There is hope that the showpiece T20 World Cup can represent a boon for cricket in the U.S. after years of frustration.

Cricket ventures into uncharted territory on Saturday as the first ever major tournament to be staged in the United States gets under way in Texas with the opening game of

Though anti-English sentiment hardened after the American Revolution in the late 18th century, cricket was still played in 22 states by up to a thousand clubs by the mid-1800s. A drop-off came during and after the Civil War, by which time baseball — a sport played in England earlier than in America, as documented by author David Block — took hold.

The Cricket T20 World Cup starts in Texas on June 1 when the U.S. takes on Canada. Can the original bat and ball game in America make a move on the mainstream?

The United States will step into sporting history on June 1 by co-hosting a major cricket tournament for the first time. The opening game in Dallas, Texas, between the U.S. and Canada will start the monthlong ICC Men’s T20 World Cup,