pitcher is called a bowler and the batsmen try to hit the ball after it is bowled by the fielding team. Behind the batters is a wicket the batters try to protect by hitting the ball the bowler throws. A batsmen then tries to prevent the bowler from hitting the ball and the batter tries to protect the wicket. Any student is welcome to play, and the last day to sign up will be April 26.

According to Sport Programs Assistant Director Joe Schaffer, cricket is not commonly played in the United States. He had a few international students approach him saying they would like to play cricket, but there is not an ideal location for them to do so on campus. 

“We’re looking to add more sports, especially for the international community. Cricket isn’t typically popular in the U.S. and its addition is exposing students to a new sport,” Schaffer said. 

Cricket is typically played in a large field, however Schaffer said the intramural staff is planning to hold matches in the McAlexander Field House. 

“We are looking at doing it on the turf so it is going to be a little bit different than traditional cricket that you see on these very large fields,”  Schaffer said. 

According to Schaffer, the addition of cricket is a way to reach out to different communities and cultures on campus. 

“We wanted to try out a new sport for this year that catered to a student population that wanted to be involved,” Schaffer said. “We are going to be working with and reaching out to some of the cultural centers to get some international students involved.”

Anyone with an IM Pass can participate, and passes can be purchased on the OSU Instramurals website for $20.  An IM Pass students to participate in an unlimited amount of instrmural sports during the term in which it was purchased.

Schaffer encourages anyone with questions regarding cricket to reach out.