In the city of Calcutta, then just over a hundred years old and growing fast both in commercial and political significance, the British Raj was busy setting its roots. And sports were definitely a part of the social lore. Indeed, sports events were reckoned to be important enough for sub-continen ... tal reporters. Fortunately, a copy of the Madras Courier dated 23rd. February, 1792 has survived. The paper reported cricket fixtures between the Calcutta Cricket Club and Barrackpore and the Calcutta Cricket Club and Dum Dum. Clearly, the Calcutta Cricket Club was already in existence in 1792. The story of how CC&FC traced its origins is interesting and is preserved in its archives thanks to Past President H.J. Moorhouse. It began in 1955 with a letter to The Times, London from Alan R. Tait, Honorary Secretary of Oporto Cricket Club in Portugal. The Club was celebrating its centenary that year, and Tait claimed that it 'must be one of the oldest cricket club outside Great Britain'. This letter drew a good deal of response from several quarters. Several clubs were identified as being older than Oporto. To use a cricketing metaphor, the ball swung in Calcutta's favour when one Irwing Rosenwater wrote to the Times about the news item in the Madras Courier dated 23rd. February, 1792, mentioned above. + Read More