It seems like the sport of cricket is finally making some headway here in the United States, and the Seattle Orcas are looking to build on the success of their inaugural season in 2023.
Last year, the first year of Major League Cricket was announced and implemented faster than expected, and fandom was just getting started. Seattle Orcus is gearing up for its second season with support from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Madrona Venture Group Managing Director Soma Somaseghar.
“One of the reasons we were excited to bring cricket to Seattle is because we think there are an incredible number of people here who are passionate about the sport,” Somasegher said.
Orcas hosted a pre-MLC 2 fan event on May 3rd at Bellevue Downtown Park. Orcas has partnered with the ICC T20I World Cup to be held in the United States and West Indies, arranging a photo opportunity with the World Cup trophy. Fans were also able to meet and take photos with Seattle Thunderbolts returnee Harmeet Singh and New Zealand cricket legend and Orcas batting coach Ross Taylor.
Approximately 500 people gathered for the event. The line to take pictures with the trophy almost wrapped around the park's fountain. The quality of the participants was something Somasegal had never imagined.
Orcas and the Thunderbolts, Orcas' minor league cricket affiliate, are giving Washington's young children a chance to play the world's second most popular sport. When the idea of MLC was floated to him in 2017, Somasegal knew there was a need to generate interest at the grassroots level.
“When we were thinking about MLC in 2017, it was a spec. It was so new[in the U.S.]that we needed to get the basic elements in place and have 30 to 40 cricket academies and minor leagues across the country. ” Somasegal said.
One advantage that MLC organizers took advantage of was the pandemic. The closure gave MLC an opportunity to promote the game in individual communities before the pros arrived.
“We knew that the launch of the major leagues would be delayed a little due to the coronavirus, so we used that time to establish an academy and launch the minor leagues,” Somasegger said.
Also, it is winning that helps to generate interest. Orcas finished last season in first place, but lost to MI New York in the championship game. Remember, this was his first season in MLC. New sport, new team, new players for Americans. The MI vs. Seattle game was viewed in 87 countries around the world.
“87 countries was an eye-opener. Total viewership reached tens of millions of people… There was a certain level of interest and curiosity in the first season, and we were satisfied with the quality of the sport. ,” Somasegar said.
MLC has enjoyed success in its first season, but its second year brings new challenges.
“People always say that doing something is the hardest the second time. You don't have high expectations the first time. The second time you do it, you have different expectations because of what happened the first time… If I can have a successful second season, I will be in the race,” Somasegal said.
He hopes his players are not exhausted after finishing third in a series of events in top-flight cricket this year. The Indian Premier League, T20 World Cup and MLC will follow.
“We work hard to ensure the quality of the game. The players, the matches, the pitches are all there so we can look at them and say, 'This is getting better every year.' he said.
building a fandom
The idea to create a U.S. cricket league began in 2017, and Seattle wasn't originally slated to be one of the franchises, Somasegger said.
“As a league, we didn’t know what to expect,” Somasegal said.
The big challenge facing MLC and orcas is geography. The teams are named San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington DC, and Seattle, but all games will be played in Texas and North Carolina.
When the season started last year, Somersegger said he met fans from California who never expected to see a cricket match in person again. She was traveling to Dallas to watch the game. That's what MLC can do.
“Last year, we had guys who drove 700 to 800 miles to watch the game. This kind of love and support is phenomenal and we don't expect that (in a first year). ” he said.
Besides being a new sport and not being broadcast on network television, attending the games is a challenge in itself. But events like the one held at his park in downtown Bellevue are critical to Orca owners in gauging audience.
Last season, the only way to watch Major League Cricket was on WillowTV, a pay TV channel dedicated to cricket. Think Disney Plus, Cricket. For those who are not familiar with the sport of cricket, this is probably an unfamiliar term.
Somasegal and other members of the Orcas front office were impressed when they saw a crowd of more than 500 during the daytime hours on the first Friday in May.
