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CRICKET-A SWEET MEMORIES

Cricket History

Cricket is a summertime team sport using a bat and ball that was developed by the British and is popular in such countries as India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and the West Indian nations. The first games of cricket were played in England in the 1300s. The first "test match" between England and Australia, which is known as "the Ashes" and lasted 5 days, occurred in 1882. The World Cup series of 1-day cricket matches was established in 1975 and has been played every 4 years since then. This section focuses on the history of cricket.

A brief history

The origins of cricket lie somewhere in the Dark Ages – probably after the Roman Empire, almost certainly before the Normans invaded England, and almost certainly somewhere in Northern Europe. All research concedes that the game derived from a very old, widespread and uncomplicated pastime by which one player served up an object, be it a small piece of wood or a ball, and another hit it with a suitably fashioned club.

How and when this club–ball game developed into one where the hitter defended a target against the thrower is simply not known. Nor is there any evidence as to when points were awarded dependent upon how far the hitter was able to despatch the missile; nor when helpers joined the two-player contest, thus beginning the evolution into a team game; nor when the defining concept of placing wickets at either end of the pitch was adopted.

What is agreed is that by Tudor times cricket had evolved far enough from club–ball to be recognisable as the game played today; that it was well established in many parts of Kent, Sussex and Surrey; that within a few years it had become a feature of leisure time at a significant number of schools; and – a sure sign of the wide acceptance of any game – that it had become popular enough among young men to earn the disapproval of local magistrates.

Dates in cricket history

1550 (approx) Evidence of cricket being played in Guildford, Surrey.

1598 Cricket mentioned in Florio’s Italian–English dictionary.

1610 Reference to “cricketing” between Weald and Upland near Chevening, Kent. 1611 Randle Cotgrave’s French–English dictionary translates the French word “crosse” as a cricket staff.

Two youths fined for playing cricket at Sidlesham, Sussex.

1624 Jasper Vinall becomes first man known to be killed playing cricket: hit by a bat while trying to catch the ball – at Horsted Green, Sussex.

1676 First reference to cricket being played abroad, by British residents in Aleppo, Syria.

1694 Two shillings and sixpence paid for a “wagger” (wager) about a cricket match at Lewes.

1697 First reference to “a great match” with 11 players a side for fifty guineas, in Sussex.

1700 Cricket match announced on Clapham Common.

1709 First recorded inter-county match: Kent v Surrey.

1710 First reference to cricket at Cambridge University.

1727 Articles of Agreement written governing the conduct of matches between the teams of the Duke of Richmond and Mr Brodrick of Peperharow, Surrey.

1729 Date of earliest surviving bat, belonging to John Chitty, now in the pavilion at The Oval.

1730 First recorded match at the Artillery Ground, off City Road, central London, still the cricketing home of the Honourable Artillery Company.

1744 Kent beat All England by one wicket at the Artillery Ground.

First known version of the Laws of Cricket, issued by the London Club, formalising the pitch as 22 yards long.

1767 (approx) Foundation of the Hambledon Club in Hampshire, the leading club in England for the next 30 years.

1769 First recorded century, by John Minshull for Duke of Dorset’s XI v Wrotham.

1771 Width of bat limited to 4 1/4 inches, where it has remained ever since.

1774 LBW law devised.

1776 Earliest known scorecards, at the Vine Club, Sevenoaks, Kent.

1780 The first six-seamed cricket ball, manufactured by Dukes of Penshurst, Kent.

1787 First match at Thomas Lord’s first ground, Dorset Square, Marylebone – White Conduit Club v Middlesex.

Formation of Marylebone Cricket Club by members of the White Conduit Club.

1788 First revision of the Laws of Cricket by MCC.

1794 First recorded inter-schools match: Charterhouse v Westminster.

1795 First recorded case of a dismissal “leg before wicket”.

1806 First Gentlemen v Players match at Lord’s.

1807 First mention of “straight-armed” (i.e. round-arm) bowling: by John Willes of Kent.

1809 Thomas Lord’s second ground opened at North Bank, St John’s Wood.

1811 First recorded women’s county match: Surrey v Hampshire at Ball’s Pond, London.

1814 Lord’s third ground opened on its present site, also in St John’s Wood.

1827 First Oxford v Cambridge match, at Lord’s. A draw.

1828 MCC authorise the bowler to raise his hand level with the elbow.

1833 John Nyren publishes his classic Young Cricketer’s Tutor and The Cricketers of My Time.

1836 First North v South match, for many years regarded as the principal fixture of the season.

1836 (approx) Batting pads invented.

1841 General Lord Hill, commander-in-chief of the British Army, orders that a cricket ground be made an adjunct of every military barracks.

1844 First official international match: Canada v United States.

1845 First match played at The Oval.

1846 The All-England XI, organised by William Clarke, begins playing matches, often against odds, throughout the country.

1849 First Yorkshire v Lancashire match.

1850 Wicket-keeping gloves first used.

1850 John Wisden bowls all ten batsmen in an innings for North v South.

1853 First mention of a champion county: Nottinghamshire.

1858 First recorded instance of a hat being awarded to a bowler taking three wickets with consecutive balls.

1859 First touring team to leave England, captained by George Parr, draws enthusiastic crowds in the US and Canada.

1864 “Overhand bowling” authorised by MCC.

John Wisden’s The Cricketer’s Almanack first published.

1868 Team of Australian aborigines tour England.

1873 WG Grace becomes the first player to record 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in a season.

First regulations restricting county qualifications, often regarded as the official start of the County Championship.

1877 First Test match: Australia beat England by 45 runs in Melbourne.

1880 First Test in England: a five-wicket win against Australia at The Oval.

1882 Following England’s first defeat by Australia in England, an “obituary notice” to English cricket in the Sporting Times leads to the tradition of The Ashes.

