Auburn has a well-deserved and hard-earned reputation for sporting achievement. The football, basketball and baseball teams understandably take center stage, but when you look a little deeper at the range of sports catered to on campus, you see that these are only the tip of the iceberg.
Tennis, golf, athletics and even equestrianism are just a few of the sporting scholarships on offer. And if you want to just experience a new sport for fun in your spare time, the list is even longer. Auburn Cricket Club is a case in point. There have been recent headlines about substantial investment to put the sport on the map in the US. But at Auburn, the Cricket Club has been thriving for years.
A growing profile
Cricket is often dismissed as an English eccentricity, perhaps due to its quaint terms and conventions, such as the teams stopping for a 20-minute tea break each afternoon. However, the sport has moved with the times, especially in the shortened T20 format. This features music, razzmatazz, cheerleaders and non-stop action. It could not be farther removed from the staid “village green” depiction of a cricket match that you might see on TV.
There is also the growing global audience. Cricket is actually far more popular in the Indian Subcontinent and Australia than it is in England. But with online streaming platforms and sport betting resources like ComeOn actively looking to market the sport, that audience is starting to reach every corner of the world.
Cricket at Auburn
Auburn University Cricket Club (AUCC) was created to bring together the many individuals at Auburn University who have a love of cricket or are interested in learning more about the sport and maybe giving it a try. This encompasses students from a range of backgrounds, including many who originate from countries where cricket is part of the national and social fabric.
Long before American Cricket Enterprises started talking about $1 billion investments, AUCC had already been highly successful in promoting cricket in Auburn. The club participates in a range of inter-collegiate tournaments, both regional and national, taking on like-minded cricket enthusiasts from other universities and colleges across the United States.
AUCC also hosts an annual cricket tournament called the Tiger Cup. This is one of the largest and most important inter-collegiate tournaments of its kind in the south east. The date for the next event has still to be confirmed, so keep an eye on the club website for updates.
Creating a legacy for future cricket fans
AUCC has a current membership of more than 25. This is enough to field two teams, and the numbers keep rising. The latest American College Cricket rankings place AUCC among the top ten clubs in the entire United States. The club already boasts an impressive trophy cabinet, having won the South East Championship, the Tiger Cup, the Bulldawg Championship and the National Championship multiple times over the past five years. Why not head over to Intramural Field next weekend and give them your support?
