IndiaPost.com - Cricket craze in Orange County

India Post News Service

FULLERTON, CA: Cricket to Indians is like football or basketball to Americans. Asking a random person on the street in California if they know what cricket is, will only bring blank stares or answers like "Isn't that an insect?"

For some, cricket isn't just a word or a phrase they don't know. It is their life. For a group of guys from Orange County, cricket is the one thing they miss most about India. Fortunately for them, they are able to play it here in sunny California at their college- Cal State University, Fullerton.

"When I came to the US, I thought I was done with my cricket career. I never knew that cricket would have a big following here," said Adheesh Bhate, Vice President of CSUF Cricket Club. CSUF is one of the few colleges that offers its students the chance to play the historic sport and take part in its diversity.

The CSUF Cricket Club was formed in 2001 by a group of guys who had a passion to play cricket. Adheesh Bhate said, "I was doing my undergrad at Cal State Fullerton, when a couple of my friends and I decided we should make a cricket club.

We filled out paper work and became a club in 2001. We started playing with a tennis ball, we had no equipment, so we just got some people together and starting playing cricket on the weekends." After a couple of weeks, the club received a huge response from students at Cal State Fullerton who wanted to join the club.

With good members on their team and dedication from all, the CSUF Cricket Club decided to join the Southern California Cricket Association. "We won the title of the 2006 Southern California Cricket Association Champions and I was awarded Most Valuable Player," said Ravi Singh, President of the CSUF Cricket Club.

After their success last year, the CSUF Cricket Club is hoping to keep their title this year. The CSUF Cricket Club holds tryouts at least three times a year. They look for talented players and are always looking to recruit new members who share their passion. For most people who are not sports jocks, the explanation of cricket may help.

First off, the goal of cricket is for a team to score the most runs. There are three basic positions on a cricket team: the players, the umpires and the scorers. The players include batsman, bowlers, wicket-keeper, captain, fielder and all rounder.

For a team to score the most runs a player on the fielding team must bowl to an opposing team's batsman. Before the opposing team's batsman hits the ball, the ball must bounce once. Thereafter, the opposing team's batsman should hit the ball and exchange places with his teammate who is standing, idle, near the bowler.

A little confusing, this sport defiantly takes to action when seen in person; and can be quite entertaining. Most of the CSUF Cricket Club's games are held at Smith Murphy Park in Buena Park, CA. The new season for the CSUF Cricket Club started on April 8.