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The rise of cricket in the region is the inspiration behind the summer exhibit at the Museum on Main in downtown Pleasanton.
“Wicket Crazy: Cricket and the Tri-Valley” features a range of photographs, equipment, memorabilia and more to tell the history of cricket and how the sport popular in England and many nations throughout the former British Empire began ascending in America, including the Bay Area, amid evolving immigration trends in the past couple of decades.
“For newcomers to the game, I think the main attractions will be our introduction to how the game is played and our outline of its history. Those give some context to the equipment, uniforms and other materials we’ve assembled,” Ken MacLennan, curator at the museum, told the Pleasanton Weekly.
“The literal centerpiece of the exhibit is a model-railroad scale cricket field that includes two batters, two umpires and a complete fielding side,” MacLennan said.
“Because there are no foul lines — you can hit the ball directly behind you and still score runs — there are many more potential fielding positions than there are players to cover them,” he added. “We’ve marked most of these on our field, and visitors are encouraged to move the fielders around and create alignments for any game situation they can think of.”
The exhibition, which opened three weeks ago and runs through Sept. 5, aims to engage and educate cricket fans and those who’ve never experienced the sport alike.
Cricket’s connection to the Tri-Valley is a central theme, according to MacLennan.
Hundreds of youth cricketers compete and practice across the five cities, including at several fields and pitches dedicated to the sport in recent years. Adult teams and recreational groups also take part in cricket locally, and the Grizzlies of men’s Minor League Cricket relocated and rebranded in San Ramon last year.
“The local game is represented by banners, uniforms and trophies from Tri-Valley youth leagues as well as by trophies and tournament ID credentials from international play loaned by USA under-19 women’s team player (and recent Amador graduate) Saanvi Immadi,” MacLennan told the Weekly.
“Both the major-league San Francisco Unicorns and minor-league San Ramon Grizzlies have lent uniforms and gear — including two bats signed by the members of the 2024 and 2025 Unicorns teams,” he said.
In addition to Immadi, the exhibit highlights Tri-Valley cricket stars such as Geetika Kodali, Anita Kolan, Maahi Madhavan and Sindhu Sriharsha. Organizations like Cricket Champs, San Ramon Cricket Organization, Dublin Cricket Team and Elite Indoor Cricket Dublin joined the Grizzlies and Unicorns in supporting the museum with its displays.
The Museum on Main is open Tuesdays through Saturdays in the historic building at 603 Main St. in downtown Pleasanton. To learn more, visit museumonmain.org.
