Paul Hensley – President CC Morris Library Association, Philadelphia USA

The CC Morris Library is the largest collection of cricket literature and memorabilia in the Western Hemisphere and was established in the 1960’s. It has a fascinating history and included among its collection is a three-handled trophy presented to the winning team in the USA’s first interscholastic girls' cricket match held in 1895.Throughout the 19th Century and for almost 100 years until the 1920’s, cricket, with its particular emphasis upon ethics and sportsmanship, was a distinctive element in the social life of the Philadelphia area and at the time was probably the only city where for a brief period, cricket could draw as large attendance and command as full journalistic reporting as baseball.Paul has a wealth of knowledge about the history of cricket in the Philadelphia area and some of the great players in the USA from years gone by and offers some interesting thoughts on cricket in the USA today as well as his former college, Haverford College where cricket is still played by both male and female students.He also provides information about an annual cricket festival in Philadelphia and the wonderful museum that forms part of the CC Morris Library.Links:CC Morris Library website