Cricket Finland

Cricket in Finland has been traced back as being played in the 1850s when Royal Navy sailors played it while in port in Finland during the Crimean War.{{cite web |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/tom-jeffreys-on-cricket-in-finland-1057440 |title=Tom Jeffreys on Cricket in Finland |publisher=ESPN |accessdate=2025-04-01}} After this, cricket largely ceased being played in Finland until the 1960s when the British Embassy started promoting cricket between British diplomatic staff and local Finns. In 1972, Helsinki Cricket Club, the first local cricket club independent of British influence, was founded. The Finnish Cricket Association was founded in 1999 by Andrew Armitage, a British former banker, as a way to formalise cricket within Finland. It was granted International Cricket Council Affiliate membership the following year.{{cite book |pages=53–54 |title=Elk Stopped Play: And Other Tales from Wisden's 'Cricket Round the World' |first=Charlie |last=Connelly |publisher=A&C Black |year=2014 |isbn=9781408832370}} The sport then gained official recognition by the Finnish Government as a result.{{cite book |title=Cricket on the Continent |first=Tim |last=Brooks |year=2016 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B8pHEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22finnish+cricket+association%22&pg=PT251 |publisher=eBook Partnership |isbn=9781785312656}} By 2004, the Finnish Cricket Association had 23 affiliated cricket clubs.

In the 2010s, the Finnish Cricket Association invested in facilities to assist with the growth of cricket. This led to the opening of the Kerava National Cricket Ground in 2014 as well as Finland's first indoor cricket training facility at Eerikkilä in Tammela in 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://eerikkila.fi/en/cricket-finland-takes-a-leap-forward-with-first-indoor-training-facility-at-eerikkila/|title=Cricket Finland takes a leap forward with first indoor training facility at Eerikkilä - Eerikkilä|first=Elina|last=Pennanen|date=28 May 2020|website=eerikkila.fi|accessdate=1 April 2025}} In 2020, Cricket Finland was due to host the 2021 Men's T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier Group B,{{Cite web|url=https://guernseypress.com/sport/2020/02/26/covering-all-bases-to-avoid-a-matte-finish-on-finnish-mat/|title=Covering all bases to avoid a matte finish on Finnish mat|date=26 February 2020|website=guernseypress.com|accessdate=1 April 2025}} but due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Finland, the qualifying tournament was cancelled.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/57021360|title=Guernsey and Isle of Man's World T20 hopes ended by Covid-19|date=7 May 2021|accessdate=1 April 2025|publisher=BBC Sport}} In 2023, Cricket Finland were awarded the ICC Digital Engagement Award for live streaming cricket matches in partnership with Yle and the Finnish Olympic Committee.{{Cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/how-finland-took-the-bears-to-screens-around-the-world|title=How Finland took the 'Bears' to screens around the world|date=27 July 2020|website=www.icc-cricket.com|accessdate=1 April 2025}} This came after a previous partnership with the European Cricket Network in 2020 to broadcast the Finnish Premier League.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cricketworld.com/ecn-and-cricket-finland-team-up-to-live-broadcast-finnish-premier-league/63595.htm|title=ECN and Cricket Finland team up to live broadcast Finnish Premier League|website=Cricket World|accessdate=1 April 2025}}

• Finland national cricket team
• Finland women's national cricket team
• Finland national under-19 cricket team
• Finland women's national under-19 cricket team

{{reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://www.cricketfinland.com}}

{{Affiliate Members of the International Cricket Council}}

{{Sports governing bodies in Finland}}

Finland

Association

Cricket