The history of the game of cricket has been extensively documented from the 16th century to the present day. International matches were played after 1844, and international Test cricket began in 1877. During this time, the game evolved primarily in England.
Origin Of Cricket.
It is known that cricket originated in the 16th century. Prior to its formalization around the 17th century, cricket existed as a children’s game for many centuries.
It is possible that cricket was discovered by children and the involvement of adults before the 17th century is unknown. It is likely that cricket emerged from hitting a ball with a wooden stick, which was an old game played by batsmen who would stop the ball and hit it forcefully towards their target.
The origin of the name “cricket” is associated with several possible sources, which can be related to bat or wicket. Some people consider cricket and croquet to have the same origin.
First Recorded Reference
Despite several suggested references from earlier times, the first recorded reference of this game comes from a legal case in 1597 regarding a dispute over ownership of a piece of land belonging to a school. A 59-year-old coroner, John Derrick, gave testimony that he and his school friends had played “kreckett” on that site fifty years earlier.
The first documented reference as an adult game occurred in 1611 when two men in Sussex were arrested for playing cricket on a Sunday instead of going to church.
Early 17th Century Cricket.
There are several references to English civil war that suggest that this adult game was played between parish teams, but there is no solid evidence regarding county teams until this time. Similarly, the unregulated small-scale gambling associated with cricket is a strong indication of its existence in the 18th century. It is commonly known that the development of “village cricket” had taken place by the mid-17th century. However, county cricket had not yet been established, nor was there any significant investment in the game.
Gambling and Press Coverage
The development of cricket is attributed to the Restoration in 1660, and it is believed that the initial attraction came from high-stakes gamblers. The “Natural” Parliament passed a Gambling Act in 1664, limiting bets to £100. By the end of the 17th century, cricket had become a significant gambling game. We have knowledge of a “Great Match” played in 1697 in Sussex, involving eleven individuals on one side and played for a high stake of 50 guineas.
Gambling received its first protector as some gamblers formed teams and strengthened their claims. Thus, after the Restoration, the formation of the first “county teams” took place. The use of the term “county” for a team first occurred in 1709 in this game, but there is some uncertainty about whether such descriptive terminology existed before that. In 1697, a match could have been played between Sussex and a county team.
Cricket reached North America in the 17th century through English colonies, possibly before it reached the northern regions of England. In the 18th century, it spread to other parts of the world. Its introduction by colonists began in the West Indies, and in the early decades of the century, it arrived in India through British East India Company sailors. It also emerged in Australia with the establishment of settlements in 1788. New Zealand and South Africa saw its arrival in the early years of the 19th century.
Development Of Laws.
Basic rules of cricket such as bats and balls, wickets, pitch dimensions, overs, methods of getting out, etc., have existed since ancient times. In 1728, specific codes were established in the form of “Articles of Agreement” for a particular game, which later became the basis for general specifications, especially regarding the rewards and payments involved in gambling. In 1744, the laws of cricket were codified for the first time, and in 1774, amendments were made following innovations like lbw (leg before wicket), middle stump, and maximum width of the bat. According to these laws, “two gentlemen shall be chosen to act as umpires who shall absolutely decide all disputes.” This code was initially formulated by the “Star and Garter Club” and ultimately led to the establishment of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Lord’s in 1787. The MCC became the custodian of these laws and subsequently engaged in periodical amendments and recodifications.
Continuous Expansion in England
The game spread throughout England, and in 1751, Yorkshire was mentioned as the first location. Originally, bowling involved rolling the ball on the ground (similar to bowling in lawn bowls), but it was discontinued after 1760 when bowlers began studying the pitch, lines, length, and pace of the ball. Scorecards started being regularly maintained from 1772, providing a clear picture of the game’s development during that time.
In the early 18th century, London and Dartford were the first renowned clubs. London played their matches at the famous Artillery Ground, which still exists today. Others followed suit, particularly Slindon in Sussex, supported by the Duke of Richmond and featuring star player Richard Newland. Other prominent clubs included Hornchurch, Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Bromley, Addington, Hadlow, and Chertsey.
However, the most famous early club in the distant past was Hambledon, Hampshire, which began as a parish organization and achieved prominence for the first time in 1756. The club established itself in the 1760s and remained a center of the game for thirty years until the formation of the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) in 1787 and the opening of Lord’s Cricket Ground. Hambledon produced several outstanding players, including master batsman John Small and the first great fast bowler Thomas Brett. Their notable rivals included Chertsey and the skilled bowler Edward “Lumpy” Stevens, known for his flighted deliveries.
