It may have taken decades to get there but cricket in the USA looks to be taking the future seriously.

Last weekend the US hosted two official Twenty20 matches between Test playing sides, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, at the country's only purpose-built cricket stadium in Florida.

And American fans were also able to see Jamaica play the US at the first ticketed event organised by the US Cricket Association (USCA).

Jamaica beat the US by 47 runs in the first Twenty20 match-up between the countries – a day after Jamaica beat the US in the first one-day international at the same venue.

And that venue is the $70 million Central Broward County Regional Park Cricket Stadium in Lauderhill.

International cricket has finally taken its foothold in the US.

The US team have now arrived in Bermuda to compete in the ICC Americas Championships which starts today. Their first match is against Argentina at Wellington Oval.

"We are very keen, because we want to develop the game, we know that the US is a big market, it's got expats who are interested in the game," International Cricket Council chief executive Haroon Lorgat said last week.

"We are keen to get into the schools and it is starting to take root. This format ( Twenty20) is clearly understandable and can be appreciated by the US market."

Last Thursday at the Lauderhill ground, New Zealand and Sri Lankan players practised while in the stands, workers, staff and media chatted in accents more familiar to grounds in the Caribbean or the subcontinent.

The organisation's chief executive Don Lockerbie said they felt it was the perfect time to put on an international Twenty20 match in the US.

"Twenty20 has matured now . . . we have a stadium and we have 1000 clubs in the US playing at 500 cricket grounds. That's quite a bit of infrastructure," Lockerbie said.

"It has taken 50 to 60 years with the advent of Commonwealth immigration to the US to get there. On top of that, television is interested. ESPN are broadcasting the games and 88 countries will see cricket played from the United States."

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara said the days when Americans would be bored and confused by cricket have long gone and after attending a Florida Marlins baseball game, he thought baseball fans might be impressed by the intense nature of cricket's shortest format.

"The tradition of sport here is towards shorter, more action-packed games and Twenty20 is ideal for that," he said.

"I was at a Marlins' baseball game the other day and there are some similarities in terms of the skills required but in Twenty20 there is a lot more action happening, less down-time, more varied skills at work.

"For a spectator coming over from baseball to Twenty20, they will see it is action-packed, the ball being hit around, athletic fielding, a lot of courage involved . . . a lot of interesting things for ordinary fans."

Lauderhill is expected to be the base for future cricket events in the US, because it is within easy reach of a large Caribbean population and organisers are already looking at ways to bring West Indies games to the venues.

Lockerbie said the model for cricket's attempt to infiltrate American sporting habits has already been laid down by football, a game he worked in during the 1990s.

"It's a flat out steal of what soccer has done. If you look at Major League Soccer they are averaging 14-15,000 per game, which is commendable after 14 seasons but when Barcelona or Manchester United come out here there is 80,000 people.

"Why is that? Because Americans like to see the best in the world. This is our first opportunity to give them that in cricket."

Perennial world powers New Zealand and Sri Lanka became the first International Cricket Council full members to meet in an International on US soil.

The highly anticipated match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka last week was played before a near-capacity crowd and was broadcast to an estimated 88 countries and 100 million-plus viewers on ESPN3.

The historic day was ushered in amid a carnival-like atmosphere. The crowd were entertained by a reggae concert in between the matches, bongo drums, cheerleaders, a juggler outfitted in a red top hat and candy-stripe pants and two female mimes wearing multicoloured body suits who worked their way through the crowd, performing stunts.

As cricket was being played, vendors on the perimeter of the stadium sold everything from T-shirts, exotic foods, cricket gear, flags, souvenirs and other wares representing the four teams.

Among the expatriates who filed into the stadium was Andrew Vworend, a native of New Zealand who resides in Florida.

"I always keep an eye on what is happening with cricket back in New Zealand,'' Vworend said. "I think it is a good idea to get international cricket started in America to show Americans how it is played. Hopefully more teams will come over.''

"It was nice to see so many Sri Lankans here, I know they have flown down from many different places in the States," said Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara.

The only element that would have jarred with supporters well used to watching cricket on television was scantily-clad cheerleaders entering the field of play, dancing at third man while the bowler was at his mark.

But there was no complaints from the fans, including a noisy contingent of Sri Lankans who had travelled down from the northern part of the United States.

"It's fantastic to see the team playing here in the States and to see people enjoying cricket," said Adusha Kotuwegoda from New York.

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori felt the event had been a success.

"Obviously with a lot of Sri Lankans here it had a kind of sub-continent feel but it was a crowd that was entertained.

"I thought the entertainment off the field was good for the game and whilst it wasn't as high scoring as people wanted it was still a thrilling game," he said.