Our First Class of Inductees in the Hall of Fame !
Shiv Chanderpaul becoming the first Inductee in the American College Cricket Hall of Fame,seen with legends Jimmy Adams, Courtney Walsh, Brian Lara & Clive Lloyd plus Lloyd Jodah
All of the members of the 5 teams of American College Cricket that came to the first American College Cricket Spring Break Championship in March 2009 – using their own resources to follow a vision and a dream – were pioneers.
In December 2012 all time great Shiv Chanderpaul became the first Inductee in the College Cricket Hall of Fame. In naming the First Class of Inductees we selected students who were unquestionably the leaders in 2009, and their performances & contributions then, and ongoing, to American College Cricket.
Without the leadership of these students in 2009, their team would not have been there to help us get started making cricket “one of the fastest growing games in collegiate sports” (The Daily Athenaeum – West Virginia U) .Other players from 2009 have since stepped forward to perform, lead, & contribute, & could be selected in the future.
In addition to the players, we inducted non-players who played major roles in 2009, and named “Historical” inductees from USA & Canadian history who were major figures in cricket, the orginal American & Canadian game.
The FIRST CLASS OF INDUCTEES are :
Colin Michael Jodah (1956 -2013)
Inductees – Players from 2009 :
Kalpesh Patel (University of Miami)
Adil Bhatti (Montgomery College)
Sumantro Das (Boston University)
Atishe Chordia (Carnegie Mellon University)
Harsha Boddepalli (University of South Florida)
Shilpin Makwana (Boston University)
Suchit Laheri (Montgomery College)
The following non-players are honored for their contributions to American College Cricket generally, and towards the first American College Cricket Spring Break Championship specifically:
Inductees – Non-players
Colin Michael Jodah (1956 – 2013)
Chris Thakoorprasad
P. David Sentance
Brian Edun
The following players from the 1800s & early 1900s were major figures in US & Canadian cricket history :
Inductees – Historical
George A. Barber 1802 -1874
William ‘Rotch’ Wister (UPenn) 1827- 1911
George Wright (also in the Baseball Hall of Fame) 1847-1937
Captain Pemberton (60th Royal Rifles) ?
George Stuart Patterson (UPenn) 1868-1943
John Lester (Haverford & Harvard) 1871 – 1969
Robert Brown (Harvard) born circa 1870
John Bart King 1873-1965
CC Morris (Haverford) 1882-1971
C. Aubrey Smith (Cambridge) 1863-1948
We are indebted to P. David Sentance, the CC Morris Library, Tom Melville,George Kirsch, Wikipedia, college websites & media especially at the University of Pennsylvania & Harvard University for historical information.
Special thanks to the National Baseball Hall of Fame – their invitation to the exhibit “Swinging Away – how Cricket & Baseball connect”, & leading their “Cricket Weekend”, provided material, as well as reinforcement of the significance of a Hall of Fame that recognises cricket’s long suppressed role in American history.
TV Asia is the Exclusive Broadcast Partner of American College Cricket, Coca Cola a Presenting Sponsor, Dish Network a Suppporting Sponsor & Crichq our Cricket Technolgy Partner.
Brief biographical notes on the Inductees :
Colin Michael Jodah (Queens College) 1956-2013 – a major behind the scenes contributor, until his death in Jan 2013, to American College Cricket . – important early connection to a young Shiv Chanderpaul that later facilitated Chanderpaul’s support of American College Cricket. – did the schedule for the 2010 Championship; a record 47 matches for 20 teams in 4 days. The 2010 schedule had to be revised on the day before the Championship due to the last minute pulling out of Guest team USA Under 19. Colin redid the schedule whilst in the hospital. — scheduled another record of 67 matches for 30 teams in 5 days in 2011, then 50 matches in 2012. – though ‘legally blind’ & physically impaired,Colin participated in the Cricket for Change effort to launch cricket for the visually impaired & physically challenged in the US, & was called the first ‘visually impaired cricketer’ in America. – provided a great role model for on how to face major health issues & challenges strongly & with a positive outlook – Colin played cricket like every boy in Guyana, and was a pioneering athlete who played field Hockey for Guyana, and Table Tennis, Volleyball, Badminton & Soccer competitively at Queen’s College. – as brother of the Founder of American College Cricket, Lloyd Jodah, a competitive influence growing up and playing the game with each other, and his 2 other brothers Deryck and Errol
Kalpesh Patel (University of Miami) – ‘”the first American College Cricketer” Kalpesh provided an impetus for the launch of American College Cricket when he met Lloyd Jodah in Oct 2008 on Wall St, NYC. Jodah had been researching & planning for the previous 6 months, and after the conversation with Kalpesh, decided the time was right. – Kalpesh put together a team to play in the 2009 Spring Break Championship. – later Kalpesh held a “Sixes Derby” on campus at UMiami, to draw in new comers to cricket, as a result, for the 2010 Championship the Hurricanes won the President’s Award for having the most players who were new to cricket – 7 ! – enrolled in Columbia University for his MBA, Kalpesh continued his off-the-field involvement with American College Cricket, leading 2 major projects which researched and completed reports for American College Cricket. The students presented these projects as part of their MBA course work, for credit. – All American 2009 & 2010
Adil Bhatti (Montgomery College) – elected Captain by a hastily brought together group, & led superbly,winning the Chanderpaul Trophy & the first American College Cricket National Championship. – honored by his school & County Commission. – featured in Front Page story in the Sunday Washington Post, & in Voice of America report for National & International news. – led Montgomery College to the Finals of the 2011 National Championship,earning Championship co-MVP. – invited to opening at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, of the historic exhibit “Swinging Away – how Cricket & Baseball connect” & conducted cricket demonstrations. – selected to play for the USA in 2012.- College Player of the Year in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013. – All American First Team 2009, 2010, 2011 & 2013.
