A Brief History

Of The

METROPOLITAN CRICKET LEAGUE

The New York Metropolitan and District Cricket Association was formed in 1890 by a group of dedicated and visionary clubs resolute on keeping the game of cricket alive in North America. The founding members were General Electric C.C., Fairmount C.C., both of Philadelphia, Paterson C.C., Brooklyn C.C. and Staten Island C.C. The majority of the players in the Philadelphia area were mill workers who were immigrants from Nottingham and Yorkshire in England.

The first President of the league was Rev. W.S. Rainford who was assisted in various capacities by C.A. McNully, Jerome Flannery, Harry Manley and Clifford Turner.

Staten Island Cricket Club is our oldest club having been formed in 1872 by a group of Wall Street traders. Its first name was Staten Island Cricket and Baseball Club and later became Staten Island Cricket and Tennis Club. Walker Park as it stands today was named in memory of R. St. George Walker, then President of both the cricket and tennis clubs; he died in combat during World War 1. During that period, cricket exhibitions were commonly played at the parade grounds behind Prospect Park on weekends and holidays, where other clubs such as Brooklyn, Manhattan, Kings County and Bedford would pitch their tents and proceed to play cricket in a carnival atmosphere.

 The Metropolitan Cricket League continues to expand on the visions of its foundation members during the later part of the twentieth century. The league has made great progress over the past decades with the sound leadership of Presidents Derrick Scott, Clement “Busta” Lawrence, Clifford Hinds, Sam Belnavis, Mascelles Bailey, Trevor Walfall and Cliff Roye, supported by stalwarts such as: Hugh Pitter, Stephen Gaskin, Lincoln Hinds, Victor Logan, Mavis Johnson, Austin Hutchinson, and Roy Sweeney. Collectively, they worked tirelessly to ensure that the objectives and the valuable traditions of the league are preserved.

The Metropolitan embarked on many overseas tours during the 1980’s and 1990’s which helped to develop a strong chemistry among the cricketers. The league stamped its mark of dominance as a formidable team in the late 1980’s and 1990’s; winning the New York Region Inter league competition in 1989,1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999, and 2009 which is unprecedented for any cricket organization.

The Metropolitan League ascended into the twenty first century more determined than ever under the pragmatic leadership of Mascelles Bailey. His Executive Committee proactively brought a new dimension to the game as they were compelled to mirror the achievements of the past while continuing to seek new horizons in an ever changing world of limited over cricket. The introduction of colored clothes, a brainchild of Mr. Bailey, brought a new air of excitement, enthusiasm and renewed vigor to the league while maintaining the treasured traditions.

The diversity of our league members are evident as we are represented by players who hail from Jamaica, Guyana, England, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, the Leeward and Windward Islands.

The prestigious fact of the NYMDCA is the number of its members that are inducted into the USA Cricket Hall of Fame: Roy Sweeney, Lloyd Scott, Shadi Khan, Denzil Powell, Austin Hutchinson, Lloyd Dixon, Mascelles Bailey, Hugh Pitter, Clifford Hinds, Samuel Belnavis, Clarence Modeste, Mavis Johnson, Venelda Wallace, Sham Ali and Cliff Roye