Cricket is a popular sport in Wales; it started in the late 18th century, and has been played in Wales ever since. All cricket within Wales is regulated by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), making it effectively part of the English cricket system. Glamorgan County Cricket Club is Wales' only first-class county team, and Welsh players are eligible to represent England as Wales does not currently have its own Test cricket team or cricket body. Cricket is played within the Welsh schools system, and is considered one of the country's main summer sports.
Cricket, as a sport, has its origins in England, with its first known set of rules written in 1744. The earliest definite reference to cricket in Wales is in 1763, when it was played at Pembroke.[1] The first recorded match was played at Llanegwad in Carmarthenshire.[2] The first club to be mentioned is Swansea, in 1785.[2] By around 1800, matches were also being played in the north, specifically in Holywell; there are records of further matches in the Hanmer area in the 1820s.
With the development of the railways and better transport links, the game of cricket began to spread slowly across Wales and by the 1830s the first interclub fixtures were regularly played.[2] On 5 May 1845, Cardiff Cricket Club was inaugurated, and after three years using the rented field at Longcross, now the location of the Cardiff Royal Infirmary, the team became associated with the Cardiff Arms Park.[3] Both the Arms Park and St. Helen's, in Swansea, were cricket venues before they became associated with rugby union. By 1850 cricket had become a popular activity in many schools, and this in turn helped cricket to be adopted as a working-class sport rather than one associated with the gentry as it was in England.
1859 saw the first match between select English and Welsh teams, when the All England XI played a South Wales XXII.[2] The South Wales team were victorious and this led to the first attempt to form a first-class team in Wales. Although county teams were later formed, most were short lived; but in 1888 Glamorgan County Cricket Club was formed, which would become the most important first-class team in Wales. Glamorgan entered the Minor Counties Cricket Championship in 1897 and was joined by other county teams from Wales: Carmarthenshire, Monmouthshire and Denbighshire. In 1921 Glamorgan became the first county team to gain first-class status, and was the 17th member of the County Championship.
From its earliest days Glamorgan refused to designate a county headquarters, playing its matches at both St. Helen's in Swansea and Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, to try to remain neutral between the two main cities of the county. In 1975, St. Helen's Ground in Swansea held the first international game to be played outside the usual Test venues of England, hosting a One-day International between England and New Zealand.[2]
See main article: County cricket.
In men's cricket, Glamorgan County Cricket Club is the only Welsh participant in the England and Wales County Championship. They also play in the Royal London One-Day Cup and the T20 Blast. Wales National County Cricket Club also play in the English National Counties competitions, for county teams that do not have first-class status.
In women's cricket, Wales currently play in the Women's Twenty20 Cup, and previously competed in the Women's County Championship.[4] Within the regional domestic structure, Wales is represented by the Western Storm regional hub.[5]
Welsh Fire represent Wales in both the men's and women's competitions of The Hundred.[6]
Two Welsh cricket leagues have received ECB accreditation: the North Wales Premier Cricket League and the South Wales Cricket League.
See main article: List of cricket grounds in England and Wales.
Glamorgan play at the following grounds: Penrhyn Avenue in Colwyn Bay, St. Helen's in Swansea, The Gnoll Cricket Ground in Neath and Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.
On 8 July 2009 Sophia Gardens held its first Test match, when it hosted the first match of the 2009 Ashes Series. The game ended in a draw.
| Official name | City or town | Use by county sides | Capacity | Ends/notes | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BP Oil Refinery Ltd Ground | Llandarcy | Glamorgan (1971) | [7] | |||
| Cardiff Arms Park† | Cardiff | Glamorgan (1896–1966) | 7,000 | • North Stand • Westgate Street End | [8] | |
| Cowbridge Cricket Ground | Cowbridge | Glamorgan (1931–1932) | [9] | |||
| Hoover's Sports Ground† | Merthyr Tydfil | Glamorgan (1988–1989) | [10] | |||
| Miskin Manor Cricket Club Ground | Rhondda Cynon Taf | Has held a Women's ODI | [11] | |||
| Parc-y-Dwrlyn Ground | Pentyrch | Glamorgan (1993) | [12] | |||
| Pontarddulais Park | Pontarddulais | Wales National County (1992–present) | [13] | |||
| Sophia Gardens | Cardiff | Glamorgan (1967–present) Wales Minor Counties (1988 & 2000–2002) | 15,600 | • River Taff End • Cathedral Road End Has held Tests, ODIs, T20Is and WODIs and WT20Is | [14] [15] | |
| Sully Centurions Cricket Club Ground | Sully | Wales Minor Counties (2002) | [16] | |||
| St. Helen's | Swansea | Glamorgan (1897–present) Wales Minor Counties (1989–2008) | 4,500 | • Mumbles Road End • Pavilion End Has held ODIs and a Women's ODI | [17] | |
| Steel Company of Wales Ground | Margam | Glamorgan (1953–1963) | [18] | |||
| The Gnoll | Neath | Glamorgan (1934–present) Wales Minor Counties (2000) | 6,000 | • Llantwit Road End • Dyfed Road End | [19] | |
| Ynysangharad Park | Pontypridd | Glamorgan (1926–1999) Wales Minor Counties (1995–2004) | 5,000 | • River End • Nursury End | [20] |
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is the governing body of cricket in England and Wales. It was created on 1 January 1997 combining the roles of the Test and County Cricket Board (TCCB), the National Cricket Association (NCA) and the Cricket Council. They are full members of the International Cricket Council.
Cricket Wales[21] is the governing body of cricket in Wales. It is an umbrella partnership body comprising the Welsh Cricket Association, Glamorgan Cricket, Wales National County Cricket Club, the Welsh Schools Cricket Association and Sport Wales.
Welsh men's and women's cricket teams have played matches on a number of occasions. Generally however, Wales do not field a team in international competition, with players instead playing for England.
Recently there have been calls for Wales to be represented by its own national team, as in other sports, similar to Scotland. The only Welsh cricketer to captain England on a major tour abroad was Tony Lewis in 1972–73.
The following Welsh cricketers have played Test cricket for England:
Alan Jones played a match for England against Rest of the World in 1970 which was later stripped of Test status. He holds the record for most runs in first-class cricket without playing a Test match. In 2020, he was awarded an England Test cap.[43]
In addition, Phil Salt has played ODI and T20I cricket for England, earning 50 caps across both formats, while never having played a Test match.[44]
England is not the only country to have fielded Welsh cricketers: Imad Wasim, born in Swansea, earned 130 caps and took 117 wickets for Pakistan in ODIs and T20Is between 2015 and 2024.[45]
Cricket has struggled for national attention in Wales, whereas Cricket is said to be the national sport of England, Rugby Union holds that distinction in Wales, and the lack of a regular national team has also meant that cricket has a harder time capturing the public imagination in the way that the Welsh national rugby union team and football teams have. Historically, cricket has also had to complete with Welsh Baseball as a summer sport especially in Cardiff and Newport. Despite these issues both Glamorgan and international matches continue to attract significant support.[46]