Sumantro Das (Boston University) – President of the Boston University cricket club in 2009- the only of the pioneering first 5 teams that had a “club”, though it was officially a social, not a sports club. – a major motivator in the BU cc embarking on the trip to Florida for the 2009 Championship, based on nothing more than a Facebook notice, & despite the fact that the tournament was during the week after BU’s Spring Break. – featured in the NY Times video & article about the 2009 Championship.- one of the fastest American College Cricket bowlers & at 6’3 Sumantro got considerable bounce. – spent summer 2009 at the Madan Lal Pace Academy in India.- spent a year in England studying, and playing cricket at the University of Warwick. – All American 2009
Atishe Chordia (Carnegie Mellon) – within weeks of finding out about the upcoming 2009 American College Cricket Spring Break Championship Atishe pulled together a team at Carnegie Mellon & arranged 1 hard ball practice match, motivating the creation of a team at College of Wooster. – he bought uniforms, booked tickets & hotel rooms & did all that was necessary to get the CMU team to Ft Lauderdale. – featured in the NY Times report. – All American 2009. – Atishe founded, & is the CEO of Doodleblue.
Harsha Boddepalli (USF) – captained a hastily pulled together bunch of players for the first Championship in 2009, & led them to the Finals. Like 4 of the 5 pioneering teams, the team had never played together before. – captained USF again in 2010 & made the Semis, playing on the first ever webstream of domestic cricket in the USA and Canada. Team played undefeated in 2011 & missed Semis on points. – Harsha graduated with his PhD, returned as an alumni in 2013 as a player as USF got to the Finals again, playing on TV. – also captained USF Bulls in the Regionals in 2010 & 2011. – featured (getting caught) in the NY Times video of the 2009 Championship, & in Voice of America News report in 2010.- All American 2009 & 2010
Shilpin Makwana (Boston University) – captained Boston University in 2009 & was one of the influences behind the club making the pioneering trip to Florida. – graduated with his MBA in 2009 but returned as an alumni player every tournament. – has supported American College Cricket by remaining involved with BU cricket as an alumni, a crucial role in the nascent stages of American College Cricket.
Suchit Laheri (Montgomery College) – Suchit was the contact person, an unofficial “club president’ who heard about the first American College Cricket Spring Break Championship & decided he wanted his college, Montgomery, to play in it. – having played regional under 19 cricket Suchit contacted Jodah, & told his friends who attended Montgomery College & a meeting was held. – Suchit stayed in constant contact with Jodah & pressed for Montgomery to be one of the teams in the tournament. – Suchit was one of the fast bowlers on the eventual 2009 National Champions, & also in the Finals in 2011. – he helped the team rebuild for 2012 & 2013 as players graduated, and left.
P. David Sentance (UCLA) – author of ‘Cricket in America 1710 – 2000,a main source for USA cricket history in the research by Lloyd Jodah prior to the founding of American College Cricket.Currently writing Cricket in America 2001 — member of the Hollywood Cricket Club from when it was at Griffith Park ( where it was begun by C Aubrey Smith). Worldwide cricket ambassador as part of the Hollywood Golden Oldies. – came to the 2010 American College Cricket Spring Break Championship to “see history being made” he said. – Member of the Advisory Board of American College Cricket from 2010.Key organizer of the 2010 & 2011 American College Cricket West Coast Championships. – became one of the first cricket commentators on TV in the USA & Canada, doing the American College Cricket South East Regionals(2012) & 2013 Nationals. – over 40 years of cricket administration in southern California, including league, kids & women. – pioneering game development work in Compton – first with the homeless, then gang members. With kids in Watts & Compton. – in 2013 led the American College Cricket initiative with the Los Angeles Parks & Rec Dept to teach cricket to kids.
