Major League Cricket Draws Australian Fans in the US
Major League Cricket (MLC), featuring prominent Australian players Steve Smith and Peter Siddle, has arrived in Oakland, much to the delight of Australian World Cup fans visiting the United States. These fans are filling their time before the Socceroos' last-32 match.
Australian cricketer Peter Siddle is familiar with the United States, but recent days have been different.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in America and it’s a place you tend to walk around and not have to worry about getting noticed at all, which is great,”
“But here at the moment, there are plenty of Aussies walking around that spot you a mile away.”
There has been a notable increase of Australians in San Francisco attending the Socceroos matches, with many remaining in the Bay Area before traveling to Dallas for the last-32 game.
Two days after Australia secured their place in the knockout stages with a draw against Paraguay in Santa Clara, dozens of fans dressed in yellow ventured to watch a different sport at the Oakland Coliseum, less than an hour away.
The Oakland Coliseum, previously the filming location for the movie Moneyball—inspired by sports analytics and starring Brad Pitt—was once home to the local baseball team, the Athletics, before their relocation to Las Vegas via Sacramento. The Oakland Raiders football team also played there before moving out of the Bay Area.
However, Socceroos fans were not at the Coliseum to explore its history. They came to see the Washington Freedom, a Major League Cricket team coached by Ricky Ponting and captained by Steve Smith, defeat the Texas Super Kings by one wicket. After Washington lost three wickets in the final over, India-born Australian allrounder Nikhil Chaudhary hit the last ball for six, securing the win.
Peter Siddle, who plays in MLC for the San Francisco Unicorns, joined the traveling fans along with teammates including rising Australian star Ollie Peake to attend the Socceroos’ match against Paraguay.
“To be there – I don’t know the number that were there, but it felt like there was 20-30,000 Socceroos fans just in that stadium, all in yellow – it was quite special to be a part of,”
he said.
The world of franchise cricket is evolving rapidly, with players’ salaries increasing and traditional calendars being reshaped. The presence of Australia’s green and gold colors at the Oakland Coliseum was a new sight.
MLC chief executive Johnny Grave commented on the enthusiastic Australian supporters.
“We get lots of cheering, lots of whistles, and lots of flag waving,”
“We don’t usually get football chanting. But the Aussies that were here certainly made themselves known, and were very vocal towards the likes of Glenn Maxwell and Steve Smith.”
Among a crowd of a few thousand, the number of Australians was estimated to be over 50. Recognizing the potential interest from the thousands of traveling Socceroos fans, the four-year-old MLC offered discounted tickets through the active support group.
Cricket’s growth in the United States has been supported by the 2024 men’s T20 World Cup and is expected to gain further momentum from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, which will host cricket at MLC’s new facility in Pomona.
Johnny Grave anticipates cricket’s popularity will follow a trajectory similar to football’s rise in the US after the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the Women’s World Cups in 1999 and 2003.
“I think cricket will follow those footsteps, I think it is going to be a long process,”
he said.
“We’re obviously blessed by a fanatical South Asian diaspora, a pretty dedicated Caribbean diaspora as well as others that are moving into the States. We had a whole bunch of Nepali fans here yesterday.”
Socceroos fans Jack and Joel attended the Oakland Coliseum for the match between the Unicorns and Washington on Sunday. They wore Australia shirts and also purchased Freedom merchandise.
“We chose today specifically because of all the Aussies involved,”
Jack said.
“You’ve got [Marcus] Stoinis, Smith, [Mitchell] Owen, [Matt] Short, [Xavier] Bartlett, way too many others – half the players, and half the coaching staff. We saw Adam Voges and Ricky Ponting and we really just had to be here to experience it.”
The Socceroos’ qualification for the last 32 has prompted hundreds of fans to scramble for flights and accommodation to extend their stays in the US, hoping to witness the team’s first World Cup knockout win. Jack and Joel, however, had planned their approximately $10,000, four-week trip well in advance and had booked accommodation in Dallas and other potential locations for the Socceroos’ matches.
“We just sat in the stadium for a bit after the Paraguay game, and Jack literally cancelled all the Airbnbs we weren’t going to use,”
Joel said.
“I had about $9,000 come back on the credit card straight after full-time,”
Jack said.
“It was the post-game ritual.”
The pair were also well prepared for tickets. They were fortunate in ticket ballots and actively pursued tickets for potential Socceroos knockout matches, subsequently selling those they did not require for profit.
Two hours before attending the cricket match at a cost of US$40 (AU$58) each, Jack sold his seat for the USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina game for US$1,800 (AU$2,600). He had purchased it three months earlier for US$700 (AU$1,000).
“That funds like a week of travel,”
he said.
“That’s the USA factor.”
