History of cricket to 1725 facts for kids
Cricket is a sport with a long history, going back hundreds of years! The first clear mention of cricket was on January 17, 1597 (or January 27, 1598, by today's calendar). This was in a legal document from Guildford, England. A man named John Derrick said he played cricket on a piece of land when he was a boy around 1550. This shows that cricket was definitely played in the mid-1500s, but no one knows exactly how it started. It probably began in southeast England, in areas like Kent, Sussex, and Surrey.
Some people think the word "cricket" might come from the Flemish word krick(-e), which means a stick. Unlike other bat-and-ball games, cricket needs short grass to be played well. This is because the ball was rolled along the ground until the 1760s. Places like forest clearings or fields where sheep grazed would have been perfect for early games.
At first, cricket might have been a children's game in the 1500s. But by 1611, adults were playing it too. The first known organized match happened around 1611. From 1611 to 1725, we only know of about 30 organized matches between proper teams. There weren't many newspaper reports until the late 1600s, so most of what we know comes from old court records and private diaries.
During the time of King Charles I, rich people started to get more interested in cricket. They would support teams and sometimes even play themselves. A big reason they liked the game was the chance to bet on it. After 1660, cricket became a very popular social activity in London and southeast England. These wealthy supporters would set up big matches with professional players. Cricket also spread to other parts of the world, like North America, the Caribbean, and India, thanks to English colonists, sailors, and traders.
In the early 1700s, more information about cricket became available as newspapers started to report on it. The sport began to spread across England. By 1725, important supporters like Charles Lennox, the 2nd Duke of Richmond, and Sir William Gage were forming strong county teams in Kent and Sussex. Famous early players like William Bedle and Thomas Waymark were also active. Cricket matches attracted large crowds and were fun social events.
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How Cricket Began as a Children's Game
Most experts believe cricket started in early medieval times, south and southeast of London. The counties of Kent, Sussex, and Surrey were the first important places for cricket. From there, the game reached London, where it became very popular, and then spread to other southern counties like Berkshire and Essex. Around 1610, a cricket match was played in Chevening, Kent, between teams from different areas.
Many old words might be where the name "cricket" came from. In 1598, it was called creckett. Because England had strong trade links with Flanders (now part of Belgium) back then, the name might come from the Middle Dutch word krick or kricke, meaning a stick. Another idea is the Old English word cricc or cryce, meaning a crutch or staff. In 1755, Samuel Johnson's dictionary said cricket came from "cryce, Saxon, a stick."
Cricket was probably invented by children and stayed a children's game for many years. It could have been invented anytime before the 1300s, or even earlier.
Experts agree that there's no clear proof that cricket came from another bat-and-ball game, or that other games came from cricket. They all agree that the earliest record of cricket is from a court case in the late 1500s in Surrey. This case shows that children were playing it in southeast England in the middle of that century. There are other bat-and-ball games around the world, like hurling, shinty, baseball, and rounders. Cricket is thought to be in the same family as games like stoolball, rounders, and baseball.
What was "Creag"?
On March 10, 1300, King Edward I's records show that money was paid for Prince Edward (who later became King Edward II) to play "creag and other games." Prince Edward was 15 at the time. Some people think "creag" might have been an early form of cricket, but it could have been something totally different. The word "creag" might be an old spelling of "craic," which means fun or entertainment in some parts of the UK and Ireland.
Village Cricket Grows: 1611–1660
Adults Start Playing
The first clear mention of cricket in Kent comes from a 1640 court case. It talked about a "cricketing" match around 1610 in Chevening, Kent. This is the earliest known village cricket match and the first organized match in England. Matches between different villages became popular in the early 1600s.
In 1611, a dictionary defined crosse as "the crooked staff wherewith boys play at cricket." Even though it was called a boys' game, other records from this time show adults playing too. In 1613, a court case mentioned someone being hit with a "cricket staffe." In 1617, Oliver Cromwell, who later became a famous leader, was recorded playing cricket in London. This is the first clear mention of cricket in London.
Sadly, in 1624, a player named Jasper Vinall died after being hit on the head by a batsman. The batsman, Edward Tye, was trying to hit the ball a second time to avoid being caught out. Vinall died 13 days later. This was the first recorded death in cricket. The court ruled it was an accident. This sad event happened again in 1647. Later, when the first official Laws of Cricket were written in 1744, it became illegal to hit the ball twice. The 1624 case also shows that two villages, Horsted Keynes and West Hoathly, were playing against each other, showing how village cricket was growing.
Playing on Sundays
The first clear mention of cricket in Sussex was in 1611. Church records show that two men, Bartholomew Wyatt and Richard Latter, didn't go to church on Easter Sunday because they were playing cricket. They were fined and had to apologize to the church congregation.
This was one of several times in the 1600s that people got into trouble for playing cricket on Sundays. Some religious groups, called Puritans, didn't approve of fun activities on Sundays. In 1617, King James I even made a list of sports that were allowed on Sundays. Cricket wasn't on the list. Later, during the English Civil War, Parliament, which was controlled by Puritans, closed theaters and limited other fun activities. However, cricket itself wasn't banned, unless players were "breaking the Sabbath" by playing on Sunday.
