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The popularity ofcricket inOceania[a] varies from place to place – in some countries, it is thenational sport, while in others it is not played at all. A number of Oceanian countries are members of theInternational Cricket Council (ICC), and participate in tournaments organised by theICC East Asia-Pacific (EAP) development program. The other major regional competition isthe cricket tournament at thePacific Games, which is open to ICC non-members.
 American Samoa | |
|---|---|
| Governing body | No |
| National team(s) | Unknown status |
| ICC membership | No |
As in neighbouringSamoa (formerly Western Samoa), the most popular form of cricket inAmerican Samoa, anunincorporated territory of the United States, is the traditional version known askilikiti.[1] The most significant event of the cricketing calendar is the annual tournament onFlag Day (the national holiday), which attracts large numbers of both men's and women's village teams. The prize money for the 2015 tournament totalledUS$24,000.[2] In June 2000, it was stated that a representative team from American Samoa was going to play theSamoan national team at newly renovated ground inApia, although it is unclear if the fixture went ahead.[3] It was also suggested that American Samoa might participate inthe cricket event at the2003 South Pacific Games in Fiji, but that did not eventuate.[4]
 Cook Islands | |
|---|---|
| Governing body | Yes –Cook Islands Cricket Association |
| National team(s) | Yes (men,women) |
| ICC membership | Yes – Associate |
Organised cricket in theCook Islands, anassociated state of New Zealand, dates from at least 1910, when a cricket club was founded onRarotonga. The game quickly spread to the outer atolls ofAitutaki andMangaia, but in the 1950s entered into decline, with only six to eight clubs remaining in Rarotonga.[5] A revival occurred in the 1990s, and the national governing body, theCook Islands Cricket Association (CICA), became an affiliate member of the ICC in 2000. Outside of Rarotonga, cricket is most popular onPukapuka, which lies closer to Samoa than to the rest of the islands.[6]
TheCook Islands national team made its international debut in 2001, againstNorfolk Island, and has since participated in ICC East Asia-Pacific regional tournaments and the Pacific Games.[7] Thenational women's team debuted in 2012.[8] Unlike in many other Pacific countries, women's cricket was only popularised in the country in the late 2000s.[9] Participation has increased rapidly since then,[10] and the CICA has won an ICC development award for its work in promoting the game amongst women.[11] CICA has cultivated relationships with New Zealand domestic teams, initially withAuckland Cricket and later with theNorthern Districts Cricket Association.[12][13]
 Fiji | |
|---|---|
| Governing body | Yes –Cricket Fiji |
| National team(s) | Yes (men,women) |
| ICC membership | Yes – Associate |
Cricket was introduced to the Fijian Islands in 1874, during the time of the short-livedKingdom of Fiji, when a team fromLevuka played against a visitingRoyal Navy ship.[14] Fiji touredNew Zealand in early 1895, they had only been playingfirst-class cricket for 21 years.[15] Fiji's first international match was against theWest Indies in 1956.[16] In an historic landmark, Fiji's U-19 team participated in2016 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
 Guam | |
|---|---|
| Governing body | Unofficial – Guam Cricket Club |
| National team(s) | No |
| ICC membership | No |
Cricket is popular among Indian expatriates inGuam, anunincorporated U.S. territory. The Guam Cricket Club was founded in 1992, and in 2010 had "about 25 members".[17] Matches are played at Ypao Beach Field and on theUniversity of Guam's playing fields. Plans to field a national team have been hampered by the lack of a dedicated ground and the frequent movement of players in and out of the country.[18] Guam has been described as "the westernmost point in all of USA territory where cricket is played".[19]
 Kiribati | |
|---|---|
| Governing body | No |
| National team(s) | Last active 1990s |
| ICC membership | No |
Arthur Grimble, a future Resident Commissioner of theGilbert and Ellice Islands colony, recounted in his memoir,A Pattern of Islands, that cricket was "going strong" on Ocean Island (nowBanaba) at the time of his arrival in 1914. Ten years later, according to Grimble, it was "popular everywhere" in the islands, although it subsequently declined.[20] Cricket was still regularly played on Ocean Island in the 1950s, where there were two main teams – one featuring mainly Australians and New Zealanders employed by theBritish Phosphate Commission, and the other featuring members of the local police force, who were predominantly indigenous Gilbertese. The pitch on the island's sports ground was made from coconut matting ground, with the outfield was covered in pieces of coral.[21] According to the 1997Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, a Kiribati representative team had toured Tuvalu in a fixture earlier in the 1990s, winning the match after their last batsman hit a six off the final ball.[22]
 Nauru | |
|---|---|
| Governing body | No |
| National team(s) | No |
| ICC membership | No |
There are a number of photographs of formal cricket matches being played on Nauru in the early 20th century.[23] One of these, dating from 1908 (during the period of the German protectorate), depicts Europeans andNauruans playing together on a pitch surrounded by palm trees (watched on from a makeshiftpavilion), and is titled "1st Match at Nauru".[24] During the time of theBritish Phosphate Commission, cricket was cited by Australian newspapers as a key part of social life in the island.[25][26] More recently, cricket has been popular (especially among Sri Lankans) in theAustralian immigration detention centre on Nauru.[27]
 New Caledonia | |
|---|---|
| Governing body | Yes – New Caledonia Cricket Association |
| National team(s) | Yes (men,women) |
| ICC membership | No |
Cricket was introduced to New Caledonia by English missionaries. It is currently mostly played by women.However, there are plans to become an ICC member soon.
