History
Cricket was first played in Finland in the 1960s, but did not become formally organised until the 1970s, under the auspices of the Helsinki Cricket Club. More clubs were founded in the 1990s, and the Finnish Cricket Association was founded in 1999. [5] They became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) the following year. [6] The CricketFinland logo/flag was designed by Jesse Karjalainen. In 2017, they became an associate member of the ICC. [1]
Cricket is growing in the country, and there are currently 10 teams contesting the national league, over 300 male players, 30 female players, 20 ECB qualified coaches, and over 30 qualified umpires. [5]
The Finnish national team has participated at various levels in European regional tournaments, their first coming in 2000, when they finished last in the ECC Representative Championship. They won the same tournament 2 years later, and were runners-up in 2004. They also competed in the ECC Affiliates Championship from 2001 to 2005, their best performance coming in their first year, when they finished in seventh place. They came last in 2005, placing them in Division Four of the newly expanded European Championship. They won that tournament in August 2006, giving them a spot in Division Three in 2007. In that tournament they were relegated to Division Four where they currently play.
2018-Present
In April 2018, the ICC decided to grant full Twenty20 International (T20I) status to all its members. Therefore, all Twenty20 matches played between Finland and other ICC members after 1 January 2019 have the full T20I status. [7]
Finland's first T20I matches were played against Denmark on 13 July 2019, followed by a series against Spain the following month. [8] [9] [10]
Denmark won by 1 run
Svanholm Park, Brøndby
Umpires: Jesper Jensen (Den) and Sriharsha Kuchimanchi (Fin)
Player of the match: Md Nurul Huda (Fin) |
- Finland won the toss and elected to field.
- First ever T20I match for Finland.
In April 2025, Cricket Finland announced a strategic partnership with Playbox Oy, a premier indoor sports facility located in Vantaa. As part of this collaboration, Playbox Oy became the official indoor training venue and sponsor for the Finnish national cricket team, known as the Bears. The facility is a first of its kind in the EU and offers indoor cricket amenities that has been lacking in Finland, facilities includes professional-grade surfaces providing the national team and development squads with year-round training opportunities this is especially useful for Finland's challenging weather conditions. The partnership is expected to significantly enhance player performance and support the growth of cricket in Finland by strengthening infrastructure and promoting inclusivity within the sport. [11]
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Austria at Seebarn Cricket Centre; 21 August 2000
Denmark at Svanholm Park, Brøndby; 13 July 2019
Estonia at Estonian National Cricket and Rugby Field, Tallinn; 27 July 2025