1889 South Africa’s first Test match.

Declarations first authorised, but only on the third day, or in a one-day match.

1890 County Championship officially constituted.

Present Lord’s pavilion opened.

1895 WG Grace scores 1,000 runs in May, and reaches his 100th hundred.

1899 AEJ Collins scores 628 not out in a junior house match at Clifton College, the highest individual score in any match.

Selectors choose England team for home Tests, instead of host club issuing invitations.

1900 Six-ball over becomes the norm, instead of five.1909 Imperial Cricket Conference (ICC – now the International Cricket Council) set up, with England, Australia and South Africa the original members.

1910 Six runs given for any hit over the boundary, instead of only for a hit out of the ground.

1912 First and only triangular Test series played in England, involving England, Australia and South Africa.

1915 WG Grace dies, aged 67.

1926 Victoria score 1,107 v New South Wales at Melbourne, the record total for a first-class innings.

1928 West Indies’ first Test match.

AP "Tich" Freeman of Kent and England becomes the only player to take more than 300 first-class wickets in a season: 304.

1930 New Zealand’s first Test match.

Donald Bradman’s first tour of England: he scores 974 runs in the five Ashes Tests, still a record for any Test series.

1931 Stumps made higher (28 inches not 27) and wider (nine inches not eight – this was optional until 1947).

1932 India’s first Test match.

Hedley Verity of Yorkshire takes ten wickets for ten runs v Nottinghamshire, the best innings analysis in first-class cricket.

1932-33 The Bodyline tour of Australia in which England bowl at batsmen’s bodies with a packed leg-side field to neutralise Bradman’s scoring.

1934 Jack Hobbs retires, with 197 centuries and 61,237 runs, both records. First women’s Test: Australia v England at Brisbane.

1935 MCC condemn and outlaw Bodyline.

1947 Denis Compton of Middlesex and England scores a record 3,816 runs in an English season.

1948 First five-day Tests in England.

Bradman concludes Test career with a second-ball duck at The Oval and a batting average of 99.94 – four runs short of 100.

1952 Pakistan’s first Test match.

1953 England regain the Ashes after a 19-year gap, the longest ever.

1956 Jim Laker of England takes 19 wickets for 90 v Australia at Manchester, the best match analysis in first-class cricket.

1957 Declarations authorised at any time.

1960 First tied Test, Australia v West Indies at Brisbane.

1963 Distinction between amateur and professional cricketers abolished in English cricket.

The first major one-day tournament begins in England: the Gillette Cup.

1969 Limited-over Sunday league inaugurated for first-class counties.

1970 Proposed South African tour of England cancelled: South Africa excluded from international cricket because of their government’s apartheid policies.

1971 First one-day international: Australia v England at Melbourne.

1975 First World Cup: West Indies beat Australia in final at Lord’s.

1976 First women’s match at Lord’s, England v Australia.

1977 Centenary Test at Melbourne, with identical result to the first match: Australia beat England by 45 runs.

Australian media tycoon Kerry Packer, signs 51 of the world’s leading players in defiance of the cricketing authorities.

1978 Graham Yallop of Australia wears a protective helmet to bat in a Test match, the first player to do so.

1979 Packer and official cricket agree peace deal.

1980 Eight-ball over abolished in Australia, making the six-ball over universal.

1981 England beat Australia in Leeds Test, after following on with bookmakers offering odds of 500 to 1 against them winning.

1982 Sri Lanka’s first Test match.

1991 South Africa return, with a one-day international in India.

1992 Zimbabwe’s first Test match.

Durham become the first county since Glamorgan in 1921 to attain firstclass status.

1993 The ICC ceases to be administered by MCC, becoming an independent organisation with its own chief executive.

1994 Brian Lara of Warwickshire becomes the only player to pass 500 in a firstclass innings: 501 not out v Durham.

2000 South Africa’s captain Hansie Cronje banned from cricket for life after admitting receiving bribes from bookmakers in match-fixing scandal.

Bangladesh’s first Test match.

County Championship split into two divisions, with promotion and relegation.

The Laws of Cricket revised and rewritten.

2001 Sir Donald Bradman dies, aged 92.

2003 Twenty20 Cup, a 20-over-per-side evening tournament, inaugurated in England.

2004 Lara becomes the first man to score 400 in a Test innings, against England.

Resources relating to the history of cricket

General

# A history of 18th Century cricket literature by AR Littlewood

# The measurements of cricket - the origin of the dimensions of cricket by AR Littlewood.

Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians

# The Laws of cricket - historical development

# Balls per over in Test cricket

# English cricket in 1881 - an examination of census records

National

# Cricket in Bangladesh - A Brief History by Peter Griffiths

# History of Cricket in Kenya

# Pakistan history by Lateef Jafri for Dawn [Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4]

# The United Cricket Board of South Africa - history

# A complete season by season review of the history of Zimbabwe cricket

ICC Associates and affiliates

# History of Cricket In Argentina

# History of Cricket In Bermuda

# History of the Canadian Cricket Association

# History of Canadian Cricket

# History of Cricket In Israel

# History of Cricket In Ireland

# History of Panamanian cricket

# Singapore Cricket - a short history

# A History of Cricket in Spain

# Cricket in America - An Historical Summary

Series and Tournaments

International

# The World Cup

# The Ashes- England v Australia

# The Origins of The Ashes

# England v New Zealand

# England v South Africa

# Australia v India

# Australia v Sri Lanka

# Australia v West Indies

# Australia v New Zealand

# West Indies-Pakistan Test encounters 1958 to 1997 - By Mohammad Shoaib Ahmed for Dawn [Part 1 | Part 2]

# Up and down with the Windies - WI World Cup history by Tony Cozier

Others

# Duleep Trophy History

# Irani Trophy History

# Moin-Ud-Dowlah Tournament History

# The English Sunday League

# A history of cricket in Newfoundland, Canada

# History of the Africa Cricket Association

# Jamaica: A century of sport - Jimmy Carnegie for the Gleaner

Origins

Cricket's most likely birthplace is the Weald, an area of dense woodlands and clearings in south-east England that lies across Kent and Sussex. The game was probably devised by children of the Weald's farming and metalworking communities. There is evidence to suggest that it survived as a children's game for many centuries before it was increasingly taken up by adults around the beginning of the 17th century. The game's origin seems to have been in Norman or perhaps Saxon times (i.e., before 1066).

