Portugal national cricket team

Infobox non test cricket team
country_name = Portugal

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image_caption = Flag of Portugal
icc_member_year = 1996
icc_status = Affiliate member
icc_region = Europe
current_captain = Akbar Saiyad
WCL_division = n/a
regional_tournament = European Cricket Championship
regional_tournament_division = Three
first_match = 19 August 1997 v Greece at Zuoz, Switzerland
world_ranking = not ranked
regional_ranking = 15th
asofdate = 31 July 2007

The Portuguese cricket team is the team that represents the country of Portugal in international cricket matches.

History

Beginnings

Cricket in Portugal dates back to the Peninsular War when British troops were encamped in Lisbon. A game between sides from Oporto and Lisbon has been played almost every year since 1861. The game was confined however to the ex-patriot community, until events in 1974 gave Portuguese cricket an unexpected boost.

Playing numbers increase

The Carnation Revolution led to many Portuguese citizens returning from their former overseas territory of Goa, and the subsequent independence of Mozambique brought many Portuguese citizens back from there, and they brought cricket with them. Other Portuguese citizens living in Portugal's former African colonies moved to Rhodesia and South Africa, where their children were engrained into the sporting cultures of those countries, and the subsequent socio-political changes there led to them bringing their love of cricket back to Portugal.

International Competition

The Cricket Association of Portugal was founded in 1994, and they became an ICC member two years later. Their first international engagement was in the European Nations Cup in Switzerland in 1997, where they reached the semi finals. They competed in that tournaments successor, the ECC Trophy in 1999, finishing as runners up and qualifying for Division Two of the European Championship in 2000. They finished fourth in that tournament.

They again played in the ECC Trophy in 2001, this time winning the tournament, again qualifying for Division Two of the European Championship in 2002. This time they finished third, and then played in the ECC Trophy in 2003. This time their performances from the previous two tournaments did not continue, and they finished in 5th place, a performance they repeated in the European Affiliates Championship in 2005. They will compete in Division Three of the European Championships in 2007.

Tournament History

=European Championship=

*1996: Did not participate
*1998: Did not qualify
*2000: 4th place (Division Two)
*2002: 3rd place (Division Two)
*2004: Did not qualify
*2006: Did not qualify

References

* [http://www.cricketeurope.net/PORTUGAL/DATABASE/ADMIN/history.shtml Cricket Portugal history section]

External links

* [http://www.cricketeurope.net/PORTUGAL/index.shtml Official Site]