Cricket is the national game that has become the pride of the British and the legacy of the English colonies. The origin of cricket is not known for certain and is shrouded in many legends.
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Aristocratic game or peasant entertainment
It is believed that cricket originated in England at the end of the Middle Ages.
In 1299-1300, the Royal Wardrobe Accounts financial statement mentions the name of the game “creaget” played by the then Prince Edward II. And in 1369, a descendant of the prince, King Edward III of England, banned the then popular game of club ball, which, according to its rules, resembled modern cricket. This is mentioned in his book “The Social History of English Cricket” writer Derek Birley.
The author suggests that the game has French roots and originated in England during the Norman invasion (1066).
The French word “cricket” is a dialect name for a variation of the game club ball, which King Edward III tried to eradicate.
However, there is another opinion that modern cricket has far from aristocratic roots. The English word “cricket” probably comes from the word “cric” the curved stick of the shepherds, with which they closed the gates of the pasture. According to one version, shepherds and peasants played cricket.
In 1597, the first documented mention of the game “creckett” appears.
Interestingly, the game is mentioned in the context of a court case in England over a dispute over land ownership in Guildford. One of the witnesses indicated that 50 years ago he and his school friends played cricket on this plot of land.
The first game to be recorded in writing took place in 1611 in Sussex.
However, even here there were some disputes: instead of going to church on Sunday, the two men played cricket, for which they received a fine. In the same year, the word “cricket” was added to the dictionary as a game for boys.
Count level of the game
The first county teams were formed in the second half of the 17th century. Before that, cricket was a village game.
The aristocracy hired peasants who played cricket well, and they themselves made bets on the results of the game.
At the end of the 17th century, such matches were mentioned in local newspapers.
The first known match in which the teams use the names of the counties is dated 1709. The teams performed under the patronage of local patrons.
At that time, the press began to actively cover cricket matches. One of the first players that was written about in the publications at that time was Thomas Weimark.
Spread of cricket outside of England
Thanks to the imperialist ambitions of Great Britain, cricket spread to North America as early as the 1700s.
Further, the game was learned in the West Indies and India thanks to the colonialists, as well as the sailors of the East India Company. At the end of the 18th century, cricket became popular in Australia, and at the beginning of the 19th century in Africa and New Zealand.
The first international match took place in New York in 1844 between teams from Canada and the USA. If you like to bet on sports, we recommend registering at Mostbet registration.
Rules of the game
In 1744 the Star and Garter Club developed the first Laws of Cricket, whose members subsequently founded the famous Marylebone Cricket Club. The club immediately became the “keeper of the laws” and still retains this role.
According to the rules of the game, a cricket team led by a captain consists of 11 players. One of them plays the role of a bowler. Its main function is to throw the ball so that the batsman (batsman) cannot hit it.
If the batsman hits the ball, he receives points for his team. Also in the game take part wicket keepers cricket goalkeepers. Their main goal is to protect the gate (gate) of their team.
When the batsman hits the ball, the position of the athletes on the field changes. One team runs after the ball to touch the wicket. Two representatives of the opponents score points, moving from one gate to another on a clay path. During a match, two teams play in the field. However, the batting team has only two players on the field, while the serving team has 11.
Matches are served by two arbitrators, they monitor the observance of the rules, make all the necessary decisions and declare them to the markers to the persons keeping the score.
The main equipment of the players is a leather ball and a wooden bat shaped like a spade.
Pitch is a cricket field. Represents a rectangular area. 20 meters long, 3 meters wide. Also on the field there are gates with three columns 71 centimeters high. They act as a gate.
Modern cricket
Now there is the International Cricket Council, in which over 100 countries of the world.
For many countries of the ex-British Empire, cricket is the leading sport, in particular in the Indian subcontinent.
Cricket is still evolving. This is how new forms of the game appear, such as Cricket Twenty20.
The duration of a match of this format is determined not by a time limit, but by a set number of innings.
The game has also evolved technically. There was a special ball tracking program, infrared cameras and edge-of-field technology to better see if the bat hit the ball.