Gentlemen of Philadelphia
| Philadelphia | |
 |
|
| First-class status dates | 1878–1913 |
| Country | USA |
| Current status | Defunct |
| First first-class match | October 3, 1878 v Australia at Germantown Cricket Club, Philadelphia |
| Last first-class match | June 28, 1913 v Australia at Merion Cricket Club, Philadelphia |
| First class record | |
| First class matches played | 87 (plus one abandoned) |
| First class wins/losses | 29/45 |
| As of March 24, 2010 | |
The Philadelphian cricket team was a team that represented Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in first-class cricket between 1878 and 1913. Even with the United States having played the first ever international cricket match against Canada in 1844, the sport began a slow decline in the U.S. This decline was furthered by the rise in popularity of baseball. In Philadelphia, however, the sport remained very popular and from the end of the 19th century until the outbreak of World War I, the city produced a first class team that rivaled many others in the world. The team was composed of players from the four chief cricket clubs in Philadelphia–Germantown, Merion, Belmont, and Philadelphia. Players from smaller clubs, such as Tioga and Moorestown, and local colleges, such as Haverford and Penn, also played for the Philadelphians. Over its 35 years, the team played in 88 first-class cricket matches. Of those, 29 were won, 45 were lost, 13 were drawn and one game was abandoned before completion.
When Fitz Fitzgerald's team from England toured North America in 1872, they played a match against Philadelphia over three days beginning on September 21. The match was played at the Germantown Cricket Club Ground, Nicetown, Philadelphia. It was not a first-class fixture, the Philadelphians having 22 players and the visitors, who won by 4 wickets, having 12. Amongst the English players were W. G. Grace, the future Lord Harris and A. N. Hornby. Grace did little as a batsman, but took 21 wickets (out of a possible 42) in the match.
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