Evita Burned Down Our Pavilion

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Cricket was the first sport played in nearly every country in the Americas, predating football, rugby, and baseball. By 1877, while England and Australia played the first Test match, Uruguay and Argentina were already engaged in their derby across the River Plate. Visionary cricket historian Rowland Bowen noted that South America could have produced the next Test nation during cricket's peak on the continent between the World Wars. In Buenos Aires, British expatriates established a high standard of cricket, with notable figures like Lord Hawke and Plum Warner bringing star-studded teams to South America, only to be defeated by Argentina. A combined team from Argentina, Brazil, and Chile faced English first-class counties in 1932, hinting at a vibrant cricket culture. The narrative also explores the social history of grit and nation-building in the New World, highlighting West Indian workers in Costa Rica and the sport's significance to Chile's Nitrate King. Emperors in Brazil and Mexico used cricket for political gain, while Pablo Escobar had a shadowy connection to the game. The fate of cricket in South America was epitomized by Eva Peron's order to burn down the Buenos Aires Cricket Club pavilion when it refused to cede its premises for her welfare scheme. Journalists Timothy Abraham and James Coyne unveil this largely untold story, making it a fascinating addition to both cricketing and social history.