Playing on sheep-grazed land or in clearings, the original implements may have been a matted lump of sheep’s wool as the ball; a crook or other farm tool as the bat; and a gate (i.e., a wicket gate) or a treestump as the wicket. It is possible that the game was derived from the older sport of bowls by the introduction of a "batsman" to stop the ball reaching its target by hitting it away. There seems little doubt that the game had a rustic upbringing and it is significant that the Wealden counties and neighbouring Surrey were the earliest centres of excellence. Eventually, it spread north to London and west to Hampshire, the two places that cemented its popularity in the 18th century.

According to some other theories, cricket originated outside England and was brought there by the Normans after 1066. As early as the 8th century, bat and ball games were played in the Punjab region of southern Asia — the ancestors of games such as gilli-danda and perhaps polo. Like the other great recreational import of the time, chess, these sports are believed to have migrated via Persia and through Constantinople into Europe. There are 8th and 9th century accounts of bat and ball games being played in the Mediterranean region, sometimes as church-sponsored events to promote community spirit. If the games reached France in this manner, it is reasonable to assume they would cross the Channel and be introduced in England. But all of this is speculation and there is general agreement among cricket historians that the sport did originate in south-east England.

Early references are few, far between and sometimes spurious. Some manuscripts from the 12th and 13th centuries show diagrams which have been interpreted as early forms of cricket, but there is no definite evidence to support these conjectures. In c.1183, Joseph of Exeter wrote an account of a community activity played by both sexes which he called cricks, but there is nothing to prove that it was a form of cricket. The evidence is circumstantial only.

The first clue we have which is reasonably convincing comes from the Royal Wardrobe accounts of King Edward I (aka Edward Longshanks) for 1299-1300. This records that £6 was paid out for the 15-year old Prince Edward to play creag and other games at Newenden in Kent. Although there is no evidence that creag was a form of cricket, it does at least seem a likely suspect, especially given the location.

There are no other references until 1597, not even to indicate commercial interest in the game by innkeepers or other entrepreneurs. Cricket, if it was played at all, did not have sufficient popularity to be subjected to any kind of specific sanction, unlike some other games. For example, a statute of King Edward IV in 1477–8 (17 Edw.IV c.3) made the playing of handyn and handoute illegal because it interfered with the compulsory practice of archery.

In 1597 there was a dispute over a school's ownership of a plot of land in which a 59-year old coroner, John Derrick, testified that he and his school friends had played kreckett on the site fifty years earlier. This is generally considered to be the first definite mention of cricket in the English language - the school was the Royal Grammar School, Guildford, and Mr Derrick's account proves beyond reasonable doubt that the game was being played c.1550.

In the following year John Florio, in his Italian-English dictionary defined the verb sgillare as to make a noise as a cricket, to play cricket-a-wicket, and be merry. However, some historians consider this to be a spurious reference.

Until the 17th century, cricket may have developed primarily as a boy's game. The first reference to it being played as an adult sport was in 1611, when two men in Sussex were prosecuted for playing cricket instead of going to church. In the same year, another dictionary defines cricket as a boys' game and this suggests that adult participation was a recent development.

There are other mentions of cricket prosecutions in the years that followed and even of two fatalities. In 1646 an organised game for a bet of a dozen candles gave rise to a lawsuit.

After the English Civil War, which 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. Having said that, it did flourish in public fee-paying schools such as Winchester and St Paul's. There is no actual evidence that Cromwell's government banned cricket specifically and there are references to it during the interregnum that suggest it was acceptable to the authorities providing it did not cause any "breach of the Sabbath".

Cricket certainly thrived after the Restoration in 1660 and is believed to have attracted gamblers making large bets at this time. In 1664, the "Cavalier" Parliament passed a Gambling Act which limited stakes to £100, although that was a fortune at the time. Cricket had certainly become a significant gambling sport by the end of the 17th century. We know of a "great match" played in Sussex in 1697 which was 11-a-side and played for high stakes of 50 guineas a side.

During the 18th century, cricket thrived because of the money it attracted through patronage and gambling to become a major sport. In 1748, a London magistrate accepted that cricket is a "manly game" that was not bad in itself, but condemned its "ill use" by betting above the legal limit. All the law did, however, was to force the bets to be for "eleven pairs of gloves" or "eleven velvet caps". These sound innocuous enough, but in reality would be very valuable items. By this time, cricket had attracted the attention of aristocrats like the Duke of Richmond who were prepared to stage matches at great expense in the hope of significant returns.

The oldest cricket bat still in existence is dated to 1729. Note the shape of the bat, which is closer to that of a modern-day hockey stick than to that of a modern-day cricket bat.

Enlarge

The oldest cricket bat still in existence is dated to 1729. Note the shape of the bat, which is closer to that of a modern-day hockey stick than to that of a modern-day cricket bat.

Cricket must have had agreed rules, subject to local variations, for a long time but the earliest known Laws were ratified in 1744. The game continued to spread and, in 1751, Yorkshire is first mentioned as a venue. The original form of bowling (i.e., rolling the ball along the ground as in bowls) was superseded sometime after 1760 when bowlers began to pitch the ball and study variations in line, length and pace. Scorecards began to be kept on a regular basis from 1772 and since then we have an increasingly clear picture of the sport's development. The Laws of Cricket were updated in 1774 and it was at this time that current features like the third stump and lbw came into being.

