Cricket has been recorded as having first been played in Europe by Admiral Nelson’s troops and sailors when stationed in Naples, Italy in 1793. The game spread and was played at an amateur level throughout the 19th and 20th century, the most famous of which was the Milan Cricket and Football Club, now known as AC Milan.
The European Cricket Council was founded in 1997 to revive cricket after it had fallen into decline in Europe during the World Wars. After having an initial membership of 14 countries the ECC now stretches to having 37 member countries across the continent, with the Netherlands, Scotland and Ireland having progressed to compete in recent ICC World Cup and Twenty20 World Cup.
Croatia was first introduced to Cricket on the island of Vis some 200 years ago, when the English navy was stationed on the island and played to keep fitness levels and morale high, under the watch of Sir William Hoste. As a tribute to these sporting pioneers, the Sir William Hoste Cricket Club is currently an active Club based on Vis and playing against visiting teams to the island.
During the 1950/60’s a large number of Europeans, including many Croatians, migrated to cricket playing countries like Australia, South Africa and New Zealand and their children took to the game in their new country. Consequently, as these children grew older they would return to their parents’ country of birth bringing with them their new found love of Cricket.
In 1998 a collection of Cricket enthusiasts in Zagreb organised a team to play neighboring Slovenia. From this inauspicious start the Croatian Cricket Federation (CCF) was born, with its headquarters based at the Zagreb Cricket Club at the Mladost Sports and Recreation Centre in Zagreb.
Since 2000 Croatia has been a regular participant in various European Cricket Council tournaments and continues to be active, with regular games played against regional countries Slovenia, Belgium, Austria, Spain, Greece, Ireland, Wales, Hungary, Slovak Republic, Macedonia and Israel amongst others. Although there have been many tournaments over this time period, there is a requirement and a zest for more competition by all European countries since the International Cricket Council (ICC) scaled back its tournament involvement for many European cricket nations a few years ago.
The Mediterranean Cricket League (MCL) was developed in 2015 and first played in June 2016, in Split, Croatia. The MCL was founded by Croatian national representative Jeff Grzinic and the Croatian Cricket Federation (CCF) as a way to give Croatian cricketers greater exposure to high class cricket played in tournament conditions to help develop its players and the game of cricket in Croatia. The MCL was designed to be a welcoming event for not only teams and players but wives, girlfriends/partners, children, friends and family alike. The MCL is currently a 6-8 international team T20 tournament played over 4 days with each team playing 4 games over the 4 days. National, club or touring teams are welcome to participate. While developing the tournament structure in 2015, former Australian Test and One Day international cricketer of Croatian heritage, Simon Katich, became the Mediterranean Cricket League Ambassador and continues in the role to this day.
The MCL welcomes all national, club or touring teams from Europe and around the world and has a clear goal of developing Croatian and European cricket through attracting the world’s best teams and players to Croatia’s stunning shores with their family and friends. In the MCL’s first year Zagreb Cricket Club, Sir Oliver Cricket Club (Split), Porto Montenegro Cricket Club (Montenegro), inaugural winner Ukraine National Team, Romanian Bears and Ambassadors of Cricket (India) took part and it was clear to see that there was an appetite for a professionally run and competitive tournament. In its second edition at the Resnik MCL2017 hosted Zagreb Cricket Club, Sir Oliver Cricket Club, Romanian Bears, Cricket Timis (Romania) and Saaremaa Kriketi Klubi from Estonia, who won what was a fiercely contested and close tournament that was dominated by the batsman.
The third year of the event, MCL2018 saw the newly formed Australian entity Friends of Croatian Cricket (FOCC) enter a team, the ‘Boomerangs’ (made up predominately of Australian/Croatians) to compete against a local Croatia ‘A’ team, reigning champions from Estonia Saaremaa Kriketi Klubi, Salford Hawks (England), Kensington Cricket Club (India) and the CBB’s (Thailand). The competition standard of MCL2018 went up another level with the ‘Boomerangs’ team from Australia taking tournament honors in their debut (as a team) at the 2018 edition of the tournament.
