The Compton Cricket Club established itself in 1995 among a revolutionary homeless community called Dome Village in downtown Los Angeles. Dome Village, brainchild of civil activist Ted Hayes, was based on his 1984 “Justiceville” tent city project. According to the Ted Hayes website, Dome Village “contained a comprehensive plan designed to break the cycle of homelessness.” The concept boasted having “the only approach to eradicating homelessness in America.”
Dome Village consisted of 20 geodesic domes capable of holding 34 families intended to bring stability to those in need. Dome Village garnered worldwide recognition. The concept received a visit by Prince Edward of England. And Ted Hayes earned a trip to the White House. But it’s no surprise that you’ve probably never heard of Ted Hayes, Dome Village, or the Compton Cricket Club. That’s because Los Angeles in 1995 had far more salacious stories for Americans to consume.
Compton Beginnings of an Organization
Ted Hayes and his outstanding projects became nothing more than a backstory to pop culture events of the time. In entertainment news, musician Tupac Shakur bailed out of a New York federal prison on pending sexual assault charges. Death Row Records producer Suge Knight visited Shakur in prison and immediately posted the rapper’s $1.4 million bond. Shakur signed with Knight’s record label. The rapper hopped a flight to L.A. and began recording his certified Diamond double album All Eyez On Me.
Everyone remembers where they were on October 3, 1995. Unanimously acquitted on murder charges for the brutal slaying of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and a restaurant waiter, O.J. Simpson’s court proceedings became the trial of the century. Simpson would later be arrested for robbery, assault, burglary, and conspiracy in a Las Vegas armed robbery. When the LA KRICKETS club toured the UK as the first-ever all-American-born exhibition team in 1995, Americans didn’t care.
An Unlikely Formation
The Compton Cricket Club was born out of a conversation between friends Ted Hayes and Katy Haber. Born in England, Katy Haber was a Hollywood producer and activist. While serving as the executive director of Dome Village, Haber received a call from the captain of the Beverly Hills cricket club seeking a replacement player for a weekend match under the Hollywood sign. Without enough notice to find a fellow Brit, she asked Hayes if he’d like to learn the game. The rest is history.
By introducing a sport traditionally associated with British elegance and aristocracy to an inner-city neighborhood more known for its association with rap music and gang activity, the Compton Cricket Club brought together strangers from wildly diverse backgrounds. Former professional cricketer Tom Rodwell, who brought his expertise and passion to help train and mentor the team, joined the organization. Together, they formed the backbone of the Compton Cricket Club.
Building a cricket club in a neighborhood more associated with basketball and hip-hop than cricket wasn’t without its challenges. However, they persevered. As the club gained momentum and recognition, the Compton Cricket Club expanded its membership, attracting individuals from a variety of backgrounds who were eager to be a part of this unique cricketing venture.
Compton International Tours & Global Recognition
Originally named the LA Kricket team, the Compton squad debuted with a 1995 tour in England, where the sport began. That inaugural group would become the first homeless cricket team to tour England. On June 1, 1996, Hayes and Haber organized “The Day of Kricket” workshop at Compton High School. According to Hayes, young new members joined the club to “find the alternative to gang activities, violence and prisons which ruled their neighborhood, giving them a vision of a positive and productive future.”
In 1997, the newly renamed squad now known as the Homies and the Popz toured England, including a match at Hambleden. Then in 1999, they visited Northern Ireland and played a cricket match against the British Civil Services team at Stormont Castle. During that tour, Compton Cricket Club also made stops at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle where they played a match against the Windsor Castle staff.
In 2001, the club made history by becoming the first all-American cricket team to play at Lord’s. They also played the Aboriginal team from Australia in Hambleden for the first Indigenous Cup. The Compton Cricket Club also became the first all-American cricket team to tour Australia in 2011. And in 2012 they worked with the Los Angeles Police Department’s anti-terrorism unit to teach cricket as conflict resolution within their communities.
Into The Pop Culture Consciousness
The England National Portrait Gallery houses portraits that provide a glimpse into the history and achievements of the British people. Portraits like those of Queen Elizabeth I and King Henry VIII offer a connection to the British monarchy. The Gallery also pays homage to leaders who shaped the British political landscape. Portraits of Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher, offer a glimpse into the people behind the politics.
British simplistic contemporary artist Edward Sutcliffe won the BP PORTRAIT TRAVEL AWARD for his proposal to document the Compton Cricket Club in 2014. The BP Portrait Award is widely considered to be the most important portrait prize in the world for contemporary art. Its variation, the BP Travel Award, allows artists to experience working in a different environment on a project related to portraiture.
Cricket Meets Hip-Hop
Sutcliffe had heard the story of the Compton Cricket Club on the radio as he worked in his studio in London. Judges ultimately selected his proposal after becoming fascinated by his suggestion of fusing two wildly different cultures. The prestigious exhibit ran at the National Portrait Gallery from July through September 2015 with stops at museums in Edinburgh and Belfast.
Capitalizing on their west side roots, the Compton Cricket Club also released two cricket-themed rap songs in 2007. ‘Shots’’ and ‘Bullets’ debuted on FBI 94.5 FM & 93.7 FM Koori Radio that November. In March 2009, MTV UK played the music video for “Bullets” on their website. The video received critical praise from both the British and Australian media. Over the weekend from April 27th through the 29th 2009, ‘Bullets’ was voted the No. 1 unsigned artist’s song by Australia’s Channel V TV and web.
Compton From Out of the Ashes?
That legendary Compton Cricket Club is all grown up now. The team started as troubled boys aged 15 and 16 in the mid-90s. They have families now; some have moved out of the city. The dream of the Homies and the Popz has all but dwindled. Disney bought the rights to their story some decades ago. And what a story it was if something had come of it. Although full of passion, the LA Kricket squad did not have the long-term support they needed to make a sustainable impact in the sport they loved.
But never say never in the City of Hopes and Dreams.
After 128 consecutive years, cricket is returning to the Olympic Games. The last time the sport was played on the world stage was at the Second Olympiads in Paris, France back in 1900. And, even then, only two teams participated. When it reappears in 2028, six men’s and six women’s teams will compete for the coveted Olympic Gold. But what’s most intriguing about cricket’s triumphant return to the global games is that the 2028 Olympics will happen in Los Angeles – Compton Cricket Club’s home base.
With 3 billion eyes on Los Angeles, perhaps the time has finally come for the dreams of Ted Hayes and Katy Haber to be realized. And that dream is for the first-ever all-American cricket club to gain respect and acknowledgment from its home country. What a story that would be for a team of gang members and the homeless. Here’s to the squad for LA28 torchbearers. I’ll drink to that. How does a Compton Cricket Club British 4.5% ABV Amber Ale brewed by Newport, Wales manufacturer Tiny Rebel sound?
