September 27, 2026 · Germantown Cricket Club
A Brief History of Philadelphia Cricket
From Victorian club grounds to the GCC Cricket Podcast: how Philadelphia became the capital of American cricket, and why the story is still being written at Manheim.
Few people realise that for half a century Philadelphia was the heart of cricket in the Americas. Our first two GCC Cricket Podcast episodes, with Paul Hensley and David Anstice, look back at that golden age. This article follows the same story.
The founding clubs
Cricket came to Philadelphia with English and Irish immigrants in the early 1800s, but the game grew most in the 1850s. That was when local clubs were formed that are still going today. Philadelphia Cricket Club was founded in 1854. Germantown Cricket Club followed in 1854, and Merion Cricket Club in 1865. Along with Belmont and Young America, these clubs built grounds, pavilions and junior programmes that made cricket part of the city's everyday life.
The glory days
Between the 1870s and the First World War, Philadelphia put out teams good enough to play the best in the world. Visiting sides from England and Australia played on Philadelphia grounds. The Gentlemen of Philadelphia toured England several times and beat strong county sides. Their star was John Barton "Bart" King, a fast bowler known for late swing. He is still remembered as one of the finest cricketers North America has produced. The Halifax Cup brought local clubs together in serious competition. In our first episode, Paul Hensley talks about how big these matches were, and what they meant to the city.
Decline, and a game that never left
After 1914 other sports grew in popularity and fewer tours came. Many clubs turned more towards tennis, squash and other games. But cricket never disappeared. Records, scorebooks and memorabilia were kept, and many are now held in the C.C. Morris Cricket Library at Haverford College. In our second episode, David Anstice looks at Merion's part in the story and at how that heritage was protected.
Cricket at Manheim today
Today Philadelphia cricket is growing again. Players from across the cricketing world have joined families who have been part of the clubs for generations. At Germantown we play league fixtures against UPenn, Merion, Philadelphia CC and others on the same Manheim ground where the story started. We also run socials, nets and a podcast so that the history keeps being told.
Listen to the episodes
Watch Episode 1, "Philadelphia's Cricket Glory Days & Future" with Paul Hensley, and Episode 2, "US Cricket History — Merion Edition" with David Anstice, on the GCC Cricketers YouTube channel. Then come down to Manheim and see where the next chapter is being played.