MCL2016, MCL2017 and MCL2018 were played in the grounds of the truly delightful and welcoming Resnik Hotel, situated right on the stunning Adriatic Sea. The Resnik Hotel is nestled nicely between UNESCO towns of Trogir and the city of Split on Croatia’s Adriatic coastline and was a tranquil and ideal setting to establish Europe’s hottest T20 cricket tournament. The cricket ground within the Resnik Hotel grounds was purpose built to cater for the MCL and an incredible amount of work went on behind the scenes to develop the ground into a beautiful place to play international cricket and bring visitors to Croatia.
With three memorable tournaments successfully completed at the Resnik Hotel and the MCL quickly outgrowing its current location the MCL and the Croatian Cricket Federation set about finding a new location in which the MCL tournament could raise the bar even further and develop the tournament. After much work the Tucepi location, an hour south of Split was chosen as the new venue to take the MCL into the future.
MCL2019 was played in Tucepi, an ideal location with accommodation in a splendid 4 star hotel, outstanding playing facilities and infrastructure that raised the standard, professionalism and profile of the tournament and attracted more teams and spectators than previous years. MCL2019 featured Croatia 'A', last year’s champions Boomerangs, MCL2017 winners Saaremaa, and 2 of the strongest teams to be seen at an MCL, SledgeHammer Cricket Academy (India) and Warriors Cricket Club Qatar. Former Australian international player Brad Hogg joined the MCL as Ambassador and also played for the Boomerangs which was a sure sign to the cricket world that the MCL had stamped its authority on Europe. The strong tournament was eventually won by Warriors Cricket Club Qatar who just held out pre-tournament favorites from India ‘SledgeHammer Cricket Academy’ to take home the coveted MCL trophy. Now with an even higher overall standard the MCL hopes that teams will not only play the tournament once but return to Croatia year after year forming strong friendships and networks, welcoming new teams and players into the European cricket family. So impressed was Brad Hogg with the Mediterranean Cricket League that he again agreed to play in MCL2020, another positive sign that the MCL continues to raise the bar of expectation.
The birth of the 'Community Cricket T10 Cup'...
MCL2020 and MCL2021 were both unfortunately canceled due to Covid-19 pandemic and the fact that international travel was banned. It was decided by the MCL team with support from Ambassadors Simon Katich and Brad Hogg to run an 'MCL like' T10 fun event in Grzinic and Hogg's home town of Perth, Western Australia, during the pandemic to promote and continue the momentum of the MCL.. So the 'Community Cricket World Cup', sponsored by 'CGM Communications' was born and played between 'Australia WA', 'Croatia WA', 'Indigenous WA', 'India WA 'and 'Southern Africa WA '(South African/Zimbabwean team). The event was won by 'India WA' and Brad Hogg once again proved what a fantastically supportive MCL Ambassador is by playing for the 'Croatia WA' team and helped the tournament gain national media exposure. The event was also live streamed to the world, a first for the MCL and a sign of big things to come. The tournament was such a roaring success that it even surpassed the MCL's expectations, so much so that the supposedly 'one-off pandemic event' was played again 'post pandemic' in February 2023 with a slightly different name and also invited local community groups to participate and add an even greater local flavour.
The second MCL T10 event, the 'Community Cricket T10 Cup' was played at the magnificent Fletcher Park home of Perth Cricket Club and to former Australian cricket greats such as Dennis Lillee and Adam Gilchrist. With international guest Romania's cult cricket hero Pavel Florin playing for the 'Croatia WA' team and BBL legend Jon Wells lending his support during the day, 'MSI Aboriginal XI', 'WAFRS Flashovers' (Fire Brigade Team), 'Ascot Cricket Club' and tournament winners 'WAPCC Numbats' (Police team) ensured that the tournament was another successful day. The tournament was live-streamed by 'The Community Sports Show' and had over 5000 viewers for the day.
