The popularity of cricket in Oceania varies from place to place – in some countries, it is the national sport, while in others it is not played at all. A number of Oceanian countries are members of the International Cricket Council (ICC), and participate in tournaments organised by the ICC East Asia-Pacific (EAP) development program. The other major regional competition is the cricket tournament at the Pacific Games, which is open to ICC non-members.
Map
Cricket by country American Samoa
Governing body National team(s) ICC membership As in neighbouring Samoa (formerly Western Samoa), the most popular form of cricket in American Samoa, an unincorporated territory of the United States, is the traditional version known as kilikiti.Tammie Taylor (22 February 2014). "American Samoa's Cricket Culture" – American Samoa Department of Commerce. Retrieved 23 September 2015. The most significant event of the cricketing calendar is the annual tournament on Flag Day (the national holiday), which attracts large numbers of both men's and women's village teams. The prize money for the 2015 tournament totalled US$24,000.(22 April 2015). "Flag Day prizes total $173,000" – Talanei. Retrieved 23 September 2015. In June 2000, it was stated that a representative team from American Samoa was going to play the Samoan national team at newly renovated ground in Apia, although it is unclear if the fixture went ahead.(16 June 2000). "Samoa: Internationals vs. PNG and American Samoa planned; local comp. about to start" – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 23 September 2015. It was also suggested that American Samoa might participate in the cricket event at the 2003 South Pacific Games in Fiji, but that did not eventuate.(14 August 2001). "Pacifica Cup: Second tournament slated for Samoa next June" – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
Cook Islands Governing body – Cook Islands Cricket Association National team(s) (men, women) ICC membership – Associate Organised cricket in the Cook Islands, an associated state of New Zealand, dates from at least 1910, when a cricket club was founded on Rarotonga. The game quickly spread to the outer atolls of Aitutaki and Mangaia, but in the 1950s entered into decline, with only six to eight clubs remaining in Rarotonga.Affiliate members: Cook Islands – CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 September 2015. A revival occurred in the 1990s, and the national governing body, the Cook Islands Cricket Association (CICA), became an affiliate member of the ICC in 2000. Outside of Rarotonga, cricket is most popular on Pukapuka, which lies closer to Samoa than to the rest of the islands.Rashneel Kumar (29 July 2015). "Exciting cricket battle looms" – Cook Islands News. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
The Cook Islands national team made its international debut in 2001, against Norfolk Island, and has since participated in ICC East Asia-Pacific regional tournaments and the Pacific Games.Other matches played by Cook Islands – CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 September 2015. The national women's team debuted in 2012.Other women's matches played by Cook Islands Women – CricketArchive. Retrieved 23 September 2015. Unlike in many other Pacific countries, women's cricket was only popularised in the country in the late 2000s.Matariki Wilson (29 January 2015). "Lifetime service award for local cricket diehard" – Cook Islands News. Retrieved 9 July 2015. Participation has increased rapidly since then,(28 April 2014). "Cook Islands aim to use tournament to provide a legacy for future generations" – ICC East Asia-Pacific. Retrieved 9 July 2015. and the CICA has won an ICC development award for its work in promoting the game amongst women.Matariki Wilson (22 February 2013). "Awards for innovative cricket" – Cook Islands News. Retrieved 9 July 2015. CICA has cultivated relationships with New Zealand domestic teams, initially with Auckland Cricket and later with the Northern Districts Cricket Association.(1 August 2002). "Auckland build on Cook Island and Samoan connection" – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 23 September 2015.Lynn McConnell (20 June 2003). "Northern Districts to help Cook Islands cricket development" – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
Fiji Governing body – Cricket Fiji National team(s) (men, women) ICC membership – Associate
Cricket was introduced to the Fijian Islands in 1874, during the time of the short-lived Kingdom of Fiji, when a team from Levuka played against a visiting Royal Navy ship.Associate members: Fiji – International Cricket Council. Retrieved 28 September 2015. Fiji toured New Zealand in early 1895, they had only been playing first-class cricket for 21 years.Fiji in New Zealand, 1894/95 at Cricket Archive Fiji's first international match was against the West Indies in 1956.Scorecard of Fiji v West Indies, 12 January 1956 at Cricket Archive In an historic landmark, Fiji's U-19 team participated in 2016 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
Guam
Governing body – Guam Cricket Club National team(s) ICC membership
Cricket is popular among Indian expatriates in Guam, an unincorporated U.S. territory. The Guam Cricket Club was founded in 1992, and in 2010 had "about 25 members". Milestone Sports Magazine, vol. 1, issue 4 (May 2012, p. 27. Retrieved 5 August 2016. Matches are played at Ypao Beach Field and on the University of Guam's playing fields. Plans to field a national team have been hampered by the lack of a dedicated ground and the frequent movement of players in and out of the country.Matt Weiss (9 August 2012). "Cricket: Not too much chirping on Guam" – Marianas Variety. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
Kiribati Governing body National team(s) ICC membership Arthur Grimble, a future Resident Commissioner of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony, recounted in his memoir, A Pattern of Islands, that cricket was "going strong" on Ocean Island (now Banaba) at the time of his arrival in 1914. Ten years later, according to Grimble, it was "popular everywhere" in the islands, although it subsequently declined."Cricket in the Blue", excerpt from Grimble, Arthur (1952). A Pattern of Islands. Retrieved from the New Zealand Electronic Text Collection, 23 September 2015. Cricket was still regularly played on Ocean Island in the 1950s, where there were two main teams – one featuring mainly Australians and New Zealanders employed by the British Phosphate Commission, and the other featuring members of the local police force, who were predominantly indigenous Gilbertese. The pitch on the island's sports ground was made from coconut matting ground, with the outfield was covered in pieces of coral. According to the 1997 Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, a Kiribati representative team had toured Tuvalu in a fixture earlier in the 1990s, winning the match after their last batsman hit a six off the final ball.
