Dying to play cricket but feel you live in the wrong country? No worries! Now there is no need to leave Germany in order to realize your dream of playing this unique sport!
The famous bat-and-ball game that originated in South-East England has been slowly gaining traction in Germany. The game is played between two teams made up of 11 players each, where each team takes turns batting and playing the field. The diverse roles – batting, bowling, fielding, wicket keeping, etc., which a single player may have to perform in a game, demand a mix of technique and fitness and is what keeps the game interesting. Tension grows throughout the game, with constant pressure to score more runs before time runs out, the team batting second chases the score of the first while the opposing team tries to stop them by taking wickets.
The German Cricket Federation (Deutscher Cricket Bund e.V.), recognized by the International Cricket Council, is Germany’s official governing body for cricket. It comprises six regional bodies that organize their own leagues: Bavaria, Baden Württemberg, Hessen, North, West, and East Germany. Each year, National, Regional and Association leagues are organized and winners from each region play against one another striving to become national champions. The winning team of the national championship then goes on to represent Germany in the Euro T20 cup.
In Bavaria itself, there are more than 25 registered clubs that participate in the Bavarian Cricket Association (Bayerischer Cricket Verband e.V.). Nuremberg region is home to two of these clubs – the Nuremberg Cricket Club (NCC) and the Erlangen Cricket Club (ECC), which both participate in the Bavarian Regional league.
The NCC was founded by cricket enthusiasts who used to play cricket during their summers in the park with a tennis ball. With the help of the sports club ATV 1873 Frankonia Nürnberg, they now have facilities and a prepared cricket pitch on which to play.
The NCC has plans for the future of cricket in Nuremberg and has started training sessions for children and is aiming to create a women’s team. Recently, the club participated at the Nuremberg Volksfest and other club events in order to promote the game here in the region.
If you’re interested in playing cricket, the Nuremberg Cricket Club is always looking for players to join their games. Cricket enthusiasts who would like to participate in leagues first need to register as a member of the ATV 1873 Frankonia Nürnberg Club.
In the summer, the NCC usually practices outdoors at the Sportzentrum Süd, located on Wacholderweg 25 in Nuremberg every Friday evening. In winters, you can find them at Willstätterstraße 4 on Sunday evenings.
Anyone interested in trying the sport out for the first time is welcome to attend a practice session. If you just want to watch the games, you can contact the NCC to check the practice and game schedules and pay them a visit. Their outdoor facility even has a beer garden where guests and members are welcome. So grab a beer, relax under blue skies and, accompanied by the sound of leather hitting willow, enjoy watching a live game of cricket!
Please Note: Due to COVID-19, practice sessions and league games are postponed indefinitely. Hopefully this phase will end soon and we can all enjoy the games again!
