George Washington’s troops played the game during the War of Independence, the first official rulebook to reach the country was imported by Benjamin Franklin and the first ever international match took place in New York.

Yet, despite its cricketing pedigree, the citizens of the US wouldn’t know a googly from a silly mid-off. This week, however, a new tournament will attempt a feat that stumped even the Founding Fathers — the establishment of cricket as an all-American pastime.

On Friday afternoon in Orlando, Florida, the Washington Eagles will face the Arizona Scorpions on the first day of America’s inaugural national cricket championship. The three-day event will feature six regional teams, each of which has been rebranded. The side from Chicago, for instance, used to be