On some shirts and all social media posts, the Orcas claim to be “America's Favorite Cricket Team.” Currently, he only has six options, but Somasegal hopes to bring in more fans with a clever slogan and a little help from the U.S. national team.
“We took inspiration from the Dallas Cowboys… we saw what they were doing and took inspiration from that. The success or failure of cricket here is determined by a large fan base. So we wanted to find something catchy and appealing and something that would bring people together,” Somasegger said.
“We were just the first to do it and we said it loud and proud.”
A community-supported stadium?
Ownership was seen interacting with supporters throughout the two-hour event. Also in attendance at the event were Bellevue City Council, Redmond City Council, Bellevue Mayor Lynn Robinson, and two state legislators.
“It's so inspiring to see these young people play at the highest level,” said state Rep. Vandana Slatter.
Having support from not only fans but also elected officials is very important from an ownership perspective.
“It's great to see (local support) for our long-term goals. We want to make cricket a mainstream sport not only in communities in India, Pakistan and Australia, but also here in America. We want local politicians to be invested and personally passionate about this. We knew from day one that we needed their support. But they were incredibly warm and supportive,” Somasegger said.
Mr Slatter was adamant that this was just the beginning of fandom for the sport of cricket in WA.
“Today I believe we are building a movement. I have come to believe that cricket is more than just a sport. It is a uniting force that transcends boundaries. People from different backgrounds, cultures and beliefs People come together,” said Slatter, who represents the 48th Legislative District.
Efforts are underway to build a first-class cricket facility in King County. In his speech, Mayor Robinson made a point to have attendees email their representatives to indicate their demand for the stadium.
Robinson said he expects the stadium to be built around 2028, but Somasegal said he thinks it could be a little sooner.
“We need their (local politicians) support because we want to build a cricket community park. So this sport can survive in the long term,” Somaseghar said.
Redmond's Marymoor Park has been considered as a possible site for the stadium, but there were some vocal opponents of the idea. But despite this, the stadium is in demand and the opportunity may be too good to pass up.
“We are actively working with King County, the City of Redmond, the City of Bellevue, and we may be able to get something done for 2025. For whatever reason, the process may take a little longer or we may be able to meet the deadline. If not, we will definitely do it by 2026.” Will we get there in 2025? Only time will tell, but I am confident that we can get there in 2026,” Somasegal said.
Once the legal setup is complete, your local market and community can take off.
“When the game starts locally, all the kids can go out and watch the game,” Somasegger said.
play in the field
As mentioned above, Orca had a great season a year ago. Just because it's a new league doesn't mean the level of talent is low. The way most cricket leagues/tournaments work is that there is a limit on international players in the team.
“As for Seattle, we didn't want to be last. But we didn't know what to expect…At the league level, the quality wasn't what we expected.” said Somasegger.
These international players are the best cricketers in the world. At Orcas, one of their best players, Heinrich Klaasen, is considered one of the best middle-order hitters in the world and rocks Seattle's green and gray uniform.
Besides Claasen, Orcas had eight other international players. The rest of the roster was selected from the domestic player draft. Seattle's Harmeet Singh was a domestic player who was drafted No. 1 overall last season. He played minor league cricket for the Seattle Thunderbolts, who play at Tollgate Farms in North Bend.
“One of the reasons we played so well was because our domestic players played really, really well. The local players stepped up and helped out just like the other players. … It was great to see them come together,” Somasegal said.
Six Thunderbolts were drafted, three by Seattle, two by the Washington Freedom, and one by the Los Angeles Knight Riders. The Thunderbolts give Seattle fans the opportunity to watch cricket at the highest level.
Somersegger is hopeful that the emergence of MLC's second season will allow the Thunderbolts to build their own momentum. Having a team in North Bend was always part of the master plan. In addition to leagues such as the Northwest Cricket League and the Maple Valley Cricket Club, local kids are also given the opportunity to play and now have the chance to play professionally.
“We were hoping for more (participation), but what we didn't expect was that so many kids were already playing. We wanted that, but this I didn't know that such a strong foundation was starting,” Somasegal said.
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