Cricket History

The game that is cricket has a long tradition that began in the 16th century. Originating from the southeast of England and then becoming an official sport within the nation in the 18th century , and expanded globally during the 20th and 19th century. International matches are played since the 19th century, and official Test cricket matches are believed to be from 1877. Cricket is second in the world’s most watched spectator sport, after soccer (soccer).

Internationally, cricket is overseen by the International Cricket Council (ICC) that has more than one hundred members from various countries and territories however, only twelve are currently playing Test cricket.

Early cricket

Origin

It was likely invented during Saxon or Norman times by children who lived in the Weald region, a region with dense forests and clearings in the south-east of England which spans Kent as well as Sussex. The first written mention of the sport dates back to the close of the 16th century.

There are a variety of theories regarding the game’s history, with some suggesting claims that it originated in France as well as Flanders. The earliest of these speculation sources dates back to 1300 and is about Edward II, the future King Edward II, who was playing “creag as well as other sports” at Newenden as well as Westminster as well as Newenden. There has been speculation the possibility that “creag” is an Old English word for cricket however, experts believe that it was a later form of “craic” which means “fun and games generally”.

It is believed that cricket was an activity for children for several generations, before it became increasingly played by adults at the turn of the 17th century. It is possible that cricket originated from bowls, which is the more popular sport. This was due to the batsman’s involvement trying to prevent the ball from hitting its intended destination by kicking it off. When playing on land that was grazed by sheep or in clearings, the initial equipment could have been a matted piece of sheep’s wool (or perhaps a stone or a tiny piece made of timber) for the ball, a stick, an elongated crook or other agricultural tool for the bat as well as a stool or stump of a tree or gate (e.g. or a wicket gate) as the wicket. Also see High Jump Sports.

First definite reference

John Derrick was a pupil at the Royal Grammar School, then the Free School, in Guildford in the year 1550. He and his classmates were playing creckett around 1550.

The year 1597 (Old Style — 1598 New Style) an appeal to the court in England regarding a dispute over ownership regarding a common land located in Guildford, Surrey, mentions the game of creckett. A coroner aged 59, John Derrick, testified that the students he was with played creckett on the land fifty years before when they were at in the Free School. Derrick’s testimony proves beyond any doubt the fact that this game was being performed in Surrey around 1550. It is the first widely acknowledged mention of the game.

The first mention of cricket being played as a sport for adults was in 1611, when two players from Sussex were convicted of playing cricket on Sundays instead of attending church. The that same year, the dictionary described cricket as a male game. This indicates that the adult game was not a new phenomenon.

The name “cricket” is derived from “cricket”

Many words are believed to be potential sources for the word “cricket”. The first time a definitive reference was made the word was written as creckett. The name could have been taken from it being derived from the Middle Dutch krick(-e), which means stick, as well as it could be the Old English cricc or cryce which means a staff or crutch or a staff, or the French word criquet , which means wood posts. It is believed that the Middle Dutch word krickstoel means a stool that was long and low, that was used to kneel in church This was similar to the long low wicket that had two stumps that were used in the early days of cricket. According to Heiner Gillmeister who is an European expert in the field of language at the University of Bonn, “cricket” is derived of”krikket,” a Middle Dutch phrase for hockey”met the (krik ket)sen (i.e., “with the stick chase”).

More likely that the cricket term was derived from words that were used in south-east England in the early days and due to trade links to the County of Flanders, especially during the 15th century, when it was part of the Duchy of Burgundy, many Middle Dutch words found their way into southern English dialects.

The Commonwealth

Following when the Civil War ended in 1648 The new Puritan government slapped down on “unlawful gatherings” particularly the most raucous sports like football. The laws also required a stricter observer of the Sabbath than it was previously. Since the Sabbath was the only time of free time available to those in lower classes the popularity of cricket may have diminished during the Commonwealth. It did however flourish in fee-paying public schools like Winchester as well as St Paul’s. There is no evidence that Oliver Cromwell’s regime prohibited cricket in particular, and there are references to it throughout the period of interregnum suggesting that it was ok with the authorities provided it didn’t result in the “breach or violation of Sabbath”. It is believed that the nobility general embraced cricket at the time, and were involved in games played by the village.

Gambling and coverage in the press

Cricket flourished following it was revived following the Restoration in 1660, and is believed to have initially attracted gamblers who made large bets in this period. It is also possible, as it is believed by some historians that the first top-quality matches were played. In 1664, it was the year that “Cavalier” Parliament adopted the Gaming Act in 1664 that limited stakes to PS100 however that was still quite a lot in the time, equal to around PS16,000 in modern standards . Cricket was a major betting game by the end of the 17th century as demonstrated in 1697 by an article in the newspaper about an “great game” that was played in Sussex that was played 11-a-side. It was with stakes as high as 50 guineas per side.

