History of Cricket

In this lesson you will look back at where cricket began. Most historians believe cricket developed in south-east England, in the Weald of Kent and Sussex, during the medieval and Tudor periods. One of the earliest written references comes from a court case in Guildford in 1597, when a witness recalled playing a game called creckett as a schoolboy some fifty years earlier. In those early days the game was played on rough common land with curved bats, rather like hockey sticks, and a low wicket of two stumps. It was a simple village game long before it became an organised sport.

• Developed in south-east England
• Early written reference from Guildford, 1597
• Early bats were curved like hockey sticks
• Started as a village pastime

In this lesson you will discover how the game began to be organised. As cricket grew popular in the eighteenth century, especially with matches played for wagers, people needed agreed rules. The earliest known written Laws of Cricket date from 1744. In the second half of that century the Hambledon Club in Hampshire became famous for the strength of its players and its influence on how the game was played. This period also saw the straight bat emerge, as bowlers began pitching the ball rather than rolling it along the ground, and a third stump was added to the wicket.

• Earliest known written Laws date from 1744
• Hambledon Club was highly influential
• Pitched bowling led to the straight bat
• The third stump was introduced

In this lesson you will learn about cricket's most famous club. The Marylebone Cricket Club, known as MCC, was founded in 1787. Its home ground is Lord's in St John's Wood, London, named after Thomas Lord, who established the ground. MCC quickly became the authority on the Laws of Cricket, and it remains the guardian of the Laws today, issuing updated codes as the game evolves. The current Laws begin with a preamble on the Spirit of Cricket, which reminds everyone that the game should be played fairly and with respect.

• MCC was founded in 1787
• Lord's is named after Thomas Lord
• MCC remains guardian of the Laws
• The Laws open with the Spirit of Cricket

In this lesson you will see how bowling changed over time. Early bowlers delivered the ball underarm. In the early nineteenth century some bowlers began delivering with the arm at shoulder height, known as round-arm bowling, which caused much argument before it was accepted. Overarm bowling, where the arm passes above the shoulder, was made legal in 1864. That change transformed the game, bringing faster bowling and greater bounce, and over time it also drove improvements in pitches, protective equipment and batting technique that continue to this day. Each change was controversial at the time, yet each helped shape the modern game.

• Early bowling was underarm
• Round-arm bowling caused debate
• Overarm bowling was legalised in 1864
• Faster bowling drove better pitches and equipment

In this lesson you will explore the beginnings of international cricket. The first match now recognised as a Test was played between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in March 1877. In 1882 Australia beat England at The Oval, and a mock obituary in a London newspaper declared that English cricket had died and its body would be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia. That idea gave birth to the Ashes, the famous series between the two countries. In 1909 the Imperial Cricket Conference was formed, the body that later became the International Cricket Council, the ICC.

• First recognised Test: Melbourne, 1877
• The Ashes legend began after 1882
• The ICC began as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909
• Test cricket remains the longest format

In this lesson you will look at how cricket widened its reach in the twentieth century. Women have played cricket for centuries, and the Women's Cricket World Cup was first held in 1973, two years before the first men's World Cup in 1975. The first men's One Day International was played in Melbourne in 1971 after rain washed out a Test. Limited-overs cricket brought coloured clothing, white balls and floodlit matches, and it attracted new audiences who wanted a result in a single day. These innovations paved the way for shorter, faster formats.

• First Women's World Cup was held in 1973
• First men's ODI was played in 1971
• First men's World Cup followed in 1975
• One-day cricket brought new audiences

In this lesson you will see how the shortest major format was born. Twenty20 cricket was launched in English county cricket in 2003, designed to be played in about three hours so that people could watch after work. It was an immediate success. International T20 matches followed, the first women's T20 International in 2004 and the first men's in 2005, and the first men's T20 World Cup was held in 2007. Franchise leagues around the world followed. Today T20 is the format played by countless community leagues, including the Winn Family T-20 League.

• Twenty20 launched in English county cricket in 2003
• Designed to finish in about three hours
• First men's T20 World Cup in 2007
• T20 is now hugely popular at community level