Photo credit: Yogendra Singh
A new sport came to Long Island as Nassau County hosted the 2024 Cricket World Cup. This is the first time the games were hosted in the United States, bringing in an entire new audience to the tournament.
In May 2024, the International Cricket Council (ICC) unveiled its new stadium built on the grounds of Eisenhower Park. World famous athletes were present as well, including Usain Bolt, who happens to be the director of the international games. The venue now stands as the largest cricket stadium in the U.S.
The Nassau games are now completed and it was a huge success. The county hosted eight games from June 3 to June 12. Fans came to support the rising sport and watch their favorite teams compete.
The field was first put to use through a warm-up match on Saturday, June 1, between India and Bangladesh. Then, the first official game came between 2014 Champion Sri Lanka and South Africa on June 3, resulting in a win for the latter.
Game two took place on June 5 and saw India defeat Ireland in a competitive matchup. Ireland played its second match in a row at the Nassau stadium on June 7, after taking another loss, this time to Canada.
This started a span of six straight days with games at the stadium. On June 8, it hosted Netherlands and South Africa, with South Africa earning their second victory.
June 9, saw the most anticipated matchup between India and Pakistan, two powerhouses in the sport. India has appeared in every Cricket World Cup and has appeared in the finals four times, winning twice. Pakistan has appeared three times in the finals, with one World Cup win to show for it.
It was revolutionary to see such a highly anticipated matchup take place on American soil, let alone Long Island. The match resulted in India’s second win of the tournament.
The next game on June 10, was between South Africa and Bangladesh, resulting in yet another South African victory. June 11 then saw Pakistan earn their first win of the tournament against Canada.
The final game at the stadium was on June 12, as the hosting country finally made an appearance. USA came into this tournament with low expectations, but made major headlines with a surprising run.
The U.S. opened the tournament with a win over Canada as they were heading into a hopeless matchup against Pakistan. Somehow, against all odds, the United States completed what some have considered the biggest upset in cricket history.
With American ticket sales and viewership rising, the U.S. cricket team was heading into an even more difficult matchup with India. This time the match would be in Nassau County, making for an exciting day for Long Island. India ended up defeating the host country, making them 3-0 in the group stage.
Despite this being the field’s last game, the tournament continued to bring in more viewership and support. It left a legacy on Long Island that will have a lasting impact. The 2024 Cricket World Cup will come to an end this Saturday, June 29.
