Editor’s Note: On 27 June 2023 the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket published a two-year report finding “widespread and deep-rooted” racism, sexism, elitism and class-based discrimination in English cricket. In this article, originally published in July 2022, Emma John reported on allegations of racism within cricket. She followed the fortunes of a grassroots team in London, and attended what was then billed as the last Eton vs Harrow match at Lord’s (the fixture has since been reinstated). Could the game change – and did its gatekeepers really want it to?
One day in early May, Crouch End Cricket Club were on a roll. The north London team’s all-rounder, Dhaval Narotam, had removed both of the opposition’s opening batsmen, and now – faced with the left-arm orthodox spinner, Aparajit Khurana – the middle order was collapsing too. As the last wicket fell, Martians CC, a visiting side from Essex, had scored only 88 off 24 overs. Crouch End raced past their total to win the game.
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