Fans bowled over as Cricket World Cup gets underway on Long Island

NEW YORK – The first Cricket World Cup match is being played Monday on Long Island. 

Sri Lanka is facing off against Africa at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow. 

It’s something cricket fans in New York have been waiting for for a very long time, and it’s all part of an historic first: For the first time ever, the Cricket World Cup it’s being co-hosted by the United States and the West Indies. 

Fans from all parts of the U.S. and the world are in attendance, many taking several days off just to be inside the stadium to witness the first World Cup cricket ball to be bowled in the U.S. 

People have come from all over and bought tickets for several matches, even for the pricier games. Fans say they didn’t care. 

“Doesn’t matter. We just want to watch it,” Detroit resident Vinod Pillai said. 

“It’s once in our lifetime we get to watch a cricket game in U.S.A., and it’s a World Cup? Right, every two-three years, the whole world is playing against each other? You have to come watch that,” Wisconsin resident Chanaka Mendis said. 

The eight games in Eisenhower Park culminate in Sunday’s big showdown: India vs. Pakistan. 

If you can’t make it to the matches, there are viewing parties available. The Cricket World Cup is also causing traffic disruptions you ought to know about if you’re headed to see it in person.