The famous Hambledon Club first achieved prominence in 1756 and was the focal point of the game for the next thirty years until the formation of MCC and the opening of Lord's in 1787. MCC quickly became the game's premier club and the custodian of the Laws.

Derivation of the name of "cricket"

A number of words are thought to be possible sources for the term cricket, which could refer to the bat or the wicket. In old French, the word criquet meant a kind of club which probably gave its name to croquet. Some believe that cricket and croquet have a common origin. In Flemish, krick(e) means a stick, and, in Old English, cricc or cryce means a crutch or staff (though the hard /k/ sound suggests the North or Northeast midlands, rather than the Southeast, where cricket seems to have begun).

Alternatively, the French criquet apparently comes from the Flemish word krickstoel, which is a long low stool on which one kneels in church which may appear similar to the long low wicket with two stumps used in early cricket, or the early stool in stoolball. The word stool is old Sussex dialect for a tree stump, and stool ball is a sport similar to cricket played by the Dutch.

Codification of rules

The first recorded codification of the rules of cricket is the Code of 1744. This specified that:

* the pitch be 22 yards long,

* the distance between the bowling crease and popping crease be 46 inches,

* the wickets be 22 inches tall and 6 inches wide,

* and the ball weigh between 5 and 6 ounces.

On September 23, 1771, Thomas "Daddy" White of Reigate, often mistakenly called "Shock" White (i.e., of Brentford; and a different player), used a bat fully as wide as a wicket against the Hambledon Club. This prompted the Hambledon Club to record a minute to the effect that the maximum width of a cricket bat be set at four and a quarter inches. Other clubs quickly adopted this standard, using metal gauges to check the size of bats before allowing their use. The measure was formally included in the Laws of 1774.

The first printed version of the rules was published by W Read in 1775. Then in 1788, the Marylebone Cricket Club published a set of Laws of Cricket, which contained the first complete codification of the rules of the game and the dimensions of the pitch and equipment. Other cricket clubs across England quickly adopted the MCC's Laws and cricket became standardised for the first time. The MCC remains the custodian of the Laws of Cricket to the present day. The laws were recodified in 1947, 1980 and 2000.

Development of rules

An artwork depicting the history of the cricket bat. (Click on the image for larger view)

Enlarge

An artwork depicting the history of the cricket bat. (Click on the image for larger view)

In 1821, the distance between the bowling and popping creases was increased from 46 to 48 inches. On May 10, 1838, the size of a cricket ball was codified for the first time, being a circumference between 9 and 9 1/4 inches.

By 1853, the cricket bat had been developed into roughly its modern form, being carved from a single piece of willow and attached to a cane handle.

In 1864, overarm bowling was allowed for the first time. Prior to this, only underarm bowling had been legal.

In 1865, creases were painted with whitewash for the first time. Prior to this, the creases were cut into the turf, forming small ditches an inch in width and depth.

In 1889 a bowler may change ends as often as he likes in an innings (subject to not bowling two consecutive overs) (previously he could only change ends once or twice); a side could declare its innings closed for the first time.

Balls per over

The number of balls in each over has changed throughout cricket’s history. The earliest rules of cricket specified that four balls were bowled in each over.

In 1889 four ball overs were replaced by five ball overs, and then this was changed to the current six balls an over in 1900. Since then, many countries have experimented with eight balls an over. In 1922 the number of balls per over was changed from six to eight in Australia only. In 1924 the eight ball over was extended to New Zealand and in 1937 to South Africa. The 1947 code allowed six or eight balls depending on the conditions of play.

Since the 1979/80 Australian and New Zealand seasons, the six ball over has been used worldwide and the most recent, 2000, code only permits six ball overs.

One-day cricket

In the 1960s, English county teams began playing a version of cricket with modified rules. Instead of allowing each team two innings and requiring the team to be dismissed in each one, they set up games of only one innings each, and decreed that the innings would be completed when a maximum number of overs had been bowled if they hadn‘t ended earlier.

This change to the rules allowed a game to be completed within one day. This did not supplant the traditional long format of the game, which continued to be played. Indeed, many cricket fans considered the shorter form of the game to be a corruption of the sport. One-day cricket did however have the advantage of delivering a result to spectators within a single day, thus improving cricket's appeal to younger or busier people.

International cricket

Nineteenth century

Main articles: History of Test cricket (to 1883)

History of Test cricket (1884 to 1889)

History of Test cricket (1890 to 1900)

The first ever cricket game played between teams representing their nations was between the USA and Canada in 1844. The match was played at Elysian Field in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Meanwhile, in England, county cricket was growing in popularity. In the 1870s, the MCC decided that the next step was to establish international relations with the British colonies, where cricket was becoming more popular as well.

In 1877 James Lillywhite put together a team and set off by ship for a tour of Australia. His team, representing England on foreign soil, played the first Test match against Australia on March 15, 1877, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Australia won by 45 runs.

On a tour of England in 1882, Australia narrowly beat England by 7 runs in a tense and exciting match, which prompted the Sporting Times to run an obituary lamenting "The Death of English Cricket", with the footnote "N.B. The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia". The following Australian summer, England played a series in Australia which the media played up as a quest to "regain the ashes". A small trophy was created, containing some ashes, and presented to the English captain. Except in times of war, regular series of Test matches between these two countries have continued until this day, playing for the right to hold the Ashes.

On March 12, 1888, England played South Africa for the first time in a Test match. The match occurred at St. George's Park, Port Elizabeth, South Africa and established South Africa as the third Test nation.