Nauru Governing body National team(s) ICC membership There are a number of photographs of formal cricket matches being played on Nauru in the early 20th century."Playing cricket, Nauru" – Cultural Collections, University of Newcastle Library. Originally from the collection of Archdeacon A. N. Williamson. Retrieved from Flickr, 5 August 2016. One of these, dating from 1908 (during the period of the German protectorate), depicts Europeans and Nauruans playing together on a pitch surrounded by palm trees (watched on from a makeshift pavilion), and is titled "1st Match at Nauru".Cricket (1st Match at Nauru) – National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 5 August 2016. During the time of the British Phosphate Commission, cricket was cited by Australian newspapers as a key part of social life in the island."How Nauru Has Developed." – The West Australian, 12 June 1932."The native leads an easy life on Nauru" – The Mail (Adelaide), 18 November 1950. More recently, cricket has been popular (especially among Sri Lankans) in the Australian immigration detention centre on Nauru.
New Caledonia Governing body – New Caledonia Cricket Association National team(s) (men, women) ICC membership Cricket was introduced to New Caledonia by English missionaries. It is currently mostly played by women.However, there are plans to become an ICC member soon.
Norfolk Island Governing body National team(s) ICC membership
Cricket is recorded as having been played on Norfolk Island, an external territory of Australia, as early as 1838, by soldiers stationed on the island. It continued to be played after the island was settled in 1856 by Pitcairn Islanders, descended from the mutineers of the Bounty and of mixed European and Polynesian stock.Tony Munro (5 January 2001). "Norfolk Island: Cricket is reborn on the island of the Bounty mutineers" – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 5 August 2016. John Patteson, an ex-first-class cricketer and future Bishop of Melanesia, was a missionary on Norfolk during that period.John Patteson – CricketArchive. Retrieved 5 August 2016. From 1876 until well into the 20th century, a match was played annually on Bounty Day, the national holiday, a tradition that was resumed in 1997. In 2001, it was reported that there were three clubs on the island (playing both a knockout tournament and a regular league), regular tours from the Australian mainland, and a junior development program, assisted by the New South Wales Cricket Association (NSWCA). Norfolk Island's cricket ground is located at Kingston Oval (or Kingston Common), with an artificial matting pitch overlooked by Kingston's convict-era buildings, which are World Heritage Sites.
A Norfolk Island representative team toured Auckland, New Zealand, in January 2001,Norfolk Island in New Zealand 2000/01 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 5 August 2016. and played at least two matches – one against an Auckland Secondary Schools team, and then a 50-over fixture against the Cook Islands, which it lost by seven wickets.Cook Islands v Norfolk Island, Norfolk Island in New Zealand 2000/01 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 5 August 2016. Those matches are the only ones recorded for an island representative team.Other matches played by Norfolk Island – CricketArchive. Retrieved 5 August 2016. Excluded from the Pacifica Cup, which was played in 2001 and 2002, the Norfolk Island Cricket Association had expressed its intention to enter a team into the cricket tournament at the 2003 South Pacific Games, but this, along with its desire for affiliate membership of the ICC, did not eventuate.Tony Munro (15 March 2002). "South Pacific Games: Cricket goes back to the future" – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 5 August 2016. Their last tour was to the Pitcairn Islands in 2014.
Niue Governing body National team(s) ICC membership A 2011 Radio New Zealand article made reference to a Niue Cricket Association, and mentioned that a league had recently been established featuring ten village teams."Hopes Niue cricket revival will keep history and discipline alive" – Radio New Zealand International. Retrieved 23 September 2015. The Niuean language, where the sport is known as kilikiki, contains a rich vocabulary of cricket-related terms.
Papua New Guinea Governing body – Cricket PNG National team(s) (men, women) ICC membership – Associate
Pitcairn Island Governing body National team(s) ICC membership