On this day in 1900: Only cricket match played at the Olympics
The ‘gentleman’s game’ cricket is one of the sports that is played in countless number of countries across the globe. Cricket has a world tournament in all three formats- Tests, ODIs and T20Is. However, despite its increasing popularity, the game has not been included in the biggest global sporting carnival i.e., the Olympics.
While there have been talks to include cricket in the 2024 Paris and 2028 LA Olympics, it has been reported that Cricket Australia is aiming to include the game in the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. However, it is to be noted that cricket was played once during the quadrennial sporting event.
When Great Britain thumped hosts France to clinch the gold medal
The only instance when cricket was played at the Olympic Games was in 1900 in Paris, when hosts France and the Great Britain took on each other in a low-scoring encounter that saw just 366 runs being scored across four innings. Originally, the cricket tournament was a four-nation tournament before Belgium and Netherlands withdrew.
Cricket was originally set to make its debut at the Olympics in its inaugural edition at the 1896 Athens games, but the plan had to be scrapped since there were no adequate number of participants.
The only cricket match was played at the Velodrome de Vincennes in Paris. Surprisingly, neither of the teams fielded a national team. While Britain fielded players from the Devon and Somerset Wanderers Club, France’s 12-member sides comprised British emigrants.
The game commenced on August 19 with Great Britain batting first. After posting 117, they skittled out France for just 78. Britain once again showcased a superior performance in the second innings as they declared their innings at 145/5.
Chasing 185, the hosts were bundled out for a paltry 26 as the Great Britain registered a comprehensive 158-run victory. The win was registered with just five minutes left in the second day’s play.
The winning team Great Britain were awarded silver medals while the runners-up France were given bronze. Apart from the medals, both participants also went on to receive miniature versions of the iconic Eiffel Tower. However, even though it took 12 long years, the colour of the medals did change eventually. The one-off match finally got recognition as an Olympic contest in the year 1912 after which Great Britain’s silver and France’s bronze medals were converted into gold and silver respectively.