In 1900, cricket made its first and only appearance in the Olympics. Two teams competed, France and Britain. The French team consisted of mostly players from the British Embassy. The British team won. However, the players were not aware of the game's Olympic status until some time later: the Olympic organisers decided to expand the appeal of the Games by declaring that all the sports played in Paris that year were part of the 1900 Summer Olympics and awarding medals to the winners.

Pre-first world war era

On June 15, 1909 representatives from England, Australia and South Africa met at Lord's Cricket Ground in London, England and founded the Imperial Cricket Conference. Membership was confined to teams within the British Commonwealth who played Test cricket.

In 1912, a "Triangular Tournament" was organised in England, involving South Africa, Australia, and the host nation. It was the first Test series in which more than two countries took part. Though not helped by the weather, the enterprise was an utter disaster and was not repeated.

International cricket was suspended for the duration of World War I, although domestic first-class cricket was still played.

Between the wars

Between the World Wars, three new teams acquired Test status. On June 23, 1928, the West Indies played England at Lord's Cricket Ground in London. Then, England played against New Zealand in Lancaster Park, Christchurch, New Zealand on January 10, 1930. Finally, England matched up against one of its own colonies, India, on June 23, 1932, at Lord's.

One of the most controversial and antagonistic episodes in cricket history occurred during the 1932–33 tour of Australia by England. The so-called Bodyline tour saw England adopt the deliberate tactic of bowling fast, short-pitched balls at the bodies of the Australian batsmen, with the goal of intimidating them into losing their wickets. England won the Test series, but at the expense of a lot of ill feeling between the two countries. After this tour, the Laws of Cricket were changed to prevent any recurrence of such tactics.

The best-known and also most controversial of these changes was an amendment of the lbw rule, which was later to be blamed by eminent players like Bob Wyatt and Jack Fingleton for encouraging negative tactics based on a packed leg-side field during the 1950s.

With the outbreak of World War II, international cricket was again suspended until after the war.

Post-war era

After India and Pakistan gained independence in 1947, the new Pakistani cricket team played their first Test against their Indian counterparts at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi, India, on October 16, 1952. This was the first inaugural Test in which England did not play. No new Test teams were to be seen until the 1980s. At that time Pakistan included current day Bangladesh, which did not become independent until 1971.

One-day matches and the World Cup

The first one-day international match took place in Melbourne in 1971, as a time-filler after a Test match had been abandoned because of heavy rain on the opening days. It was tried simply as an experiment and to give the players some exercise, but turned out to be immensely popular. One-day internationals have since grown to become a popular form of the game, especially for those who are busier and want to be able to go to a match and see a result within one day.

One-day internationals proved so popular so quickly that the International Cricket Council organised the first Cricket World Cup in 1975, pitting all the Test nations against one another in a series of one-day games, hosted in England. The West Indies beat Australia in a thrilling final that cemented the popularity of the short form of cricket and led to World Cups being held every four years.

World Series Cricket

Main article:

The cricket world underwent a major upheaval in the years 1977–1979, precipitated by a single man, Kerry Packer. The conditions of poor player working conditions and remuneration were ripe for Packer to sign some of the best players in the world to a privately run cricket league, outside the structure of international cricket.

World Series Cricket hired some of the banned South African players and allowed them to show off their skills in an international forum, against other world-class players. Both rebel Test matches (known as ‘Supertests’) and one-day international matches were played. Barry Richards performed particularly impressively, and cricket fans began to realise just what they were missing out on with South Africa banned from officially sanctioned cricket.

By 1979, the schism in world cricket had been removed and the "rebel" players were allowed back into the establishment of international cricket, though the Supertests and one-day matches have never been granted official status. The fallout of World Series Cricket included the introduction of significantly higher player salaries, as well as bringing the innovations of coloured uniforms and night games into the mainstream.

The 1970s and 1980s

In the late 1970s and 1980s the West Indies were universally feared and respected thanks to a fine combination of terrifying fast bowlers (such as Michael Holding, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh and Malcolm Marshall) and powerful batsmen (such as Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd and Gordon Greenidge). Although there was no official Test championship at the time, they were widely regarded as being ‘world champions’ and famously ‘blackwashed’ England by beating them 5-0 in two five match series.

New Test nations

On February 17, 1982, Sri Lanka played England in its first Test at P. Saravanamuttu Stadium, Colombo, in Sri Lanka. On October 18, 1992, Zimbabwe played its first Test match against India at the Harare Sports Club, Harare, Zimbabwe. Bangladesh played India in its first Test on 10 November 2000.

Twenty-first century

In June 2001 the ICC introduced a ‘Test championship table’, and in October 2002 a ‘one-day international championship table’. Australia has topped both these tables since they were published, apart from January to May 2003 when it was topped by South Africa, but this was only because South Africa had gained maximum points from playing the weakest two nations, whereas Australia had not played them.

Cricket remains a major world sport and is the most popular spectator sport in the Indian subcontinent, which gives the Asian cricketing nations a lot of political clout in the ICC. The ICC has expanded its Development Program with the goal of producing more national teams capable of competing at Test level. Development efforts are focused on African and Asian nations, and the United States. In 2004, the ICC Intercontinental Cup brought first class cricket to 12 nations, mostly for the first time.

The future

The U.S. has long been seen as a promising market for cricket, but it has been difficult to make any impression on a public largely ignorant of the sport. The establishment of the Pro Cricket professional league in the U.S. in 2004 may be the beginning of broaching this last frontier. China may also be a source of future cricket development, with the Chinese government announcing plans in 2004 to develop the sport—almost unknown in China—with the goal of qualifying for the World Cup by 2019.

Secondly, the ICC is conducting ongoing reviews of the interpretation of Law 24.3 of the Laws of Cricket: Definition of fair delivery – the arm, in the wake of biomechanical findings that Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan violates the guidelines for arm extension when bowling his doosra. The reporting of Muralitharan for a suspect arm action by match referee Chris Broad and the subsequent study has precipitated a crisis by finding that the current interpretive guidelines may be inadequate and ultimately unenforceable. What this means for the Laws of Cricket remains to be seen.

