By . Leon Watson . It's the quintessentially British game that can last up to five days, involves breaks for lunch and tea and has a bewildering array of impenetrable rules. And, so far, this most genteel of games has never quite been a big hit in America. But now sports fans in the U.S. will be seeing far more of cricket as America's first-ever national league kicks off. Scroll down for video . Cricket is coming: John Adams High School batsman Derick Narine, left, raises his bat on a ball from Midwood High School bowler Rahim Khan, right,during a Public School Athletic League cricket match, at Marine Park in Brooklyn, New York . Rather genteel: In New York City, the sport is so fashionable - and space so limited - that cricket enthusiasts must compete in a lottery to play in some parks . The competition will feature 17 teams from across the U.S.who will take to the field in the American Cricket Champions League. It is due to culminate in October, when six of the teams will meet in Florida for a play-off tournament to decide the U.S. national champions. Each one-day match in the competition consists of 40 overs per side. Cricket is wildly popular in former countries of the British Empire. The game is played on a field known as a pitch, but the pitcher is called a bowler. The bowler hurls the ball to the opposing team's batsman, who attempts to hit it with a flattened bat. Depending on how well the ball travels, a hit can result in one or more runs. In the most traditional forms, a team bowls until 10 opposing batsmen are tagged out, meaning matches can run for days. In other forms, the game is limited by the number of 'overs,' a series of six throws. Sport of cricket: The game being played at Marine Park in the Brooklyn borough of New York. John Adams won the match 112-80 runs . Howzat? The launch of the ACCL coincides with a surging demand for new cricket pitches in U.S. cities . Breaking boundaries: Most of the 30,000 players are immigrants from former British colonies . Sticky wicket: In cricket, batters and wicket keepers must wear leg pads and helmets to primarily protect the shin bone and head against impact from the ball, which can surpass 90 mph after its bowled . Enthusiasts say areas such as New York . City, California’s Silicon Valley, Washington, D.C., Dallas and Chicago . have become cricket hotbeds, fueled by an influx of mostly South Asian . immigrants, some of whom arrived as part of the high-tech boom. In . the immigrant-rich New York area, cricket has become so popular that . lotteries are being held for the chance to play in pitches at some . parks. New York City schools . still have the only varsity cricket league in the country, but it has . doubled in size in just seven years, with 30 teams now competing for the . title. John Aaron, the executive secretary of the American Cricket Federation, said cricket is now in a similar position to football. 'When soccer first started here, people said it's not going to go anywhere - American football is the thing,' Mr Aaron said. 'Soccer has not replaced American football, but it has certainly taken off now, hasn't it? It's attracting  international teams coming here to play. Cricket can do the same thing.' According to the United States of America Cricket Association, the U.S. has an expanding base of cricket enthusiasts, with more than 1,100 teams playing in local leagues. Most of the 30,000 players are immigrants from former British colonies, but the association hopes to expand its reach by introducing American schoolchildren to the sport. The U.S. Youth Cricket Association has donated some 1,500 sets of cricket equipment to community youth programmes in states across the US. Not every cricketing initiative has proved successful. Indianapolis spent more than $5m on a cricket pitch in one of its parks. But last week the city pulled out of hosting a Usaca tournament in August, claiming a communications breakdown. Sunil Kumar, of Usaca, explained: 'The costs for teams, families and fans to travel and stay in Indianapolis were just exceptionally high.'
17 teams will compete in America's first-ever national league .
American Cricket Champions League is due to culminate in October .
Launch of ACCL coincides with surging demand for new pitches .
Most of 30,000 players are immigrants from former British colonies .
By . Leon Watson . It's the quintessentially British game that can last up to five days, involves breaks for lunch and tea and has a bewildering array of impenetrable rules. And, so far, this most genteel of games has never quite been a big hit in America. But now sports fans in the U.S. will be seeing far more of cricket as America's first-ever national league kicks off. Scroll down for video . Cricket is coming: John Adams High School batsman Derick Narine, left, raises his bat on a ball from Midwood High School bowler Rahim Khan, right,during a Public School Athletic League cricket match, at Marine Park in Brooklyn, New York . Rather genteel: In New York City, the sport is so fashionable - and space so limited - that cricket enthusiasts must compete in a lottery to play in some parks . The competition will feature 17 teams from across the U.S.who will take to the field in the American Cricket Champions League. It is due to culminate in October, when six of the teams will meet in Florida for a play-off tournament to decide the U.S. national champions. Each one-day match in the competition consists of 40 overs per side. Cricket is wildly popular in former countries of the British Empire. The game is played on a field known as a pitch, but the pitcher is called a bowler. The bowler hurls the ball to the opposing team's batsman, who attempts to hit it with a flattened bat. Depending on how well the ball travels, a hit can result in one or more runs. In the most traditional forms, a team bowls until 10 opposing batsmen are tagged out, meaning matches can run for days. In other forms, the game is limited by the number of 'overs,' a series of six throws. Sport of cricket: The game being played at Marine Park in the Brooklyn borough of New York. John Adams won the match 112-80 runs . Howzat? The launch of the ACCL coincides with a surging demand for new cricket pitches in U.S. cities . Breaking boundaries: Most of the 30,000 players are immigrants from former British colonies . Sticky wicket: In cricket, batters and wicket keepers must wear leg pads and helmets to primarily protect the shin bone and head against impact from the ball, which can surpass 90 mph after its bowled . Enthusiasts say areas such as New York . City, California’s Silicon Valley, Washington, D.C., Dallas and Chicago . have become cricket hotbeds, fueled by an influx of mostly South Asian . immigrants, some of whom arrived as part of the high-tech boom. In . the immigrant-rich New York area, cricket has become so popular that . lotteries are being held for the chance to play in pitches at some . parks. New York City schools . still have the only varsity cricket league in the country, but it has . doubled in size in just seven years, with 30 teams now competing for the . title. John Aaron, the executive secretary of the American Cricket Federation, said cricket is now in a similar position to football. 'When soccer first started here, people said it's not going to go anywhere - American football is the thing,' Mr Aaron said. 'Soccer has not replaced American football, but it has certainly taken off now, hasn't it? It's attracting  international teams coming here to play. Cricket can do the same thing.' According to the United States of America Cricket Association, the U.S. has an expanding base of cricket enthusiasts, with more than 1,100 teams playing in local leagues. Most of the 30,000 players are immigrants from former British colonies, but the association hopes to expand its reach by introducing American schoolchildren to the sport. The U.S. Youth Cricket Association has donated some 1,500 sets of cricket equipment to community youth programmes in states across the US. Not every cricketing initiative has proved successful. Indianapolis spent more than $5m on a cricket pitch in one of its parks. But last week the city pulled out of hosting a Usaca tournament in August, claiming a communications breakdown. Sunil Kumar, of Usaca, explained: 'The costs for teams, families and fans to travel and stay in Indianapolis were just exceptionally high.'
America's first-ever national league kicks off. Cricket Champions League. It is due to culminate in October, when six of the teams will meet in Howzat? The launch of the ACCL coincides with a surging demand for new cricket pitches in U.S. players are immigrants from former British