The Diffusion and Transmission of Cricket among European, Indigenous and Migrant Communities in the British Straits Settlements and Malay States during the Late Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century, 1786–1899

Abstract

The British colonised Penang in 1786, Malacca in 1895 and Singapore in 1819. In 1874, the British, through its Residents, came to control the Governments of Perak, Selangor and Sungei Ujong, and wherever they went, they indulged in their leisure pursuits such as horse riding and cricket. This research attempts to show how the immigrant Malay Eurasian, Chinese and Tamil communities come into contact with the different British and European communities and were introduced to cricket. The process of diffusion and acceptance becomes evident when the local populations in turn set up their own sports clubs and cricket clubs. The study tries to identify the various means of the cultural transmission of sports by the different ethnic groups during British colonial rule from 1876 to 1899.