The response to bouncing, bouncing deliveries was straight bat usage. Old “hockey stick” type bats trundled the balls, and playing skimming deliveries off the ground proved effective.
Cricket and Crisis
In the 18th century, cricket faced a real crisis when major matches were suspended during the seven-year war. The main reasons were lack of investment and a shortage of players.
At the beginning of the 19th century, cricket faced another major crisis during the height of Napoleon’s war. Once again, the main reasons were lack of investment and a shortage of players. However, the game survived in the form of 1760 and gradually progressed by 1815.
In 1820, cricket faced another major crisis when permission was granted for fast-paced roundarm bowling. This led to the formation of county clubs and brought about organizational changes.
The development of the railway network in the mid to late 19th century also contributed to the development of cricket. For the first time, matches could be played between teams at long distances without wasting time on lengthy travel, increasing the number of spectators.
The Beginning of International Cricket
In 1844, the first-ever international cricket match took place between the United States and Canada. This match was played in New Jersey.
In 1859, the first English professional team embarked on a foreign tour, and in 1862, the first English team toured Australia.
In 1877, the England team played two matches against an Australian eleven in Australia, which marked the inauguration of Test matches. The following year, Australia made its inaugural Test tour to England.
England embarked on their first-ever tour, which was a splendid success. Although no Test matches were played on this tour, the most famous match to date was played at The Oval in 1882, which marked the beginning of The Ashes series. In 1889, South Africa became a Test cricket-playing nation.
County Championship
A significant event occurred in 1890 when the official formation of the County Cricket Championship took place. From 1890 onwards, during the era of the First World War, cricket became increasingly driven by domestic passion and outward show. It was played with the spirit of the game, and this period became known as the “Golden Age of cricket.” It saw the emergence of great cricketers such as Wilfred Rhodes, C.B. Fry, K.S. Ranjitsinhji, and Victor Trumper, who were notably remarkable.
Balls Per Over
In 1889, the old format of four balls per over was changed to five balls per over, and in 1900, it was further modified to the modern six balls per over. Later, some countries also experimented with eight balls per over. In 1922, Australia increased the number of balls per over from six to eight. The usage of eight balls per over spread to New Zealand in 1924 and to South Africa in 1937. In England, the eight-ball over was introduced for the 1939 season and was intended to continue until 1940. However, it was suspended due to the First-class cricket hiatus during the Second World War, and when English cricket resumed, the six-ball over was reinstated. In 1947, cricket laws allowed the playing of six or eight balls per over based on specific conditions. From the 1979/80 Australian and New Zealand seasons, the usage of the six-ball over became prevalent worldwide, and the most recent edition of the laws in 2000 only permits the six-ball over.
Development of Test Cricket
When the Imperial Cricket Conference (commonly known as the ICC) was established in 1909, only England, Australia, and South Africa were its members. However, this soon changed, and before the Second World War, India, West Indies, and New Zealand became Test-playing nations, followed shortly by Pakistan. Several “Associate Members” joined international cricket, and in the closing years of the 20th century, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh also became Test-playing nations.
During the 20th century, Test cricket remained the most popular form of the game, but it also encountered several problems. One notable incident was the infamous “Bodyline Series” in 1932/33 when England’s Douglas Jardine used the controversial “leg theory” to neutralize the scoring ability of Australia’s Don Bradman.
The Ban on South Africa (1970-1991)
International cricket faced its biggest crisis due to the policy of racial segregation in South Africa, which led to its withdrawal from the group of Commonwealth countries in 1961. As a result, it had to leave the International Cricket Conference (ICC) under the regulations. The opposition to cricket’s apartheid intensified in 1968 when South African officials canceled the England tour because they included non-white player Basil D’Oliveira in the English team. In 1970, ICC members voted to suspend South Africa from international cricket competitions indefinitely. It’s worth noting that at that time, South Africa was arguably the strongest team in the world.
The cricket board of South Africa encouraged international players to form separate teams and embark on a tour of their country by providing them with more funds, in order to fulfill the desire for competition of their best players. The ICC placed those players in the list of rebel players who agreed to the tour of South Africa and officially banned them from international cricket. As player rewards were low in the 1970s, many players accepted the proposal for the South Africa tour, especially those who were at the end of their careers and were not heavily impacted by the ban.
