Kraken, and Sea Dragons… and Orcas? Oh my. Seattle just got another pro sports team — a Major League Cricket squad named after the killer whales that frequent our shores.
The Seattle Orcas will have their debut season this summer as one of six US pro cricket teams. It’s got a logo and started filling out its roster through a domestic draft on Sunday, March 19. The squad plans to eventually play in Redmond at a new field yet to be built.
Put on those fancy cable-knit sweaters as we dive into Orcas mania.
Hold up, what’s cricket again?
Why, it’s the second-most watched sport in the entire world (after soccer). Cricket is also an ancestor to baseball where athletes attempt to hit thrown leather balls with large, wooden bats. Instead of bases, there are wickets on the field where the batsman runs to and from in order to score — it’s a real hoot.
There are forms of cricket in which a single match can last several days. But the Orcas will play in what’s called Twenty20 cricket — an abbreviated version with more manageable, two-and-a-half-hour matches.
Where can I watch our team?
Last spring, plans began for a 20-acre Redmond site at Marymoor Park that aims to seat 6,000 fans. Local officials have given the green light for the facility, but Major League Cricket said that it may not host the Orcas until 2025 because of the time it will take to design and construct.
In the meantime, the Orcas will take the field in Dallas, TX on Thursday, July 13 against teams from Dallas, LA, New York, San Francisco, and D.C. The season will be pretty short, ending with a championship match on Sunday, July 30. Stay tuned for broadcast info to be announced soon — and start practicing your cheers.
