HowzatNOLA is a free, community cricket meet‑up where anyone can show up, learn the game, and jump right into playing.
On the last Sunday of every month, gather with us at Mandeville Shed for relaxed, open‑play cricket sessions designed for beginners and curious newcomers. Equipment is provided, and everyone is welcome to come bat a few times, try their hand at bowling, field with the group, or learn the basics at their own pace.
Our goal is simple. To show people how fun cricket really is. Smash sixes, take wickets, pick up new skills, and get inspired by a global sport that’s easy to learn and exciting to play. Whether you’re looking to try something new, connect with people, or just enjoy a laid‑back weekend activity, HowzatNola gives you a place to play, learn, and be part of a growing, inclusive community.
How We Play
HowzatNola is a variation of street-style play we call “city cricket” that keeps the game easy, fast, and fun. We play with teams of two batters and up to six fielders at any time. It’s open‑play, so anyone can feel free to rotate in and out whenever they want.
Bat until you’re out. If you get bowled, caught, or run out, you swap with the next person waiting or switch with someone out in the field. If you’re still in, keep swinging! Hit singles, run between the wickets, or even try smashing a six.
Learn the rules as you go. We teach scoring, how wickets are taken, bowling strategies, and the basics of fielding while you’re actually playing. No lectures, no pressure, so you pick it up naturally and have fun.
Jump in anytime. New players can join the batting pair, step into the field, or try bowling whenever they feel ready. It’s relaxed, flexible, and designed so beginners feel comfortable immediately.
The goal: Make cricket fun, fast, and easy to understand! Hit big shots, take wickets, learn the game, and get inspired!
When We Play
We play on the last Sunday of every month at Mandeville Shed in Crescent Park, located at 100 Mandeville Street, New Orleans, LA 70117. Sessions run from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, and we’ll add more dates and extend times as the community grows.
Cricket bats are provided, and we use bright pink tennis balls to make bowling, catching, and learning the game easier and more fun. We set up two sets of stumps and use pitch markers to outline the playing area so newcomers can understand the layout right away. You don’t need to bring anything — just yourself!
Anyone can join! So, if you want to play, learn something new, meet people, or just try cricket for the first time, you’re absolutely welcome and encouraged to show up! Total beginners, curious newcomers, and seasoned players are all invited, and everyone fits in.
For more information, contact Joe or Gina at outsideedgecricket@gmail.com or call/text (260) 699‑5202.
About Mandeville Shed
Mandeville Shed sits in Crescent Park, right on the Mississippi River. The open, industrial-style pavilion offers scenic views of the river, ships passing by, and the New Orleans skyline. From the shed, you’re just downriver from the French Quarter, and you’re close enough that anyone can easily drop in from Marigny, Bywater, and other nearby neighborhoods or business districts.
Mandeville Shed connects directly to the Crescent Park Trail where you can walk or bike straight into the French Quarter Riverwalk and continue along the Moonwalk Riverfront Park, all without leaving the water’s edge. The whole stretch links together, creating one continuous path along the river that’s easy to reach and easy to explore.
Crescent Park around the shed has walking paths, lawns, and river overlooks where people sit, stroll, and watch the water. It’s a central, accessible spot in the city that’s easy to find, easy to reach, and is a great backdrop for learning something new and having fun.
Cricket in America
Cricket is a fast, flowing game played between two teams of 11 players where one team bats and the other team bowls and fields to get them out. The batting team sends out two batters at a time. The bowler delivers the ball toward a set of stumps, and the batter tries to hit it. Runs are scored by both batters running between the stumps or hitting the ball to the boundary.
The fielding team tries to get the batters out by hitting the stumps with the ball, catching a hit ball, or other standard dismissal methods. When a batter is out, another teammate replaces them. After the batting team finishes their turn, the teams switch roles.
Cricket has deeper American roots than most people realize. George Washington’s troops played cricket at Valley Forge in 1778, making it one of the earliest recorded mentions of the sport in the United States. And in 1844, before England and Australia played each other, the United States and Canada played the first-ever international cricket match in history at St. George’s Cricket Club in New York.
To learn more about that first match or the rivalry between the USA and Canada over the centuries, read “USA vs Canada: Everything to Know About Cricket’s Oldest Rivalry” HERE.