In 1622, some people were punished for playing cricket in a churchyard on a Sunday. One reason was that a "little childe had like to have her braines beaten out with a cricket batt!" This was because the rules at the time allowed batsmen to hit the ball twice, making it dangerous for fielders near them.
After the Civil War, in 1654, three men in Kent were fined for playing cricket on a Sunday. The fine was higher because the Puritans were in power. But they were fined for "breaking the Sabbath," not for playing cricket itself. After 1660, when the monarchy returned, attitudes changed. In 1671, a man accused of playing cricket on the Sabbath was found innocent, showing that people were more accepting.
Amateur Cricket Begins
The idea of "amateur" and "professional" players in cricket started around the time of King Charles I. In 1629, a church official named Henry Cuffin was in trouble for playing cricket on a Sunday evening. He said that some of his fellow players were "persons of repute and fashion," meaning they were wealthy and important. This is the first sign that cricket was becoming popular among rich people.
Wealthy people started betting large amounts of money on cricket. Some of these bettors became "patrons" who formed special teams to help them win. The first mention of betting on a cricket match was in 1646, for a game in Kent. The bet was for 12 candles, but rich people were involved. This match was unusual because two players from one team played against four from another, and the smaller team won!
In 1652, a game was called an "unlawful game called cricket." One of the players was a rich gentleman, but the others were working class. Cricket has always been a sport where different social classes could play together. But over time, the rich players became known as "amateurs," and the working-class players were "professionals." Amateurs played for fun and expenses, while professionals were paid. Amateur cricket was often played in schools and universities, which produced many top players.
There are not many records of school cricket in the 1600s. But in 1647, a Latin poem probably mentioned cricket being played at Winchester College. Around 1665, John Churchill, who became the 1st Duke of Marlborough, played cricket at St Paul's School in London. One historian said that cricket "must have been known to every schoolboy in the south-east" of England during this time. Back then, most schools didn't separate students by class, so rich and poor kids played together.
The first mention of cricket at Oxford University was in 1673. It seems cricket was a normal activity there. By 1728, when Samuel Johnson went to Pembroke College, Oxford, cricket matches were common. Cricket was also played at Eton College in the early 1700s. The first mention of cricket at Cambridge University was in 1710.
Important Cricket Grows: 1660–1700
After 1660, when the monarchy returned to England, cricket really took off, especially in the southeast. Rich people who had been playing village cricket brought the game back to London. However, there aren't many records from this time because newspapers were tightly controlled. We mostly find mentions in official records or private letters. In 1666, Sir Robert Paston wrote to his wife that their son played "a game of criquett" on Richmond Green, which became a popular place for matches.
The return of the monarchy in 1660 also meant that rules against sports were lifted. Cricket's popularity grew, and it started to spread. Rich people loved cricket, along with horse racing and boxing, because they could bet on it. They started forming the first teams that represented whole areas or counties. This led to the first "great matches." As rich people returned to London, they brought skilled "local experts" from village cricket to play as professionals.
A law in 1664 tried to limit betting on cricket, setting a maximum bet of £100. But cricket continued to be funded by betting for the next century.
In 1668, a court ruled that taxes couldn't be charged on drinks sold at a "kricketing" match. This meant that match organizers could sell drinks to spectators, which helped connect the sport with local pubs. This connection became a big part of cricket's history, as breweries often sponsored sports.
In 1677, records show that £3 was paid to Thomas Lennard, the 1st Earl of Sussex, when he went to a cricket match. In 1678, a Latin dictionary mentioned cricket as "a play." In 1694, another record showed a bet on a cricket match in Lewes.
Some people believe Mitcham Cricket Club was formed in 1685, making it the oldest cricket club in the world. However, there's no clear proof of any club being founded before 1722. Other clubs like Croydon, Dartford, and London might have started around the 1720s, but their exact founding dates are unknown.
The London Cricket Club became strongly linked with the Artillery Ground in Finsbury. This place was first mentioned for cricket in 1725. The Artillery Ground became a very important place for cricket in the mid-1700s.
In 1695, Parliament allowed newspapers to be free from strict control. This meant that cricket news could be reported. However, it took a long time for newspapers to regularly cover sports. The first known newspaper report of a "great match" was in 1697. It said:
"The middle of last week... a great match at cricket was played in Sussex; there were eleven of a side, and they played for fifty guineas apiece."
This match is important because it's the earliest record of an eleven-a-side game. The large amount of money being bet showed how important the match was.
In 1700, a newspaper announced a series of ten-a-side matches on Clapham Common. The first was on Easter Monday, April 1, with prizes of £10 and £20. No results were found, but the ad said "Gentlemen" would play. This shows that cricket had wealthy supporters and attracted spectators. This was also the earliest known organized match in Surrey.
