Cricket Club and Bahamian Culture

One of the major experiences which I found to be really insightful was my experience at the restaurant Cricket Club. Located just west of the downtown area, it was a very local spot which was located right next to a cricket pitch and containing a lot of photographs that documented the history of cricket in the Bahamas. One element of this restaurant that had originally surprised me is that I did not expect it to have been on the site of a former Cricket Club, rather naively, and so that realization made the experience incredibly memorable. 

I have an understanding of how Cricket was popularized throughout the Commonwealth nations, however, I had assumed that the Bahamas would have had a more similar cultural trajectory to that of the United States. This location gave me a lot more perspective related to how the Bahamas have a history of a variety of influences that extend beyond driving on the left. However, what I began to notice about the restaurant was that most locals were there for the restaurant itself and there was nobody on the nearby cricket pitch. For this reason, I asked nearby patrons whether cricket was popular in the Bahamas. The first group I had asked of young guys around their mid-20s actually began laughing and saying that nobody plays cricket anymore. When I began to ask which sports were most popular we heard more about the Miami Heat or the Dolphins. The second group which I had asked also referenced two young Bahamians who were just drafted into the NBA, for the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings. When I had gotten up to walk through the restaurant I began to notice the age of the photos, which were much older than I had assumed upon my first examination. I saw the capture of important cricket matches taking place in Nassau as well as Bahamian teams which had previously gone on to play in international tournaments.

When reflecting on my experience many of the smaller issues that I had were related to service and the experience with the menu. However, this spot appeared to have so much more potential for tourists to visit if the experience of the location were made more central to the branding of the experience. I originally felt foolish for not anticipating the obvious connection to cricket, however, I now realize this is in part because it is not the most significant attribute conveyed. If I were able to access more of the history surrounding the location I think I would have been able to benefit from the experience rather than construct an understanding of the location by static photographs.

This photo is taken from Fort Charlotte nearby and in the foreground is the Cricket Club, and the cricket pitch. In the background is Arawak Cay as well as Prince George Wharf.