Bermuda national cricket team

The Bermuda men's national cricket team represents the British overseas territory of Bermuda in international cricket. The team is organised by the Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB), which became an associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1966.

A Bermudian national team was first organised in 1891, when a tour of New York City was arranged. In the years before World War I, Bermuda and American teams (including the Philadelphians) frequently exchanged tours, although it was not until 1912, when Australia toured, that the national team played a full international. After the 1920s, the focus of Bermudian cricket moved away from the United States towards the countries of the West Indies, although frequent tours from West Indian teams began only in the 1950s. The national team also played matches against international teams travelling to and from tours of the West Indies. However, only one of these games, against New Zealand in 1972, held first-class status.

The ICC Trophy (now the World Cup Qualifier) commenced in 1979 as the first World Cup qualifying tournament for ICC associate members. Bermuda made the semi-finals that year, and at the 1982 edition made the final, losing to Zimbabwe. However, the side did not qualify for the World Cup, as it featured only one associate qualifier. By the time of the 2005 ICC Trophy, the number of associate qualifiers had been increased to six. By making the semi-finals that year, Bermuda qualified for the 2007 World Cup, becoming the smallest country to do so (both in terms of population and area). The team also received One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) status until 2009. However, Bermuda performed poorly both at the World Cup and in subsequent ODI series, and after the 2009 World Cup Qualifier was relegated to the 2011 World Cricket League Division Two tournament. The team has since dropped three more divisions.

In April 2018, the ICC decided to grant full Twenty20 International (T20I) status to all its members. Therefore, all Twenty20 matches played between Bermuda and other ICC members after 1 January 2019 have the full T20I status. Later in 2019, Bermuda played in the 2019–21 ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League.

In 2023 they played, the regional finals of Americas Qualifier for 2024 T20 World Cup, where they had equal points with Canada but on the basis of NRR (Net Run Rate) Canada qualified. Bermuda player Kamau Leverock was player of the series of that tournament.

The first recorded cricket match to take place in Bermuda occurred on 30 August 1844. The Bermuda Cricket Club was formed one year later and had support from locals as well as British troops. Some international games were played against American sides, principally from Philadelphia in the late 19th century, but the cricketing strength of the island diminished greatly after the First World War. Indeed, the only significant tour in the inter-War years was a five-match tour by a team led by Sir Julien Cahn in 1933.

After the Second World War cricket regained popularity in Bermuda, and many tours arrived, including some Test sides on the way to the West Indies. The first Bermudian tour of England took place in 1960 and more tours followed. Bermuda also is the place where the first non-Yorkshireman played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Yorkshire traditionally had a rule that no-one born outside the county could play for them, a rule abandoned in the 1990s. However, the rule was bent to allow Garry Sobers to play some games for them under the captaincy of Brian Close during a festival match in Bermuda.

In 1966 Bermuda was elected to Associate Membership of the International Cricket Council. A match against New Zealand in April 1972 was given first-class status. Since then they have competed in a wide range of international competitions including the ICC Trophy, a competition which was proposed by Alma Hunt, the Bermudian delegate to the ICC.