Cricket is a very famous sport that’s played all over the world. It’s most particularly popular in India, Australia, Pakistan, United Kingdom and British Isles, among others, of course. What started out as a children’s game turned out to be a renowned sport today.
Nowadays, cricket has a huge fan base around the globe and people really like to bet on this sport. That’s why there are cricket sites that provide the fans with useful information and proper tips.
A lot of people believe that cricket is a copy of baseball. However, cricket has been around for a long time and many sports that involve a bat and a ball trace their origin back to cricket. With that in mind, here is a brief history of cricket.
The early days
It’s believed that cricket or at least a form of cricket has existed as early as the 13th century. As a matter of fact, historians believe that country boys in southern England used to bowl at the tree stump or at the hurdle gate into a sheep pen.
The gate consisted of two uprights and a crossbar that was positioned on the allocated slots. The crossbar was referred to as the bail, while the entire gate was called a wicket. The ball that the boys used was a stone that weighted between 150 to 160 grams remained the same even today.
The only difference is that stones are no longer used as balls in cricket. Believe it or not, many things have remained pretty much the same since then. This children’s pass time was established and regulated into an international sport as years went by.
The first reference
The first ever mention of cricket as a sport dates back to the late 1500s. It was actually mentioned in a court case hearing in England regarding ownership of the land dispute in Guildford, Surrey.
A 59-year-old coroner, John Derrick, claimed that he and his mates played a game of “creckett” on that land 50 years prior. Back then, cricket was considered to be a boy’s game. However, the first mention of the game being played by adults dates back to 1611 when two men in Sussex were arrested for playing cricket on Sunday instead of going to the church.
It wasn’t until 1744 that the first laws of cricket were established. By that time cricket had reached every corner of the British colonies and became a very popular sport. Cricket reached India through the East India Trading Company in the early 18th century. By 1788, cricket made its way to Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Cricket today
Ever since the first 11-man team cricket match in 1697 in Sussex, England, the game has undergone fundamental changes. By the 19th century, cricket went to international waters and national championships, as well as international matches were organized.
In 1909 the Imperial Cricket Conference (ICC) was established that exists even today. Modern cricket is widely popular across previous British colonies. However, new participants have joined the ICC membership, such as the Netherlands, Afghanistan and Ireland.
In countries, such as India, cricket has become a national sport. India even has its own leagues, such as Indian Cricket League and Indian Premier League. Today, cricket has great viewings both live and on TV. That being said, the ICC continues to further develop and expand their cricket programme as this sport becomes more and more popular.
Closing Words
Cricket has evolved from being a children’s game to being a boy’s game and all the way to being one of the most popular international sports today. Throughout its vast and rich history, cricket has gone through a lot of changes although the principles of the game remained pretty much the same. Cricket continues to evolve even today and who knows what the future holds for this sport.
