Big Apple Realities: Building on Foundations Elsewhere – A Look at New York, Dallas, and Lauderhill Venues for the T20 World Cup

### Bold Blueprints Realized in New York: Cricket History Continues in Texas and Florida at the Upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup

By Daniel Beswick

In 1844, the old St George’s Cricket Club in Manhattan hosted the first recorded international cricket match. Nearly 180 years later, just 30 kilometers away along the Long Island Expressway, another historic milestone is set to unfold as Nassau County prepares for a cricketing first.

On June 3, the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium will host Sri Lanka and South Africa, with national anthems echoing before a potential crowd of 34,000. The iconic skyline of New York City will provide a fitting backdrop for the T20 World Cup, merging the city’s storied cricketing past with its vibrant present.

### Continuing Cricket History in Texas and Florida

Meanwhile, Texas and Florida are ready to contribute to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup’s rich narrative. Texas, with its growing enthusiasm for cricket, is set to welcome international teams and fans, further embedding the sport into its sports culture.

Florida, with its established cricketing tradition, particularly at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium in Lauderhill, continues to be a cornerstone for cricket in the United States. This venue, known for hosting numerous international matches, is poised to deliver more thrilling T20 action.

### Conclusion

As bold blueprints become reality in Nassau County, New York, and cricket history continues to be made in Texas and Florida, the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup promises to be a landmark event. These venues, each with their unique stories and settings, are ready to host the world and celebrate the spirit of cricket in America.

The match is one of eight to be hosted by the pop-up cricket ground during a 10-day cricketing blitz leading up to June 12. This venue will also witness the highly anticipated clash between India and Pakistan, alongside other crucial first-round matches that will set the stage for the tournament.

“This stadium is beautiful. It's stunning to think this wasn't even here just a few short months ago, and now they’ve built it out,” remarked well-known New York sporting personality Victor Cruz, who was invited to visit the ground ahead of the tournament.

“It looks incredible. The seating looks great. I feel like people are going to have a lot of fun here.”

A Super Bowl-winning wide receiver for the New York Giants in the NFL, Victor Cruz was celebrated in New York for his spectacular catches and ability to evade tacklers. Known for his athletic play-making and signature Salsa Dance touchdown celebration, Cruz believes that international cricketers, though new to the local audience, can win over New York sports fans in a similar fashion.

“New York sports fans are the best. They just understand energy. They know how to bring the fiery vibes to their team, they’re maniacal about their teams,” he remarked.

“I think it’s just the overall intrigue with cricket in New York. People want to know what it's about. They want to learn the rules. They want to see it in person.

“Being able to see it with their own eyes in action would change their perspective.”

Victor Cruz, a former Super Bowl-winning wide receiver for the New York Giants, understands the pressures of playing under intense scrutiny. However, the task of curating a world-class cricket wicket at a newly constructed site in New York’s unique climate, with millions watching every delivery, is a challenge of its own.

The outfield for the venue was delivered by the LandTek Group, an organization renowned for its work with New York’s Major League Baseball teams and Inter Miami, the Major League Soccer franchise owned by David Beckham and featuring Lionel Messi. The square was prepared by Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions, led by their head curator Damian Hough.

Hough, who has managed the gold-standard South Australian facility since its redevelopment in 2013, is exceptionally well-qualified for the task. Emphasizing the ambitious nature of the project, the pitches were initially prepared in Florida's warmer climate. They were then transported nearly 2,000 kilometers to New York using 20 semi-trailer trucks, a journey spanning at least six US states and around 20 hours on the road.

Despite the logistical challenges, Hough is eager to showcase his team’s capabilities on this global stage. “The games in New York are a great platform for us to showcase our abilities to a global audience,” Hough told the ICC in the lead-up to the tournament.

“Florida proved to be the ideal nursery for the pitches with good weather, and working alongside great partners like LandTek has been fantastic. Everything is coming together as it should. It’s certainly a massive thrill for everyone at Adelaide Oval to be involved in such a huge event."

Thanks to significant technological advancements and extensive research over the past five to ten years, drop-in pitches have successfully hosted vibrant international cricket matches. Hough aims to bring the same quality to New York. “We hope we have got a good T20 pitch, that has good pace, good bounce, and provides value for shots,” he said.

“You want the batters to be able to play shots all over the ground, so that is our design. Our ambition was to produce pitches along those lines from the start. Everything is going to plan; the pitches are in good condition, and all of our benchmarks and measures are exceeding expectations.”

In addition to the pitch, the rapid construction of the grandstand has impressed fans worldwide, including Victor Cruz.

### T20 World Cup Venues: New York, Dallas, and Lauderhill Ready for Action

The temporary stands designed by Populous were rapidly constructed in just three months and are ready for the test event on May 27. Limited general admission tickets remain available for the opening match in New York, and tickets inclusive of food and beverage are also available for all games in Nassau County, including the much-anticipated India vs. Pakistan clash. Don’t miss the chance to be part of history as the ICC World Cup makes its debut in New York. For more details, visit [tickets.t20worldcup.com](http://tickets.t20worldcup.com) or email [hospitality@t20worldcup.com](mailto:hospitality@t20worldcup.com).

As Sri Lanka and South Africa compete for a piece of history and crucial tournament points on the road to the T20 World Cup trophy in New York, the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, Texas, will already have its bragging rights as a T20 World Cup venue, having hosted another chapter in the USA and Canada’s cricketing rivalry.

### Dallas: A Cricketing Hub

The Grand Prairie facility, known for its success through a new wave of domestic cricket in the USA, is located in a region that has become a hotbed for the sport. Converted from a Minor League Baseball stadium in 2020, it now hosts the Dallas Mustangs of Minor League Cricket and was part of Major League Cricket's inaugural season in 2023. The stadium retains the upper level behind the old home plate, now situated at the backward square-leg/cover boundary, while the lower bowl has been rebuilt to fit the dimensions of an oval-shaped cricket ground.

The stadium will host the tournament's opening fixture, the North American battle between the USA and Canada on June 1, along with three more matches from June 4 to June 7.

### Lauderhill: Established Cricket Ground

To the east, the Central Broward Park and Broward County Stadium in Lauderhill, Florida, will host four matches from June 11 to June 16. This venue, familiar to fans of the Caribbean Premier League and international fixtures involving American and West Indian teams, has been hosting T20Is since 2010. It has welcomed teams preparing for the T20 World Cup, as well as series involving quasi-hosts West Indies against New Zealand, India, and Bangladesh. The USA has also played numerous ODIs here, including a series against Ireland in December 2021.

In preparation for the tournament, the ground underwent an $8.4 million renovation, including resodding completed in February, expanding the cricket block to six pitches, and upgrading practice facilities and grandstands to accommodate the expected crowds.

### New York T20 World Cup Fixtures

- **Sri Lanka vs South Africa:** June 3

- **India vs Ireland:** June 5

- **Netherlands vs South Africa:** June 7

- **India vs Pakistan:** June 9

- **South Africa vs Bangladesh:** June 10

- **Pakistan vs Canada:** June 11

- **USA vs India:** June 12

### Grand Prairie T20 World Cup Fixtures

- **USA vs Canada:** June 1

- **Netherlands vs Nepal:** June 4

- **USA vs Pakistan:** June 6