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In cricket, a “sticky wicket” is a pitch that’s soggy after a rain, causing the ball to bounce unpredictably. In Portland, Sticky Wicket is the name of a brand-new cricket bar, set to open May 30 in the St. Johns neighborhood.
It’s the first such bar focused exclusively on cricket—a sport similar to baseball that is hugely popular in South Asia and the U.K.—in the Pacific Northwest, according to Sticky Wicket owner Michael Rasko. Cricket is the second-most-popular sport in the world, behind only soccer.
“It’s surprising, at least to me, that this hasn’t been done sooner,” Rasko says.
Rasko is hoping to do for cricket and all foreign sports what the nationally lauded Sports Bra has done for women’s sports: serve as a community hub, and somewhere that sports fans can feel guaranteed that their preferred matches will play on the television. One television will always be airing a live cricket match or highlights if there’s not one on. The other six TVs will play cricket, rugby and soccer, depending on the schedule and demand.
Rasko got interested in cricket from watching YouTube highlights. He asked some of his friends from Bangladesh and England where they went to watch matches.
“I got the response that they don’t have anywhere to go,” he says. “On a few occasions, they would ask the bartender to turn on a match and the bartender wouldn’t be able to find the channel. After a couple of tries, they learned to stop asking.”
The menu at Sticky Wicket will lean into British fare such as bangers and mash and shepherd’s pie. The pub is taking over the space formerly occupied by Park Tap House, as first reported in Bridgetown Bites.
Rasko estimates there are about 450 recreational cricket players in the Portland area—many of whom compete in the Portland Metro Open Cricket Club—and seven pitches around town. Bigger picture, the sport is gaining in popularity: A professional league, Major League Cricket, launched in the U.S. in 2023, with teams in Seattle, San Francisco, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C.
“It’s very exciting because cricket already has a large fan base, larger than most people would think,” Rasko says. “They are ready to have a place to watch in the community.”
GO: Sticky Wicket, 8401 N Ivanhoe St. stickywicketpub.com. Starting May 30, Sticky Wicket will be open 4-10 pm Wednesday and Thursday, 4 pm-midnight Friday, noon–midnight Saturday, and noon–10 pm Sunday.