The next 'Community Cricket T10 Cup', sponsored once again by John's Building Supplies and James Hardie was played in February 2024 and featured the teams 'MSI Aboriginal XI', 'WAFRS Flashovers', 'Ascot Cricket Club', 2023 tournament winners 'WAPCC Numbats', 'Perth Phantoms' and the 'MCL All Stars'. Another outstanding days cricket ensued, all played out in scorching 43 degree heat at the Perth Cricket Club. 'The Community Sports Show' once again live streamed the event with over 10,000 viewers this time tuning in to watch the Ascot Cricket Club cause an upset and win the tournament. Clearly the 'Community Cricket T10 Cup' was now more than just a short term event. Who knows what heights the 2025 tournament will reach?
With international travel resuming in full in 2022 the T20 MCL2022 was played in the Croatian capital of Zagreb from 4-8 July at Zagreb Cricket Clubs home ground of Budenec with Brad Hogg once again the marquee player. Although preparations were interrupted by Covid-19 MCL2022 was played as a 4 team tournament featuring Croatia A, Zagreb Cricket Club, Boomerangs and Balhera Cricket Academy (from India). In another close tournament the Boomerangs team held off Croatia A to be crowned Tournament Champions for a second time.
Always looking to grow and improve the MCL has added former England international cricketer Darren Maddy as its 3rd international MCL Ambassador. Known as ‘Mr. Twenty20’ in English cricket circles during his playing career Darren’s personality and success as an international cricketer, particularly in the T20 format makes him a perfect addition to the MCL family as Ambassador along with Simon Katich and Brad Hogg. Darren also became the Croatian National team coach in 2022.
Growing and developing the sport of cricket in Europe and Croatia is one of the MCL's most important goals. As a result in 2023 the MCL left Croatian shores for the first time and truly became an international event in more ways than one with an exciting collaboration with the Montenegro Bokaneers Cricket Club. MCL2023 was played in the luxurious surrounds of Porto Montenegro and the tournament experience raised European cricket, and cricket tourism, to a new level. MCL Ambassadors Brad Hogg and Darren Maddy (who made his MCL playing debut) were joined by Pavel Florin, English Premier League and Montenegro international goalkeeper Sasa Ilic and Australian fast bowling legend Brett Lee saw the MCL make history in what was European cricket's most star studded event of all time. What was a massive celebration of just how far European cricket and the MCL had come since 2015. Sadly the only low point being that the 2 teams scheduled to play in the tournament from India were denied entry into Montenegro 2 days before the start in an immigration department issue beyond the control of the MCL. Overnight the tournament went from a 5 team tournament to a 3 team tournament. Undeterred, tournament regulars Saaremaa Kriketi Klubi and newcomers Tallinn Hippos from Estonia (with guest players Brett Lee and his son Preston Lee) took on the ALL STARS team that boasted international players Brad Hogg, Darren Maddy, Jeff Grzinic, Aman Maheshwari, Pavel Florin and local football legend Sasa Ilic. In a tournament that went down to the wire in the last match of the final day the ALL STARS proved to be just that overcoming the Tallinn Hippos in a thriller.
Such was the success of taking the MCL tournament on the road to Montenegro in 2023 that the local cricket authorities requested that MCL2024 also be played in Montenegro, to which the MCL team agreed. MCL2024 will be held 27-30 May in Porto Montenegro and also adds former England international player Mal LOYE to its unchanged line-up of stars from last year. No doubt 2024 is going to be an absolutely amazing tournament.
It is hoped that all teams, sponsors, supporters, family and friends enjoy their time at the MCL and are made to feel a very special part of the Mediterranean Cricket League. The MCL is a family friendly event that welcomes and caters to players’ wives, girlfriends/partners, children, supporters and spectators as well as making the ‘cricket experience’ for players a professional and entertaining one. MCL founder Jeff Grzinic and his team and the Croatian Cricket Federation have invested a great deal of resources to ensure that the Mediterranean Cricket League will remain European cricket’s ‘must play’ T20 tournament for many years to come.