Last summer, Liam Plunkett, a cricket star who won the World Cup with England in 2019, moved with his wife, West Chester native Emeleah Erb, to her hometown. Now, he’s playing for the local pro team and breathing new life into the region’s deep history with the centuries-old sport, writes Jonathan Tannenwald for the Philadelphia Inquirer. 

In addition to playing for The Philadelphians — a team in a recently launched minor league — Plunkett will be coaching youth players. 

He is part of a group that is hoping to revitalize the region’s cricket culture that predates the Revolutionary War. Cricket was first introduced to the area by Benjamin Franklin, who brought a copy of the sport’s rules to Philadelphia in 1754.

In 1778, George Washington played a version of cricket with his troops at Valley Forge. 

The Philadelphians are owned by William “Ernie” Precious and Murali Kailashnath, who are both entrepreneurs and cricket aficionados. They will start their second season in late June at their home, Exton Park. 

Plunkett hopes that, among the kids he will be teaching, The Philadelphians might “find a bit of gold dust in someone who’s come from baseball or a different sport in America.” 

Read more about cricket in The Philadelphia Inquirer.