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 Norfolk Island | |
|---|---|
| Governing body | Unknown status |
| National team(s) | Last active 2014 |
| ICC membership | No |
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Cricket is recorded as having been played onNorfolk Island, anexternal territory of Australia, as early as 1838, by soldiers stationed on the island. It continued to be played after the island was settled in 1856 byPitcairn Islanders, descended from themutineers of theBounty and of mixed European and Polynesian stock.[28]John Patteson, an ex-first-class cricketer and futureBishop of Melanesia, was a missionary on Norfolk during that period.[29] From 1876 until well into the 20th century, a match was played annually onBounty Day, the national holiday, a tradition that was resumed in 1997. In 2001, it was reported that there were three clubs on the island (playing both a knockout tournament and a regular league), regular tours from the Australian mainland, and a junior development program, assisted by theNew South Wales Cricket Association (NSWCA). Norfolk Island's cricket ground is located at Kingston Oval (or Kingston Common), with an artificial matting pitch overlooked byKingston's convict-era buildings, which are World Heritage Sites.[28]
A Norfolk Island representative team touredAuckland, New Zealand, in January 2001,[30] and played at least two matches – one against an Auckland Secondary Schools team, and then a 50-over fixture against theCook Islands, which it lost by seven wickets.[31] Those matches are the only ones recorded for an island representative team.[32] Excluded from thePacifica Cup, which was played in 2001 and 2002, the Norfolk Island Cricket Association had expressed its intention to enter a team intothe cricket tournament at the2003 South Pacific Games, but this, along with its desire for affiliate membership of the ICC, did not eventuate.[28][33] Their last tour was to thePitcairn Islands in 2014.
 Niue | |
|---|---|
| Governing body | Unknown status |
| National team(s) | No |
| ICC membership | No |
A 2011Radio New Zealand article made reference to a Niue Cricket Association, and mentioned that a league had recently been established featuring ten village teams.[34] TheNiuean language, where the sport is known askilikiki, contains a rich vocabulary of cricket-related terms.[b]
 Papua New Guinea | |
|---|---|
| Governing body | Yes –Cricket PNG |
| National team(s) | Yes (men,women) |
| ICC membership | Yes – Associate |
| This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(August 2016) |
 Pitcairn Islands | |
|---|---|
| Governing body | No |
| National team(s) | Last active 2014 |
| ICC membership | No |
Cricket was introduced toPitcairn Island (aBritish overseas territory) in the 19th century, by islanders who had learned the game onNorfolk Island. The sport was once played regularly, but is now played less often, in part due to an ageing population.[35] A 1957National Geographic profile of the island noted that women-only matches were played, and featured a photograph of a game in progress on a matting pitch, with palm trees marking the boundary.[36] As of 2015[update], there is an annual match on theQueen's Official Birthday, in which most of the island participates. The previous year had seen a tour by a team of Norfolk Islanders. Owing to a lack of level ground on the island, a matting pitch is still used, placed on the lawn in front of the island's school. In the past, bulldozers were used to clear a suitable ground.[35]
 Samoa | |
|---|---|
| Governing body | Yes –Samoa International Cricket Association |
| National team(s) | Yes (men,women) |
| ICC membership | Yes – Associate |
| This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(September 2017) |
 Solomon Islands | |
|---|---|
| Governing body | Yes – Solomon Islands Cricket Association |
| National team(s) | Last active 1999 |
| ICC membership | No |
Cricket was introduced to theSolomon Islands archipelago in the late 19th century, by islanders who had learnt the game at school onNorfolk Island. Unlike in other parts ofMelanesia, there was no prior history of ball games in the islands.Plum Warner's 1912 collection,Imperial Cricket, contained a description of cricket in the Solomon Islands byCecil Wilson, theBishop of Melanesia. He praised the islanders' skills, especially their bowling and throwing, but noted that there were difficulties in obtaining equipment and finding room to play.[37]