Rebel tourism continued until the 1980s, but progress was made in South Africa’s politics and the end of segregation, and in 1991, they were welcomed back to international sports under the banner of the “Rainbow Nation” led by Nelson Mandela.
Kerry Packer Era
The issue of money for top cricketers was also the root cause of the crisis in cricket when Kerry Packer, the media mogul, went outside the framework of international cricket and signed a deal with the Australian Cricket Board for television rights, causing controversy and going against the norms in 1977. Taking advantage of the low remuneration for players, Packer formed a private cricket league with the world’s best players. The World Cricket Series hired some banned South African players to showcase their skills against other world-class players on the international stage.
Limited Overs Cricket
In the 1960s, English county teams introduced a different version of cricket where each game would consist of a single inning, and the maximum number of overs per inning was determined. The Gillette Cup started in 1963, and the popularity of limited overs cricket increased. In 1969, the National League was established, resulting in a reduction in the number of matches in the County Championship.
However, many traditional cricket enthusiasts criticized this shorter form of the game. Limited overs cricket provided the benefit of delivering results within a single day, which increased the appeal of cricket to casual or busy individuals. It also proved to be successful from a commercial perspective.
The first international match with limited overs was held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It was a supplement to the 1971 Test match, which had to be abandoned due to heavy rain after the inauguration. This match was played as an experiment for players to engage in some exercise, but it proved to be extremely popular. Limited overs internationals (LOIs), also known as One Day Internationals (ODIs), have become a widely popular format of the game, especially for those who wanted to watch an entire match in a single day. In response to the International Cricket Council (ICC), it organized the development of the Cricket World Cup in England in 1975.
Cricket is now the world’s second most popular sport in terms of logical reasoning. ICC introduced the Test Championship table in June 2001 and initiated a One Day International Championship table in October 2002. Australia consistently held the top position in both tables until the end of 2007.
Cricket is a prominent sport in the world and is most popular in the Indian subcontinent. ICC has been striving to promote competition among capable national teams at the Test level through its development programs. The development efforts focus on nations like Africa, Asia, and the United States. The ICC Intercontinental Cup in 2004 brought together 12 nations for the first-class cricket in the top tier of the tournament.
The newest endeavor in the game of cricket is Twenty20, primarily an evening entertainment. It has gained significant popularity so far, attracting large audiences and also captivating television viewers. The inaugural ICC Twenty20 World Cup tournament was held in 2007, where India achieved the honor of becoming the first champions by defeating Pakistan by five runs in a nail-biting match. The formation of the unofficial Indian Cricket League (ICL) in 2007 and the subsequent establishment of the official Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008 sparked numerous discussions in the cricket press about its impact on the future of cricket.
Future
Cricket has been seen as a potential market for a long time in the United States, but it has not been successful in leaving an impact on the general public, who are unfamiliar with the sport. The establishment of the Pro Cricket professional league in the United States took place in 2004, attempting to break through the final frontier. However, the development of this sport is ongoing through immigrant communities. For example, cricket has recently been introduced in the school system league in New York City, with over 600 high school students participating in a 12-week competition. China is also a source of potential development in cricket’s future. In 2004, the Chinese government announced a development program, aiming to achieve significant milestones such as qualifying for the World Cup in 2019 and attaining the status of a Test-playing nation, reflecting their ambitious goals.
Despite the lack of promotion (at least in the cricket press), the United States has witnessed cricket’s development, and the likelihood of growth in the near future is expected in major upcoming countries, particularly from South Asia. This sport is already very popular in Nepal and Afghanistan, as evidenced by their performances in the Under-18 World Cup and the ACC Trophy, proving that there is no shortage of natural talent.
Furthermore, there is ongoing discussion and analysis regarding the interpretation of Law 24.3 of the ICC cricket regulations, which defines a fair delivery – the arm for the proper delivery direction of the ball. It was discovered through biomechanical analysis and reviews that Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan’s “doosra” delivery involves a suspicious arm action, exceeding the allowed limits. The incident was reported to the match referee Chris Broad, and subsequent studies revealed that the current guidelines were inadequate for assessing such actions, making it impractical to apply them. This signifies the need for further scrutiny of cricket laws.
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