The earliest instances of cricket in Spain were in 1809 when the Duke of Wellington’s troops played on the promenades during the Peninsula War. A later record is in the 1920s when a cricket club featuring Spanish anglophiles was started in Madrid by Alvaro d’Ors.

The modern story began in 1975 when Madrid played Barcelona. As the game expanded, leagues followed in those cities and on the east and south coasts. Initially the players were mainly British people living in Spain; now there are regional leagues and national championships with healthy participation from the Asian and Spanish origin communities.

The first national team game was at the European Indoor Championships in 2000 in Javea, Spain, and the first outdoors was a year later at the European Cricket Council Trophy in Seebarn, Austria. Spain lost to Portugal in both of these games.

Spain boasts three turf wickets and some world class facilities in La Manga, in Almería, and in Coín. These frequently attract English county and international sides for training and pre-season games, and have also been chosen for prestigious events such as the European Cricket League and the T20 World Cup Qualifiers. The game benefits greatly from Spain’s climate which allows for cricket throughout the year.

A women’s training camp is planned for Barcelona in late 2020 as the game continues to grow in the country.