Cricket Rising In Popularity In Toronto

It might surprise you to learn that Toronto has the largest cricket league in North America. The Toronto and District Cricket Association consist of 4 divisions and 34 clubs, fielding 65 teams with over 1015 registered players. The playing facilities in Toronto are considered top notch with over 25 playing grounds the most notable being the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club, home of the Sahara Cup, and the recent Toronto Cricket Festival between West Indies, Pakistan and India.
Toronto actually has a long history with the sport of Cricket going all the way back to 1807 when friendly matches were a regular occurrence at the Home District Grammar School in the Old Town of York the forerunner to the City of Toronto. Organized Cricket sprung onto the scene in 1827 when George A. Barder the father of Canadian cricket formed the prestigious Toronto Cricketing Club. The Toronto & District Cricket Association as we now know it, was formed on Tuesday, November 30, 1920.
There were 20 founding teams in the Toronto & District Cricket Association with neighbourhoods such as Rosedale, Parkdale, Dovercourt and West Toronto represented. The Toronto Cricket Club has won the most championships. This storied club name has been adopted by residents of the local neighbourhood in the Yonge Boulevard and Wilson Avenue area.
Today, you can find Cricket Grounds throughout the Greater Toronto area. Some of the main venues in the City of Toronto include: Caledonia Park in the Downsview neighbourhood, Eglinton Flats in the Mount Dennis neighbourhood, Flemingdon Park in East York, Humber College in Etobicoke’s Smithfield neighbourhood, L’Amoreaux Park in Scarborough, Sunnybrook Park in Leaside and the aforementioned Toronto Cricket Club.
There are also many Cricket Grounds in Toronto’s suburbs. Mississauga is a hotbed of Cricket and includes the following venues: Artesian, Malton, and Mavis Cricket Grounds and Huron Heights Park. Spanning the Greater Toronto Area additional Cricket centres include: Ajax Cricket Club, King City Grounds in King Township and Patricia Kemp Field in the City of Vaughan.