Chris Thakoorprasad (UCF) – manager of Shiv Chanderpaul. From the minute the idea for the Chanderpaul Trophy was presented to him, Thakoorprasad became a supporter of American College Cricket. He was a crucial part of the decision for the world’s # 1 active Test player in 2008, to support, and be a part of American College Cricket, and facilitates Chanderpaul’s appearances etc for American College Cricket .
Brian Edun – back in the ‘80s & 90s Edun played cricket with Lloyd Jodah’s brother,Errol, & cousins Richie & Moses and was friends with Colin Jodah (who played hockey for the same club, GCC), Contacted by Nino Di Loreto, Edun as a representative of Laparkan Shipping provided the first corporate sponsorship of a new little tournament in 2009, named the American College Cricket Spring Break Championship. Edun attended each day & was so popular with the players, he was asked to present the medals & tophies. – A subsequent stroke has limited Edun’s involvement, but in 2010 he was named a Goodwill Ambassador for American College Cricket & has remained one of our strongest supporters.
George A. Barber – founded the Toronto Cricket Club in 1827, then introduced cricket to the new Upper Canada College, & began the now longstanding series between the 2, in 1836. Barber played in the historic 1844 match, Canada vs USA – the first sporting event of any kind between 2 countries, effectively beginning the International sports scene.
William ‘Rotch’ Wister (UPenn) – founder of Penn’s first athletic team “Junior Cricket Club’. A game vs Haverford College on May 7, 1943 was Penn’s first intercollegiate athletic event. Founded Philadelphia Cricket Club & Germantown Cricket Club.
George Wright – Inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937, he played both cricket & baseball at the highest levels. He played for the Cincinatti Reds & Boston Red Sox & with his father & brother,was a major force in the beginning of professional baseball. In cricket he played First Class level for USA. Wright introduced tennis to America & played a huge role in golf & hockey’s beginnings.
Captain Pemberton (60th Royal Rifles) – in 1865 he made a turf pitch at Rideau Hall, the Governor General of Canada’s residence.Many international teams have played there, including Don Bradman in 1932. The pitch is still active, well maintained & used by the Ottawa Cricket Club.
John Lester (Haverford & Harvard) -captained Haverford on their first overseas tour,scored 105 in his first appearance at Lords & averaged 84 on the tour.He topped the batting averages inPhiladelphia from 1897 until 1908 was the captain in all the international matches. In 1951 Lester wrote ‘A century of Philadelphia Cricket’ & suggested the founding of the C.C Morris Library.
George Stuart Patterson (UPenn) -played First Class cricket at age 16, & in 25 FC matches score 5 centuries & 10 fifties, scoring 271 at Germantown Cricket Club – the highest First Class score in North America .One of the US’s best all rounders ever, he took 74 First Class wickets at 21.20 runs. Patterson captained UPenn to the Intercollegiate Championship in 1889.
Robert Brown (Harvard) – captained Harvard to the Intercollegiate Championship in 1888. In 1889 he scored over 1,000 runs playing for Harvard, Germantown CC, Longwood CC & the Gentlemen of Philadelphia. He was also a “fast over-arm bowler”.
John Bart King – America’s greatest bowler ever & one of the world’s best ever, an early exponent of swing & an excellent batsman. King scored 1 century & 10 fifties and took 415 at an average of 15.65 in First Class cricket. He took 5 wickets in an innings 38 times & 10 wickets in a match 11 times ! King topped the English bowling averages in 1908.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bart_King
C.C Morris – (Haverford) – first toured England in 1900, & played against Jardine’s team in 1933.THis 164 vs Nottinghamshire is the highest First Class score by an American. Together with K.A Auty he tried to keep cricket alive in the USA & Canada through the 30’s & after WW2. The CC Morris Library which has a tremedous collection of American cricket memorabilia was named after him. Much of this collection was used in the exhibit “Swinging Away – how Cricket & Baseball connect” -by the MCC & National Baseball Hall of Fame.
C. Aubrey Smith (Cambridge University) – captained England to victory (against South Africa) in his only Test in 1888-89. Moved to Hollywood, & appeared in movies with Clark Gable Greta Garbo,Elizabeth Taylor, Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh, Maurice Chevalier, and Gary Cooper. He taught cricket at UCLA, & played vs Don Bradman’s team at UCLA in 1932. Started the Hollywood Cricket Club (which is still active) at Griffith Park & built a pavilion that still exists. Attracted other English actors such as David Niven, Laurence Olivier , Nigel Bruce (who was as captain), Leslie Howard and Boris Karloff as well as local American players.
