The simple pleasure of playing cricket during a spell living in China was a glorious escape amid the vast, bustling city of Shanghai.
I remember the familiar sounds of the Shanghai Metro as I made my way to the Shanghai Community Sports Club, a place where I would turn out for DPR Hot Dogs CC in the Shanghai Cricket Club League. The commute, which I made every couple of weeks in the summers of 2017 and 2018, became a cherished part of my life while I worked as a staff writer and editor at Time Out Shanghai magazine. I had come to Shanghai after university, searching for direction and a way to escape the UK job market.
The train ride was a familiar ritual. I would squeeze past commuters, some curious about the foreigner in their midst, and head east into Pudong, an industrial and residential area. As I passed through the stations, I could feel the distance growing between me and the more glamorous Puxi area, with its tree-lined streets and art deco buildings. The commute itself was a reminder of how different life in Shanghai was from my small hometown of Pudsey in the UK, where the population was around 25,000, a stark contrast to the 25 to 30 million people who populated Shanghai each day.
The Shanghai Cricket Club League, a three-division competition, was a small but vibrant community where expats from around the world came together to play. The league was formed in 2004, and while it had grown smaller in recent years due to the decline in Shanghai’s foreign population, it remained a unique and cherished part of life in the city. The eight clubs in the league included founding members like Bashers CC and Pudong CC, as well as teams like China Zalmi CC, which had an affiliation with the Pakistan Super League’s Peshawar Zalmi. Some players even traveled long distances, like those from Hangzhou, making a 350-mile round trip to play.
Cricket in China was not as popular as in other countries, but that made the league all the more special. The majority of players were expats from countries like India, Pakistan, South Africa, Australia, England, and New Zealand, but there was also some local representation. Notably, former China women’s captain Mei Chun Hua and men’s international Zhang Yu Fei played in the league.
Due to the limited facilities, teams couldn’t play every week, so each match felt like an event to look forward to. The competitive nature of the games, combined with the camaraderie of the players, provided a much-needed escape from the frenetic pace of life in Shanghai. It was a welcome break from the daily grind, the rush hour crowds on the metro, and the bureaucratic challenges that often left me feeling burnt out and homesick. For a few hours every fortnight, cricket was the thing that made Shanghai feel a little more familiar.
For those who wanted to play at a higher level, there was also the opportunity to represent Shanghai in the Shanghai Dragons, the city’s representative XI. We would host touring teams from places like Hong Kong and take on Beijing in the annual China Cup. The Shanghai Dragons offered a chance to compete at a higher standard and showcase the city’s cricketing talent on the international stage.
But it wasn’t just about playing; it was about finding a place to belong. In a city where it was easy to feel like a small cog in a massive machine, club cricket provided a sense of identity and purpose. The familiar rhythms of the game, the shared experiences with teammates, and the occasional post-match beer made Shanghai feel a little less alien. For a few hours, we could forget that we were living in one of the largest and most fast-paced cities in the world and simply enjoy the game we loved.
This feeling of escapism through cricket wasn’t unique to Shanghai. In 2020, I found myself playing in Taipei, Taiwan, where the country’s quick response to the Covid pandemic allowed us to play competitive cricket while much of the world was in lockdown. Taiwan briefly became the only place where cricket was being played, and games were livestreamed, attracting thousands of viewers, particularly from India.
Club cricket, whether in Shanghai or Taipei, offers something more than just a game. It provides a sense of community, an escape from the chaos of city life, and a chance to connect with others who share a passion for the sport. In a world that often feels overwhelming, cricket offers a familiar comfort, no matter where you are.