The freedom of the press being granted in 1696 cricket for the first time was reported in the newspapers. However, it took a long period before the industry of newspapers was sufficiently reformed to offer regular and complete coverage of the sport. In the early part in the 1800s, the focus of press reports was on betting, not on the game.

18th-century cricket

Players and patronage

Gambling brought the first customers because some gamblers decided to increase their bets by forming own teams. It is believed that the initial “county teams” were created following the Restoration in 1660, particularly because members of the nobility employed “local experts” who played in the village cricket league as early professional.<> The first game known to be played where teams were using the county name was in 1709 , but there can be no doubt that these kinds of games were being planned long before the year. The game in 1697 is most likely Sussex against another county.

The most prominent of the patrons of the beginning were the aristocrats and businessmen that were active until around 1725. This was the year that coverage of press increased, possibly due to the patrons’ influence. They comprised the Duke of Richmond, 2nd of Richmond, Sir William Gage, Alan Brodrick and Edwin Stead. The first time, the media refers to individual players such as Thomas Waymark.

Cricket expands beyond England

Cricket came to North America via the English colonies around the 17th century, possibly before it even made it to the northern part of England. In the 18th century , it was introduced to other regions of the world. The species was brought to the West Indies by colonists and to India by East India Company mariners in the early part in the 20th century. It was introduced to Australia just as the colonisation process began in 1788. New Zealand and South Africa were added in the first years of the 19th century.

Cricket was never popular in Canada despite efforts from the upper classes to promote the sport to help identify as a part of the “mother nation”. Canada is, in contrast to Australia as well as the West Indies, witnessed a steady decline in the popularity of the sport from the period from 1860 until 1960. It was portrayed in the public’s consciousness as akin to a sport of the upper class, the game was never popular for the general population. In the summer , it was required to compete with baseball. In during the First World War, Canadian units stationed in France were able to play baseball rather than cricket.

The development of the Laws

It’s unclear when the fundamental rules of cricket, like the ball and bat, the wicket dimensions of the pitch and overs, the way out and so on. were first formulated. In 1728, they were formulated by the Duke of Richmond and Alan Brodick drew up Articles of Agreement to establish the rules of play in the particular game. This was adopted as a standard feature, particularly in relation to the paying stake money and distribution of winnings due to that gambling was a major aspect.

In 1744 In 1744, the laws of cricket were codified for the first time , and later amended in 1774 with the introduction of middle stump, lbw and the maximum width of the bat were added. The laws stipulated that “the principals must select from among the gentlemen present two umpires, who will be the sole judges in any dispute”. The codes were drafted by the known as the “Star Garter and Star Club” which was founded by its members the Marylebone Cricket Club at Lord’s in 1787. The MCC was immediately appointed the custodian of these Laws and has been making periodic revisions and recodifications since then.

The growth continues to grow in England

The sport continued to grow across England and, in 1751, Yorkshire was first identified as an possible venue. The first form that bowls were played (i.e., rolling the ball across the ground like in bowls) was replaced around 1760, when bowlers started to throw the ball and examine variations in line, length , and speed. Scorecards were first kept regularly since 1772, and since then an ever-clearer picture has been revealed of the sport’s growth.

The first clubs to be famous included London and Dartford in the 18th century. London played their matches at the Artillery Ground, which still is in existence. Other clubs followed, including Slindon in Sussex which was supported by the Duke of Richmond and was home to the renowned athlete Richard Newland. There were also other notable clubs in Maidenhead, Hornchurch, Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Bromley, Addington, Hadlow and Chertsey.

The most well-known of the early club is Hambledon located in Hampshire. It was an organization for parishes that was first able to gain prominence in 1756. The club was established in the 1760s, and was well-liked to the point that it became the center of the sport for around thirty years prior to the creation of MCC and the opening of Lord’s Cricket Ground in 1787. Hambledon was home to a number of outstanding players, including the legendary cricketer John Small and the first great fast bowler Thomas Brett. Their most famous opponent was the Chertsey as well as the Surrey bowler Edward “Lumpy” Stevens, who is believed to be the primary proponent of the flighted delivery. Also see Long Jump Sports.

It was to counter the pitched, or flighted, delivery that straight bats were introduced. The traditional “hockey stick”-style type of bat only worked against balls being skimmed or truncated along the ground.

First-class cricket was introduced in 1772. Three scorecards are still in existence from 1772 games played by the Hambledon Club which commence a continuous record of statistics. The three games were between two teams: a Hampshire team and an England XI. The first match was match was played in Broadhalfpenny Dow n on the 24th and 25th of June. The two most popular archives online begin their first-class coverage with this game which is named “first-class number. 1” according to ESPNcricinfo as well as “f1” according to CricketArchive. Broadhalfpenny Down continued in regular use by the Hambledon/Hampshire teams up to 1781.