By the 1960s, interest in the sport had waned outside of the capital,Honiara. The Solomon Islands national side made its debut in 1977, drawing a match against the touringFijian national team. The team participated in the cricket tournament at the1991 South Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea, and won at least one match (againstNew Caledonia).[38] Cricket has since further declined in the country, with the national team last playing in 1999 (against an Australian club side). A national governing body, the Solomon Islands Cricket Association, was formed in 2000,[39] at which point there were estimated to be only 18–20 indigenous players remaining (with the rest being expatriates from cricket-playing countries).[40] A four-team league was established in Honiara in 2009, with support fromAusAID (the Australian government's overseas aid program) .[41] A writer in the 2015Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, suggested that "cricket now teeters precariously" in the country.[42] Solomon Islands is the only independent country in Melanesia that is not an ICC member.[c]
 Tokelau | |
|---|---|
| Governing body | No |
| National team(s) | No |
| ICC membership | No |
InTokelau, a territory of New Zealand,kilikiti is the only form of cricket played, and has been cited as the "favourite community sport".[43] The sport is played on all three of Tokelau's atolls,Atafu,Fakaofo, andNukunonu. Although the sport was introduced to Nukunonu first, in the 1890s, the local pitch was created only in the 1960s, by filling in a saltwater lagoon with baskets of coral gravel. Atafu and Fakaofo both have concrete pitches, and "Test matches" between the two atolls date to 1931.[44] In Atafu, men and women play separately, while in Fakaofo they play together, althoughunderarm bowling is used for the women.[45]
 Tonga | |
|---|---|
| Governing body | Yes –Tonga Cricket Association |
| National team(s) | Yes (men) |
| ICC membership | No – removed 2014 |
| This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(August 2016) |
 Tuvalu | |
|---|---|
| Governing body | No |
| National team(s) | Last active 1990s |
| ICC membership | No |
Cricket was first introduced toTuvalu (formerly the Ellice Islands) by Christian missionaries during the 1890s,[46] although individual islands were not exposed until much later – for example,Vaitupu was only introduced to the sport in the 1920s, when a New Zealander began teaching the sport atMotufoua Secondary School.[47] The only form of the sport currently played iskilikiti.Football is more popular,[48] in part due to a lack of space for cricket fields – inFunafuti, Tuvalu's capital and most populous atoll, one of the cricket venues is the runway atFunafuti International Airport.[49] A Tuvaluan national side participated inthe cricket tournament at the1979 South Pacific Games in Fiji. However, it lost all three of its matches, againstPapua New Guinea,Tonga, andWestern Samoa.[50] According to the 1997Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, Tuvalu had hosted Kiribati in a fixture earlier in the 1990s, narrowly losing after the last Kiribati batsman hit a six off the final ball of the game.[22]
 Vanuatu | |
|---|---|
| Governing body | Yes –Vanuatu Cricket Association |
| National team(s) | Yes (men,women) |
| ICC membership | Yes – Associate |
| This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(August 2016) |
 Wallis and Futuna | |
|---|---|
| Governing body | Unknown status |
| National team(s) | No |
| ICC membership | No |
As in New Caledonia, anotherFrench overseas territory in the South Pacific, the most popular variant of cricket inWallis and Futuna iskilikiti (orle cricket traditionnel in French). At leasttwo stamps have been issued (in 1998 and 2005) depicting kilikiti on the islands.[51] In August 2001, it was reported that steps were being undertaken to popularise the standard form of the game, with equipment donated from New Caledonia. A governing body, the Wallis & Futuna Cricket Association, had been established with the intent of joiningICC East Asia-Pacific and participating inthe cricket tournament at the2003 South Pacific Games in Fiji.[52] Neither of these goals were met.[53]
