The game
of cricket has a known history spanning from the 16th century to
the present day, with international matches played since 1844, although the
official history of international Test cricket began in 1877. During this
period , the game developed from its origins in England into a game which is
now played professionally in most of the Commonwealth of Nations. Currently the
International Cricket Council has 105 affiliated member nations.
Derivation
of the name of "cricket"
A number of words are thought to be
possible sources for the term "cricket". In the earliest known
reference to the sport in 1598 (see below), it is called creckett.
The name may have been derived from the Middle Dutch krick(-e),
meaning a stick; or the Old English cricc or cryce meaning a
crutch or staff.[1] Another possible source is the Middle Dutch word
krickstoel, meaning a long low stool used for kneeling in church and
which resembled the long low wicket with two stumps used in early cricket.
Another possibility is that the name
derives from the Middle Dutch met de (krik ket)sen (i.e., "with the
stick chase"), which also suggests a Dutch connection in the game's
origin.[2] It is more likely that the terminology of cricket was
based on words in use in south east England at the time and, given trade
connections with the County of Flanders, especially in the 15th century when it
belonged to the Duchy of Burgundy, many Middle Dutch[3] words found
their way into southern English dialects.[4]
Early 17th century
A number of references occur up to
the English Civil War and these indicate that cricket had become an adult game
contested by parish teams, but there is no evidence of county strength teams at
this time. Equally, there is little evidence of the rampant gambling that
characterised the game throughout the 18th century. It is generally believed,
therefore, that village cricket had developed by the middle of the 17th century
but that county cricket had not and that investment in the game had not begun.[8]
Early 17th century
A number of references occur up to
the English Civil War and these indicate that cricket had become an adult game
contested by parish teams, but there is no evidence of county strength teams at
this time. Equally, there is little evidence of the rampant gambling that characterised
the game throughout the 18th century. It is generally believed, therefore, that
village cricket had developed by the middle of the 17th century but that county
cricket had not and that investment in the game had not begun.[8]
The
Commonwealth
After the Civil War ended in 1648,
the new Puritan government clamped down on "unlawful assemblies", in
particular the more raucous sports such as football. Their laws also demanded a
stricter observance of the Sabbath than there had been previously. As the
Sabbath was the only free time available to the lower classes, cricket's
popularity may have waned during the Commonwealth. However, it did flourish in
public fee-paying schools such as Winchester and St Paul's. There is no actual
evidence that Oliver Cromwell's regime banned cricket specifically and there
are references to it during the interregnum that suggest it was acceptable to
the authorities provided that it did not cause any "breach of the
Sabbath".[8] It is believed that the nobility in general
adopted cricket at this time through involvement in village games.[5]
Gambling
and press coverage
Cricket certainly thrived after the Restoration
in 1660 and is believed to have first attracted gamblers making large bets at
this time. In 1664, the "Cavalier" Parliament passed the Gaming Act
1664 which limited stakes to £100, although that was still a fortune at the
time,[8] equivalent to about £14 thousand in present day terms [9].
Cricket had certainly become a significant gambling sport by the end of the
17th century. There is a newspaper report of a "great match" played
in Sussex in 1697 which was 11-a-side and played for high stakes of 50 guineas
a side.[7]
With freedom of the press having
been granted in 1696, cricket for the first time could be reported in the
newspapers. But it was a long time before the newspaper industry adapted
sufficiently to provide frequent, let alone comprehensive, coverage of the
game. During the first half of the 18th century, press reports tended to focus
on the betting rather than on the play.[8]
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