As of December 2005, the strongest Test team in the world according to the official rankings is Australia, with India in second place.

The India vs. Pakistan rivalry

India and Pakistan have been long-time rivals. The bloodshed and hatred created during partition of India has not abated yet. It also most likely caused by the nations' dispute over Kashmir, a region or state located between Pakistan and India. This feud affected both the diplomatic and political relations and their gaming rivalries.

In the past, India and Pakistan played have played each other in non-Test playing nations such as Canada or the U.A.E., where it would be unlikely that they receive a large audience. They have also been noted to threaten boycotting matches against each other during their World Cup Draws.

In this context, cricket assumes a much larger significance. A loss at the hands of the other is considered nothing less than national failure. Instances when the players homes have been pelted after a match is lost are not uncommon. It is even more uncommon, for cricket-enthusiasts to burn the effigees of the losing teams players or even players that have simply performed badly. A successful team and successful players receive a hero's welcome for months after the victory. Thus both the teams are under tremendous pressure to perform and win. With both teams trying their level best, the matches often turn out be nail-biting cliff-hangers.

After the 1999 Kargil Conflict, however, much of the hate has changed into a peaceful rivalry between teams. The two teams played each other in Australia in the 99/00 Triangular Series. Furthermore, in the 2003 World Cup, the two teams met each other in the Super Six section, in which India achieved a memorable victory and later went on to the Finals. Furthermore, in the 03/04 season, India finally completed a tour of Pakistan, in which there were rare scenes of Indian and Pakistani supporters in unison, followed in early 2005 by a reciprocal tour by Pakistan in India to complete 3 Tests and 6 ODIs. Indian and Pakistani fans joined together in what was described as "cricket diplomacy", many now refer to an Indo-Pakistani series as a "Friendship Series".

Betting controversies

Cricket has always been a popular betting game. With betting games come betting scandals, with players being approached by bookmakers and bribed to throw matches, aspects of matches (e.g. the toss) or provide other information.

Before the late 1990s and 2000s, betting scandals were not taken too seriously. In 1981 the Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee bet on England to beat Australia at Headingley at odds of 500-1 (England were well behind with seven wickets down following-on, still behind, and had checked out of their hotel that morning not believing they would make it to the final day when he placed the bet). England went on to win the match, and Lillee's bet, but no action was ever taken against him.

Lack of sanction for earlier betting scandals, the cricketers low pay compared to the amounts being received by the national cricket boards, and the size of bets placed on cricket in the subcontinent all combined to tempt many players to get involved with betting rings.

Probably the greatest cricketing crook was Salim Malik, the former Pakistan captain. He should have been remembered as one of the greatest Pakistani batsmen of all time, but is instead remembered as a man who accepted thousands of dollars of bribes, threw many games and whose captaincy was entirely corrupt. He, along with Mohammed Azharuddin, the former Indian captain, are now banned from cricket for life.

The other main country to be rocked by betting scandals was South Africa. Their then captain Hansie Cronje broke down after admitting accepting bribes, though he always denied actually throwing the games he accepted bribes to throw.

Criminal enquiries took place in all three countries. Players from other teams have also been implicated, though usually without there being any significant evidence that would stand up in a court of law. However, Shane Warne did receive a fine from the Australian Cricket Board for offering information about the weather to bookmakers.

The ICC was slow to react, but did eventually in 2000 set up an Anti-Corruption and Security Unit headed by Sir Paul Condon, former head of the London Metropolitan Police. It claims to have reduced corruption in cricket to a 'reducible minimum'.

Indian Cricket: A destiny waits, a nation hopes

The upcoming International Cricket sees Indian Cricket on the threshold of attaining greatness, while at the same time facing the fear of defeat. If things go right, history could be made. But, what if things were to go wrong? A look at the exhilarating season ahead.

The Indian Cricket season has begun, and if you happen to be an Indian cricket fan you would know that India hasn't had such an exciting season of Cricket to look forward to for the past many years.

To be specific, the season is set to begin with a two test series against New Zealand, followed by a Triangular series between India, New Zealand and Australia.

The year ends with a full-fledged tour to the "Down Under."

The Indian Cricket team has had a break of almost four months and now the fans are hungry for some electrifying Cricket action, and, honestly, they couldn't have asked for anything more than this upcoming season, which begins on October 8th.

However, the fans are not the ones who will put the sweat, blood and tears into the game.

No, they will not be the ones whose careers will be made or destroyed, and indeed they will not be the ones who would get the flak if things somehow went wrong.

No, it will not be the fans that will make the difference!

Then who will?

The answer is fairly straight -- it will be those "Few Good Men" who are selected to represent their country.

It will be those men that will make the ultimate difference between an exciting season or a terribly disappointing season!

For the Indian cricket team, this season is going to be a lot more than just an exciting duel that would be played over a period of some months.

It would be an opportunity, a chance of a lifetime, a path towards greatness and into the history pages and... wait!

But, what if things were to go wrong?

What about that painful realization of reality, which would be so terribly humbling?

What about that broken reputation, that was developed with so much of hard work and passion over the last two years?

What about the criticism and above all what about the faith and trust of the millions of cricket followers in India?

Yes, indeed, what happens if everything was to go wrong? One shudders to even think about the answers to the above questions and yet they are as close to being true as they are to being proved as imaginations of a pessimistic individual!

Yes, the path that the Indian team walks for the next few months would be a path that would lead to two highly contrasting destinations -- one towards Glory and the other towards solemn loneliness and pain.

The last two years have been exceptional for Indian Cricket and for the first time in many years, the team has looked like a unit that is truly fit and ready for combat against any opponent and more importantly-Anywhere!

