If a group of Saratoga High School students have their way, though, that may change someday.

At a recent practice at El Quito Park, players took a well-deserved break from studying for finals to hone their cricket skills. It was easy to see the game's appeal. In contrast to baseball, a lower-scoring game where few are actually participating, cricket is a constant flux of activity. Indeed, one inning can produce 250 runs. In addition, there are two batters and all the fielders are on the field at once. So the whole team's actively doing something, either waiting their turn to bat or fielding.

"It's really action-packed, there's more to do," says ninth-grader Kaveh Hemati, who has also played baseball but prefers cricket.

Nikhil Vijaykar started the club last year and he's currently the club president. At this point, Harker School in San Jose is the only other team in the area to compete against in games, but players are hopeful that other teams will be springing up in the near future. As it is, things are already heating up.

"Last year we only had eight members, but news of the club spread quickly throughout the school," says senior Steve Surrette. In fact, this year the club almost doubled its membership to 15. They meet every Monday at lunchtime to discuss strategy and they practice once a week.

There are subtle nuances between cricket and other games like baseball. The ball is pitched overhand but the arm is kept straight. The pitcher gets a running start before throwing the ball that can reach top speeds of 100 mph. The ball bounces before reaching the batter, who hits it in an upward swinging motion. Although the boys were practicing with a tennis ball, a real cricket ball is leather and made of cork and has a more hollow sound than a baseball when hitting the bat. It's extremely hard, making it all the more surprising that the fielders don't wear gloves.

"In India when I was learning to play, I had fractured fingers," Vijaykar says.

The bat is made of willow and looks like a paddle; it can only be played on one side.

There are two teams—one bats and the other fields (bowls). The fielders are spread out, and the batting teams are at either end of what's called the pitch, a circular field the game is played upon. The bowler (pitcher) is trying to hit the wicket (two horizontal sticks and three poles near the batter). The batter is trying to protect the wicket, otherwise it's an out. The batter is also trying to hit the ball to score runs. After hitting the ball, the two batters swap sides, running to opposite sides of the pitch.

This is Vijaykar's first experience in starting a club and he found the project very fulfilling, although a lot of work in getting it running smoothly, especially in the beginning.

There was a great deal of cajoling people into attending practice, but this year the burden is decidedly less. "It was a question of them accepting it since it was a foreign concept; this year they've adopted it more," he says.

Vijaykar was born in the United States, but moved to Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India, as a 9 year old. After living in India for three years, the family moved back to the states and settled in Saratoga. Complementing his global perspective, the senior is also involved in the Model United Nations club at school where students participate in mock sessions simulating the U.N.

Cricket is widely popular in India where Vijaykar learned how to play the game, so he says he understands why the rest of the world feels so passionate about it and why so many are eager to share this sport. "All the kids played—it became an obsession."

Watching his son practice from the sidelines was Siva Sivaram. He knows firsthand why cricket is so popular.

"We all grew up playing this every day and on weekends," he explains. Kids would congregate in the street, someone would bring along a tennis ball and a game ensued. He grew up on Madras in Southern India before immigrating to the U.S. in 1983.

"My son plays golf," he laughs, "but this is what I'm used to." Cricket can be found in England and former British colonies like New Zealand, the West Indies, Zimbabwe, Shri Lanka and Australia, he says.

The cricket club blends traditional customs with an Americanized bent. "It's supposed to be formal attire, but these boys have no patience for that. The traditionalists would be aghast," Sivaram says good-naturedly. The club does sport brand new jerseys similar to soccer, however, uniting the boys now in a more cohesive manner.

His son Varun loves all kinds of sports—soccer and basketball primarily—but cricket is fast becoming a favorite as well. Sivaram says he was quite pleased to hear of the club and his son's involvement.

Admittedly, the team has far to go if judged by countries with a history of playing the sport. "Nikhil is the best player on the team and he would be considered average," says senior Vikram Balakrishnan. Indeed, he admits, "they would probably laugh at us."

Not that it appeared anyone would mind. Everyone was too busy having fun to worry about who's best or who had the most hits. Vijaykar managed to keep everything running smoothly and everyone responded to his direction. It takes a great deal of organizational skills running a club, arranging practices and such, especially one so new, but Vijaykar never seemed stressed about the responsibility.

They all worked well together with no disagreements, just the usual bantering about whether someone was truly out and who'd fetch the balls.

There is a laid-back nature to the practice. Some were engaged in conversation while waiting their turn to bat, others were aggressively fielding the ball in spite of it being a practice.

"You can do it in between other sports and it won't tire you out. It's just people having fun," Surrette says. Another plus is that members need not be gifted athletes to play. Unlike a baseball, which takes a certain amount of skill to hit, a cricket bat is much bigger making contact much easier.

Since the students work so hard academically, they find this club a welcome respite. "Many parents push their kids in studies, so this really helps as an outlet," says Surrette, who also runs cross-country track and plays street hockey.

Many on the team play multiple sports. Ben Dines also plays hockey, certainly not considered as much of a gentleman's sport. But his family moved here from England, so Dines has a penchant for cricket, too. Although the club is primarily Indian, one member is Persian, another Chinese.

The team held a demonstration in the school quad during diversity week and the crowd responded very positively. Many asked to play and wanted a chance to bat. There was even an increased interest because of the event. But it's no surprise the crowd reacted enthusiastically to the game. Cricket is notorious for its ardent fans; it's a very participatory sport.

"The fans get really excitable," Vijaykar says. "There have even been riots."

During a match, though, the players themselves are quiet and there's not much talking on the field, Balakrishnan says. And, in keeping with British tradition, there is definitely more etiquette in cricket than in many other sports.

It's a tradition the Saratoga High School students are continuing—even if they don't wear the proper attire.