| A basic form of the sport can be traced back | | | | game's greatest club and its focal point. MCC |
| to the 13th century, but it may have existed | | | | quickly became the sport's premier club and |
| even earlier than that. The game seems to | | | | the custodian of the Laws of Cricket. |
| have originated among children of the farming | | | | |
| and metalworking communities in the Weald | | | | The 19th Century saw underarm replaced by |
| between Kent and Sussex. Written evidence | | | | first roundarm and then overarm bowling. Both |
| exists of a game known as creag being played | | | | developments were accompanied by major |
| by Prince Edward, the son of Edward I | | | | controversy. The concept of a "champion |
| (Longshanks), at Newenden, Kent in 1300. | | | | county" arose in the 1820s and then, starting |
| | | | with Sussex CCC in 1839, county clubs were |
| In 1598, a court case referred to a sport | | | | founded and these ultimately formed a County |
| called kreckett being played at the Royal | | | | Championship. |
| Grammar School, Guildford around 1550. The | | | | |
| Oxford English Dictionary gives this as the | | | | In 1859, a team of England players went on |
| first recorded instance of cricket in the | | | | the first overseas tour (to North America) |
| English language. | | | | and 18 years later another England team took |
| | | | part in the first-ever Test match at the |
| A number of words are thought to be possible | | | | Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia. |
| sources for the term cricket. The name may | | | | |
| derive from a term for the cricket bat: old | | | | The legendary W G Grace started his long |
| French criquet (meaning a kind of club) or | | | | career in 1864. It can fairly be said that he |
| Flemish krick(e) (meaning a stick) or in Old | | | | revolutionised the sport and did much to |
| English crycc (meaning a crutch or staff). | | | | ensure its massive popularity. |
| (The latter is problematic, since Old English | | | | |
| 'cc' was palatal in pronunciation in the | | | | The last two decades before the First World |
| south and the west midlands, roughly ch, | | | | War have been called the "Golden Age of |
| which is how crycc leads to crych and thence | | | | Cricket". It is almost certainly a nostalgic |
| crutch; the 'k' sound would be possible in | | | | idea based on the sense of loss brought about |
| the north, however.) Alternatively, the | | | | by the war, but even so the period did |
| French criquet apparently derives from the | | | | produce some great players and memorable |
| Flemish word krickstoel, which is a long low | | | | matches, especially as organised competition |
| stool on which one kneels in church and which | | | | at county and Test level developed. |
| resembles the long low wicket with two stumps | | | | |
| used in early cricket. | | | | The inter-war years were dominated by one |
| | | | player: Don Bradman, statistically the |
| During the 17th century, numerous references | | | | greatest batsman of all time. It was the |
| indicate the growth of cricket in the | | | | determination of the England team to overcome |
| south-east of England. By the end of the | | | | his incredible skill that brought about the |
| century, it had become an organised activity | | | | infamous Bodyline series in 1932/33. |
| being played for high stakes and it is likely | | | | |
| that the first professionals appeared in that | | | | Cricket entered an epochal era in 1963, when |
| period. We know that a great cricket match | | | | English counties modified the rules to |
| with eleven players a side was played for | | | | provide a variant match form that produced a |
| high stakes in Sussex in 1697 and this is the | | | | certain result: games with a restricted |
| earliest reference we have to cricket in | | | | number of overs per side. This gained |
| terms of such importance. | | | | widespread popularity and resulted in the |
| | | | birth of One-day International (ODI) matches |
| The game underwent major development in the | | | | in 1971. The governing International Cricket |
| 18th Century and had become the national | | | | Council quickly adopted the new form and held |
| sport of England by the end of the century. | | | | the first ODI Cricket World Cup in 1975. |
| Betting played a major part in that | | | | Since then, ODI matches have gained mass |
| development and rich patrons began forming | | | | spectatorship, at the expense of the longer |
| their own "select XIs". Cricket was prominent | | | | form of the game and to the consternation of |
| in London as early as 1707 and large crowds | | | | fans who prefer the longer form of the game. |
| flocked to matches on the Artillery Ground in | | | | |
| Finsbury. The Hambledon Club was founded in | | | | As of the early 2000s, however, the longer |
| the 1760s but its team was already playing | | | | form of cricket is experiencing a growing |
| first-class matches in 1756. For the next 20 | | | | resurgence in popularity but a new limited |
| years until the formation of MCC and the | | | | overs phenomenon, Twenty20, has made an |
| opening of Lord's in 1787, Hambledon was the | | | | immediate impact. |