Michael Rasko believes he has a sports bar unlike any other in the country: a cricket-themed pub, tucked away in Portland’s St. Johns neighborhood, called the Sticky Wicket.

Rasko said he might have the only currently active sports bar in the U.S. where cricket is the primary draw.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR: Become a Sponsor

Rasko is a relative newcomer to cricket. He became familiar with the sport after seeing highlights on YouTube two years ago, and since then he has become obsessed. He said he was attracted to the excitement of cricket fans and the strategy of the game.

Sticky Wicket’s slogan “We Got Cricket!” outside of their pub in Portland, Ore., July 11, 2025. According to its owner, Sticky Wicket is the only cricket-themed sports bar in the area. Morgan Barnaby / OPB

“That’s kind of a testament to the excitement of cricket, that in such a short amount of time I can get so enthusiastic about it that I’ve essentially changed my whole life to work around it,” Rasko said.

That led him to create the Sticky Wicket, which opened its doors May 30. In addition to cricket, the bar shows rugby, Australian rules football and other sports that are lesser known to American audiences.

Despite its worldwide popularity, cricket is still very much a niche sport in the U.S. An American league called Major League Cricket recently completed its third season, but the number of fans remains comparatively small.

But there’s optimism that more Americans could become fans. The Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup was partially held in 2024 in the U.S., where a few matches saw sell-out crowds.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR: Become a Sponsor

Michael Rasko, owner of Sticky Wicket stands in front of the bar of his pub in Portland, Ore., July 11, 2025. Morgan Barnaby / OPB

It’s a trend that Rasko is hoping can lead to success for the Sticky Wicket. But his business advisors warned that many American cricket fans already have access to streaming services to watch matches, undercutting some of the bar’s potential.

“I heard their warnings. I still did it anyway, because I wanted to test my concept with the market,” he said. “There’s not any place that’s offering quite what I’m offering.”

The bar has many of the familiarities of sports pubs, with jerseys hanging from the rafters and memorabilia filling up much of the available wall space.

While Rasko is still waiting on huge match day crowds, he said the bar is already seeing a small group of regulars from such cricket-playing nations as the United Kingdom, Australia and South Africa.

He said many of these fans are extremely happy to have a place where they can enjoy their favorite sport in a community setting.

“It’s also been quite a few Americans who aren’t fans of the sport, but just came in because they wanted to see what was new happening on this corner, because St. Johns is a very enthusiastic neighborhood,” he said.

Employee of the Sticky Wicket, Allison Clark, works behind the bar. Morgan Barnaby / OPB

Having opened less than two months ago, the bar has a few aspects that are still works in progress. Rasko added a dartboard at the suggestion of several customers, and he’s working to offer different sports and leagues.

The next evolution in the bar will be opening up early for important matches abroad, which can often start very early in the morning. Rasko said they’re hoping to have early morning hours for the next test match between India and England on July 23.

Cricket-themed sports bar the Sticky Wicket. Morgan Barnaby / OPB