India's success over the past two years is not merely a topic of subjective discussion, but is underlined by specific achievements.

From being the World Cup 2003 runners-up to the joint winners of the Champions Trophy.

From winning the Nat west Tri-Series in England in 2002 to beating England in a test-match at Headingley.

Indian Cricket, generally, has had a brilliant time.

However, where there is a high there is also a low and Indian Cricket also has had its share.

None worse then their tour to New Zealand at the end of the year 2002, where the Indians lost both the Test Series as well as the One Day series.

It was a loss that hurt and humiliated the whole team and destroyed certain reputations.

If that was not enough, it made a team of 16 hardworking, sincere and committed men into a topic of teatime ridicule and bashing.

It was, in the real sense of the word, a complete "Nightmare!"

However, it is a tribute to this new Indian side's attitude and ability, that after all the criticism and humiliation that they faced in New Zealand, they struck back and made it to the finals of the Cricket World Cup, and honestly made a lot of people "eat humble pie."

The team lost only two games in the World Cup out of the 11 it played and, on both occasions, it was the Australians that spoiled their party, first in the league stage and then in the Final.

Now, the Indians are all set to face both these teams who have been their nemesis over the past few months, and that is why the battle is going to be a highly intense and emotional one.

As a matter of fact, the season ahead is already being named a "Grudge Season," and the word revenge has been associated rather loosely with it.

Even though I don't believe in such terms being used in sport, there is something about this forthcoming season that even I am finding it hard to describe as anything other than by those terms.

Indeed it's payback time, and it is this revenge angle that has taken the hardcore Cricket fans to euphoria by adding that extra spice to this whole upcoming season.

Though on the flip side, such hype is bound to create extra pressure on the Indian team and, therefore, their resolve and ability will be tested to the fore in these upcoming opening matches.

Revenge and grudge aside, the season is going to see some of the most talented cricketers go head-to-head against each other.

This is especially true in the Triangular series between India, Australia and New Zealand, which is going to be an absolute Battle Royal as the top three One day sides in the world take on each other.

Players like Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting, Nathan Astle, Rahul Dravid, and Brett Lee, just to name a few, are all superstars of the modern game. To be able to watch all of them in one tournament is a treat that no cricket fan would want to miss.

Then again, once the dust has settled, once the euphoria has come to rest, once the questions have been answered, one thing is for sure -- Indian Cricket will have come full circle.

After that, whether history is made or the loneliness that accompanies defeat is experienced, we Indians will continue to be optimistic and rely upon that one beautiful feeling, that one eternal word -- "Hope!"

Sachin Tendulkar-- Modern God of batting

There are those in sports that become legends while they're still players. Meet Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, the best batsman in the world of cricket.In the field of sports there are always men who are better than others. They are the men who become icons and they are the men who are legends. The following article is about such a man who, at the age of 28, is arguably the modern God of Batting.

This column is about the man who rules modern day Cricket and has the unmatched ability to attract huge crowds wherever he plays. He is the "Master Blaster" Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, the best batsman in the World.

Sachin Tendulkar was born on April 24, 1973, in India's business capital, Bombay (now Mumbai). Right from his childhood, Sachin was inclined towards Cricket and was an ardent fan of Sunil Gavaskar, a batting mastero himself. It was this inclination towards Cricket, which brought him to the ShardaAshram Vidya Mandir School, which was renowned for its Cricket team.

There, under the guidance of coach Mr. Ramakant Achrekar, Sachin learnt his first lessons on Cricket. Playing for his School team in an Inter School Cricket Championship, he made the Record books for the first time when he was involved in a massive World Record partnership of 646 runs with his school mate Vinod Kambli, who like Sachin went on to play for India. This partnership remains the highest ever partnership in any form of Cricket. Sachin Tendulkar had already made his presence felt and this was just the beginning!

At the age of 15, Sachin made his first-class debut with a bang. He scored centuries on debut in all of the three domestic first-class competitions. This is a record for India's Domestic Cricket. This was just another feather in his cap. So, the scene was set for this young prodigy to display his skills at the International level. After such sensational performances Sachin's international debut was just around the corner. The year was 1989, the venue Karachi and the opponents, India's arch rivals Pakistan. Before a hostile crowd Tendulkar, aged 16 Years 205 days became the youngest ever Test Cricketer for India. It wasn't an easy debut for the 5'4", lean built youngster as the Pakistani pace battery, which included such stalwarts as Imran Khan and Wasim Akram, showered him with some fiery Bouncers. His face was blooded when he was struck on his nose but such was his grit and determination that he stood his ground and made a gutsy 15. It was not the most sensational debuts but considering the conditions it was not the worst either. Thus the International debut was made and a youngster was waiting to embark upon an International Career that was to dazzle many off their feet in the years to come.

If you ask a batsman which moment in Test Cricket he cherished the most, nine out of 10 times, the answer will be the first Test Century. Yes, a Test Century is always very special for any Cricketer. Sachin scored his maiden Test Century at an age of 17 Years to become the 2nd youngest Test Centurion ever. He scored his 1st Test Century against England in a match saving effort. Sachin Tendulkar had now well and truly arrived on the scene and the Cricket Pundits were already hailing this 'Bombay Bomber' as the Superstar of the future. How true this prediction was to be!

Then came the Test Series against the mighty Aussies in their own Backyard. In conditions which are considered too hot for the Indians to handle, this young man scored a breath taking century on the fastest wicket (playing surface) in the World against one of the most fearsome pace bowling attack of the 90s. He showed his class as his more experienced teammates struggled to come to terms with the extra pace and bounce in the Wicket. Sachin scored another century on the same tour at Sydney and he was not yet 20. For a man short in stature, he handled the pace and bounce with utmost ease and struck the ball with sheer brute force. The hardest of critics couldn't help admire his exceptional talent and he returned home with a reputation that was ever growing. So, a star was born and since then he has never looked back. With a Test Career average of almost 57 (Over 50 is exceptional) and 25 Test Centuries (4th on the list of most centuries in test Cricket) his future looks ominous.

