In 1896, the Olympic Games made a triumphant return to Athens after an absence of over 1500 years. According to Aristotle, the ancient games officially started in 776 BCE. And they mostly consisted of running events, chariot races, some jumping, tossing a couple of things around, and a little bit of wrestling and boxing. Nero added some strange competitions during his infamous tenure but we don’t talk about Nero. Sadly, yet inevitably, the Games were cut short. Like all things during those times, the Olympics succumbed to invasions and fires.
So, it would be easy to imagine the global excitement surrounding the 1896 World Olympics after the people had been patiently waiting a millennium and five centuries for some quality international athletic games. And this time the Games weren’t just for religious purposes intended to celebrate Zeus and the gods of Mount Olympus. These nineteenth-century competitions were to bring all of the world’s nations together and prove which country had the most athletically gifted citizens. Okay, well only fourteen countries participated.
But with those fourteen countries began the iconic events we celebrate today. We now see over 200 nations participating in the global Games, which bring in over 3 billion viewers from around the world. That means it’s safe to say the Olympics are a worldwide phenomenon. However, that claim can’t be proclaimed about the nightmare that was the second-ever Olympic Games in Paris, France four years later. The 1900 games were so comically produced that history would refer to them as “The Farcical Games.”
The Nightmare that was the 1900 Olympics
The Games of the II Olympiad as they were officially called took place to coincide with the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris. From a logistics standpoint, it made sense. Literal boatloads of people would already be there and the strategy paid off. Over 1200 competitors would participate in the 1900 Olympics. Hilariously though, due to some shoddy marketing, many participants weren’t even aware that they were participating in “official” Olympic events. They were just there to engage in some friendly competition during the World’s Fair.
Women’s events were also included this time around. The first female Olympic Medalist ever was an American mariner who decided to sail during these Games for the nation of Switzerland instead of her birthplace. Thus, the Swiss get to officially claim the honor of having the first female Medalist. There were some unique one-offs during these Games, as well. Tug of War was introduced as an Olympic game in 1900. And, fortunately, these Games were the one- and only-time live animals were used as targets during shooting contests.
But among the sins of the 1900 Games (and there were many) was one specific disaster in particular. This appropriately titled farce would keep the world’s second most popular sport out of the global phenomenon for one hundred and twenty-eight consecutive years. This is the nightmare of Cricket at the 1900 Olympic Games.
Cricket at the 1900 Olympics
Until the announcement this week of the triumphant return of cricket to the Olympics, only one cricket competition ever took place in the history of the Games. That “event” consisted of only two teams: England and France. Yes, France. To be crystal clear, France never took to cricket. In fact, the country didn’t even bother becoming an Associate Nation in the International Cricket Council until 1998. And they are currently ranked 53rd in the world. So, cricket elitists the French are not.
Historians aren’t really sure why only England and France participated in this two-team cricket competition. Especially considering countries like Australia, India, Canada, and the United States were also in Paris for the Olympic Games. However, things weren’t initially meant to look so bleak. The Netherlands and Belgium (another head-scratcher) were also supposed to participate. But both nations withdrew at the last minute, leaving only Great Britain and France to face off in this so-called “tournament.”
And what a mess it was. Held at the Velodrome de Vincennes on August 19th and 20th, the event was unsurprisingly won by the British by a whopping 158 runs. Somehow, the first innings was closer than expected. With Great Britain batting first, the Englishmen scored 117 runs. France followed up with a respectable 78 runs. Simple math would prove things did not go France’s way in the follow-up innings.
A Loose Interpretation of ‘International’
To call this tournament international would be a disrespect to the world. The British team was a literal squad of wandering amateurs who called themselves the Devon County Wanderers. The French team was represented by the French Athletic Club Union. This squad consisted of eleven British nationals. And, yes, you only need eleven players to round out a cricket team. However, two members of the France squad were Englishmen born on French soil so that officially made this two-team tournament “international.”
On day two of the two-team global tournament, the fun and games were over. The English Wanderers came out to make a statement to the entire world. And that statement was, “Bring your best (and by “best'” we mean British natives living in France) and we will beat them.” The English side declared with 145 runs and just five wickets. Opening batter and cricketer with way too many initials C.B.K. Beachcroft scored the tournament’s first half-century with 54 runs. Retired professional cricketer Alfred Bowerman collected 59 runs not out himself before England’s declaration.
For all it’s worth, France finished with 26 runs (less than half of Beachcroft or Bowerman). Their leading run-scorer was William Anderson at eight. He was followed by John Braid at seven and Philip Tomalin at six. The rest of the team would combine for a total of three runs and six ducks. For the English side, Montague Toller would take seven wickets alone. After the tournament, Great Britain was awarded the silver medal and France was given bronze medals and tiny, commemorative Eiffel Towers.
Cricket Arrives to the Olympics for the First Time Since 1900
It has recently been announced that cricket will finally return to the Olympics in America of all places when it is represented globally at the Los Angeles 2028 Games. The ICC official website wrote: “The addition of cricket in the Olympics, for the first time since 1900, concludes a two-year process, in which the ICC worked extensively to develop an exciting proposal that supports the Olympic values and LA28’s mission to create an unparalleled experience for athletes, fans, partners and the local community.”
Only two Olympic selectors voted against its inclusion during the IOC voting formalities held in Mumbai of all places. The inclusion of cricket at the 2028 Olympics provides an exciting opportunity for the sport to showcase itself on the global stage and attract even more attention and participation. A six-team tournament will take place for both men and women. The T20 format tournament has yet to determine the participating teams.
Los Angeles Hosts Cricket’s Return to the 2028 Olympics
With cricket in the Olympics making its triumphant return in the City of Angels, the time has come to revive America’s only globally recognized domestic squad and overall gangstas of the game: The Compton Cricket Club. Read about the unbelievable history of the squad created at the height of the Gangsta Rap movement in 1995 in the link here.
