America has become a melting pot of cultures, races, and ethnicities. As a result, for years we have been exposed to different types of food, fashion, technology, and pastimes from countries all around the world. In particular, we have been exposed to the various sports played around the globe and in recent years the game of cricket has gained fame as it has become one of the fastest growing sports in the United States.

Cricket first originated in southern England during the 16th century and by the end of the 18th century it had developed into the national sport of England. Since then, the International Cricket Council (ICC) was formed in order to govern the 104 countries that currently play this bat-and-ball team sport. Although Americans were first exposed to cricket during the 18th century, competing with sports like baseball, early Americans did not generally play the sport in large numbers. However, cricket's popularity slowly increased towards the end of the 20th century when immigrants from south Asia and the West Indies helped to stimulate the growth of the game throughout the nation.

Since 2004, UMBC has also joined in this movement where the UMBC Cricket Club, also known as 22 Yards, was formed by a group of students.

"Our mission is to promote the game of Cricket at UMBC and develop a team that will be competitive and successful in inter-regional competitions," 22 Yards player Chintan Desai said. "We are proud to represent UMBC in the Washington Metropolitan Cricket Board (WMCB). WMCB is an organized Cricket League which follows the standards set by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC)."

The fact, however, is that although cricket fans are anxious for this game to prosper and grow in the United States, we still lack the infrastructure to support such a top-flight international program, especially during these terrible economic times where there is just not enough funding, facilities or trained support to give the sport the attention and recognition that it deserves.

"The founding president, Amitkumar Mahadevan, and then captain of the team, Faisel Maniar, reached out to many students and alumnus to raise awareness of the club. With their efforts, they were able to raise funds and increase the number of participating members. The increase in funds allowed us to build the infrastructure and procure essential equipment, which in turn enabled us to make a strong statement in the 2005 season of the WMCB League," Desai said.

Since money is vital to keeping a club like 22 Yards alive, many cricket organizations have hit a speed bump when it comes to convincing sponsors to invest resources for the sport. This is the case mainly because investors are not willing to dish out money to a sport that has less than one percent of the American people as fans.

Another example is the American soccer team which took several decades to create the interest that was needed in order to maintain an international program and a possible professional league. During the 1960s and 1970s steps were taken to establish a league but the American public was not ready for such a step and the attempts were to no avail. Today, even with millions of American kids playing soccer the men's international team for the United States still struggles to gain the respect it deserves and is often defeated even by less wealthy and less populous nations.

UMBC's cricket team has also had to overcome many obstacles in order to gain the respect and admiration that is quite deserving of their achievements.

"The magnitude of this achievement is significant for a few reasons. For one, 22 Yards won this championship against their arch-rivals, the Vikings Cricket Club-based in the tri-state area and comprised of talented cricketers known for their massive hitting abilities," president of 22 Yards, Anand Patel commented about the clubs recent win in the Federal Management Systems-Board of Directors (FMS-BOD) Championship. The FMS-BOD Championship is a tournament, which is organized by the WMCB, and this is the second year in a row that 22 Yards is bringing home a victory.

"22 Yards faced the Vikings Cricket club for the third time in the final match…On both previous encounters, the Vikings kept their grip on UMBC 22 Yards. In fact, 22 Yards has not won a single match against the Vikings prior to their latest championship. None the less, in the end, although the Vikings Cricket Club gave a good fight, UMBC 22 Yards won the final match with ease."

"The UMBC Cricket Club is comprised of members with varying degrees of cricketing skills. However, there is one thing that everyone shares - love for the game, and enthusiasm to see the sport grow," Desai said. "Whether you are a newcomer to the sport, or want to play competitively, there's a place for you in our club."

While cricket leagues all over the nation continue to struggle to compete with other more recognized sports in the United States one can only hope that their efforts will not go unrecognized.