The best part about Sachin's batting is that he can balance his aggressive strokeplay with a strong defensive technique. This is the reason why he has earned respect of both the connoisseurs and the average Cricket fan. His brute stroke play and his silken timing make his batting a sight to behold. His hand eye coordination is such that once, a great cricketer commented that he could even bat with a stump. It is this aggression which has helped him to make a huge mark on the limited overs version of the game. In fact, he is the king of the One Day Game. He holds the record for the most number of runs (10178), most number of centuries (28) and the most number of Man of the match records. Such is his dominance that the next batsman closest to him in as far as the number of runs is concerned is about 2000 runs behind. Same is the case with his centuries, he leads the list by a margin of nine centuries.

Sachin Tendulkar's one-day career changed on that fateful afternoon in Auckland, New Zealand. Due to an injury to one of the Indian openers Sachin was sent out to open the innings for the first time in his life. A swashbuckling 82 off just 40 odd balls ensured that he made the slot his own. The ball had never raced quicker to the boundary as it did that afternoon at the Eden Park in Auckland. The phenomenon was unleashed. From that time on he has become the most prolific opener in one day cricket. Some of his most memorable innings have come in the shorter version of the game, like his 143 against Australia where he single handedly demolished the Aussie attack and guided India to a berth in the finals of the Tournament. He also showed immense character and courage when after attending his father's funeral the day before, he smashed the Kenyan attack to score an emotionally charged 140 not out. In the process he won India their first match of the 1999 World Cup. There was hardly an eye that was not moist when this little genius raised his bat on reaching his century, which he fittingly dedicated to his departed father. Also, not many can forget the onslaught that he launched on the Zimbabweans at Benoni in South Africa. India was struggling in the tournament and they desperately needed to win the match by achieving a very steep target of 240 runs in 40 overs (240 balls). Sachin was the captain of the side and unto this point in the tournament was struggling with his form. In the most memorable displays of batsmanship the champion batsman that he is chose the occasion to show his real class and scored a scintillating century which ultimately led India into the finals. It was one of his best innings.

Apart from being a great batsman Sachin is also a very useful bowler. 101 wickets in the One-Day format of the game are proof of his all-round ability. Who can ever forget his last over against South Africa in the HERO CUP in 1994. South Africa needed 6 runs of the last over (6 balls) with 2 wickets remaining. Sachin who had not bowled an over in the match took the ball from the captain and restricted South African batsmen to just 2 runs and won the match for India. It was a knockout game and India had to win to make it into the finals.

Tendulkar is GOD to the Indian fans. When he is batting the entire nation comes to a halt and prays for his success. Crowds flock to watch him practice and autograph hunters are never too far. Sachin has gained immense popularity through out the world and its not just because of his unparalleled batting but also because of his humbleness and modesty. He is a role model and an Icon for millions of his fans. At the age of 28, Sachin Tendulkar stands tall in reputation and achievements. With the World at his feet and with another 7odd years of Cricket left in him the future of this 'BOMBAY BOMBER' looks Ominous. He is truly the GOD of modern Batting.

The End of an Era

Mark Waugh was the most elegant Test c than the right at giving representation to minorities, but it refuses to give them real power.ustralian selectors from the squad for the first Ashes Test and immediately announced his retirement from the international game. He never did hang around, which was...

England will be delighted to see the back of him. He averaged 50 against them - more than against any other side - and excelled at first slip, where he was both leaping salmon and world-class angler, catching everything that came his way. He famously hit 138 on his Ashes debut in 1990-91, when he was picked in place of his twin brother Steve. Twelve years later, the selectorial merry-go-round has come full circle. Steve's hundred in the third Test against Pakistan has cost Mark his career: the selectors were keen to phase one of them out, and you don't drop your century-making captain in a hurry.

Mark's place in the team had divided Australia for three or four years, but each time the guillotine was sharpened, he pulled off a stay of execution with a superb innings. His crime this time was to fail when the pressure was on: scores of 55, 0, 2 and 23 against Pakistan and he was gone. Since hitting 120 against England at The Oval in August 2001, Waugh has made 518 runs at 30, which in Australian terms isn't good enough - even if you have scored over 8000 Test runs and held 181 catches.

Waugh's replacement is Darren Lehmann, which should delight England too. He is 32, and comes with this glowing reference from Mike Atherton: "England's bowlers will not have forgotten how Lehmann looked as nervous as a kitten in Melbourne and Sydney four years ago, his normally assured footwork frozen, and his expansive stroke-play cramped by the pressure of the occasion." Lehmann made scores of 13, 4, 32 and 0, and England will target him once again. In a fixture where they are desperate for some light at the end of the tunnel, here is a glimmer.

It's only fair to declare an interest at this point: Waugh was my favourite Australian batsman, and not merely because his career average, which hovered around 42, was much less frightening than most of his compatriots'. No, it was because Waugh had that special quality which lifts sport from the functional to the flamboyant: he was an absolute joy to watch. The glide through square leg, the cut behind point, the cover-drive - all of them played with languid ease, light wrists and a touch of poetry. An hour of Mark Waugh and you forgot which side you were supporting.

He was all too human as well. On the field, a waft to the keeper would infuriate his critics. Off it, his involvement in the money-for-information scandal was probably more naÃ¯ve than calculating. He was a straightforward bloke who loved a bet and a beer, and hated the press, who portrayed him, with some justification, as a flawed genius. In spirit, Waugh felt more like a left-hander, all vulnerable artistry. But then he always defied the pigeon-hole: his long-term girlfriend is 13 years his senior, and who cares what anyone else thinks.