ECN

History of cricket

The first cricket club was first formed in Budapest in 1991 by Dr Padma Gannoruwa, who in April 1996 started a cricket initiative in Budapest. He led a team comprising both Hungarians and expats against teams from Germany and Austria.

The Hungarian Cricket Association (HCA) with an executive board of Andy Grieve, David Brown and Andrew Leckonby was formed in 2007. On 28 June 2012 Hungarian cricket was official acceptance to the ICC as an Affiliate Member.

The GB Oval is the home of Hungarian cricket, with matches played every weekend from Mid-April to October. It is named after the initials of its owners, former players Mike Glover and Mark Bownas, who have both have been instrumental in supporting the sport’s development. The HCA has recently completed refurbishments on the training nets and installed a new artificial wicket, along with further enhancemnets to the facility.

A special thank you goes to Marton Kis, whose eight-year tenure as board president significantly elevated cricket in Hungary, and to Benjamin Lebor for his generous financial support over the years.

International competition and developing the game

The domestic setup consists of two T20 Leagues (2 divisions) and a thriving national team setup. With the support and initiatives of the HCA board, women’s cricket continues to grow in Hungary with several ladies playing in the 2nd division.

Junior cricket is progressing exceptionally well, with events hosted in Budapest and Szeged/Hódmezővásárhely. Several junior players are also performing well in the 2nd division and initiatives are being put in place to integrate them into the national team setup. As cricket continues to grow in Hungary, the sport is receiving more positive media exposure, and an increasing number of native players are participating in the leagues and performing well.