Early Cricket Rules and Equipment
Early cricketers wore their everyday clothes and didn't have protective gear like gloves or pads. A painting from 1743 shows players in white shirts, breeches, and stockings. The wicket-keeper wore a waistcoat. Umpires and scorers wore long coats and hats. No one wore pads or gloves.
The ball was bowled underarm, along the ground, like in bowls. The wicket had two stumps with a single crosspiece on top. The batsman used a bat that looked like a modern hockey stick. This shape was perfect for hitting a ball that rolled on the ground. The straight bat we see today came about in the 1760s when bowlers started pitching the ball through the air.
The first mention of a cricket bat was in 1622. The word "batt" was mostly used in Kent and Sussex. Other common words for the bat were "staff," "stave," or "stick." The word "bat" probably comes from the French word "battledore," which was a paddle used for beating laundry.
The first mention of a cricket ball was in 1658. The cricket pitch has been 22 yards long since the first Laws of Cricket in 1744. This length might have been used since 1620. An "over" used to be four deliveries (balls) until the 1800s.
The earliest known mention of the wicket was in 1680, in an old bible that said: "All you that do delight in Cricket, come to Marden, pitch your wickets." Marden is in West Sussex. Until the 1770s, the wicket had two stumps and one bail (the crosspiece). The 1744 Laws said the wicket should be 22 inches high and 6 inches wide. But earlier pictures show a low, wide wicket, perhaps two feet wide and one foot high. The stumps had forks at the top to hold the light bail, which was placed so it would fall easily if a stump was hit.
Many people think the wicket might have looked like a church stool, which was low and wide. The legs of the stool were even called "stumps." This makes sense because a church stool was sometimes called a "kreckett" in the southeast, the same word John Derrick used for the game in 1598.
The first mention of an umpire was in 1680. Back then, there were two umpires, just like today. But the umpire at square-leg stood very close to the batsman's wicket. Both umpires carried a bat, which the running batsman had to touch to complete a run. There were also two scorers who sat on the field and recorded runs by making marks on sticks. That's why runs were sometimes called "notches."
In the 1600s and 1700s, there were two main types of cricket. "Single wicket" had only one batsman, though teams of three or five often played. "Double wicket" had two batsmen, and these were the games with eleven-a-side teams playing two innings each.
English Cricket in the Early 1700s
Cricket Supporters
Around 1702, the 1st Duke of Richmond's team beat an Arundel team in Sussex. A receipt shows the Duke paid for "brandy when your Grace plaid at Cricket with Arundel men," probably to celebrate a win. The game was likely played at Goodwood, the Duke's estate, or Arundel.
After the 1st Duke of Richmond died in 1723, his son, Charles Lennox, the 2nd Duke of Richmond, became a major supporter of cricket for the next 30 years. He had a friendly rivalry with his friend Sir William Gage, another Sussex supporter. Their teams played many times. Their first known match was on July 20, 1725, at Bury Hill, near Arundel. Richmond's team won by "above forty (runs)." The match was played in front of "a vast Concourse of People" and was hosted by the Duke of Norfolk.
The main rival to Richmond and Gage was Edwin Stead of Maidstone, a key supporter from Kent. The matches between Sussex and Kent teams might have started the idea of county championships.
Betting on Matches
Wealthy supporters helped pay for cricket in the 1700s. They were interested in cricket because it offered chances to bet. Every important match in the 1700s was played for money. Early newspapers often reported who won the bet rather than the match score.
Sometimes, betting led to arguments. Two matches even ended up in court because people disagreed about the bets. In 1718, a game between London and Rochester Punch Club was stopped because three Rochester players left, hoping to keep their money. London was winning. The court ordered the match to be finished. It was played out in July 1719, and London won by 21 runs. This is the earliest known clear result of a cricket match.
In 1724, a match between Edwin Stead's team and Chingford also stopped early because Chingford refused to finish when Stead's team was winning. Another court case followed, and the judge ordered them to finish the game.
To avoid these problems, people started using "articles of agreement" before matches. These agreements helped define the rules of play and eventually led to the official Laws of Cricket.
Early 1700s Matches
On August 7, 1705, a newspaper announced a match between West of Kent and Chatham. Chatham was an important cricket center.
On June 26, 1707, London played Mitcham at Lamb's Conduit Field in Holborn. The result is unknown. This is possibly the earliest important match in Middlesex and might have involved the original London Cricket Club.
In July 1707, Croydon played London twice. The first game was in Croydon, and the second was in Holborn. No results are known. These are the earliest known important matches in Surrey.
On June 23, 1708, a local match took place near Canterbury. A diary entry said: "We beat Ash Street at Crickets." This shows how popular cricket was in Kent.
The earliest known match that definitely involved county teams was Kent versus Surrey at Dartford Brent on June 29, 1709. This game was played for £50. From this time, counties were used as team names, though these "inter-county matches" were probably still mostly between villages near county borders. Dartford was an important club in the early 1700s.
One of the earliest great players was William Bedle (1680–1768) from Dartford. He was considered "the most expert player in England" around 1700 to 1725. Other good players in the 1720s included Edwin Stead of Kent and Thomas Waymark of Sussex.
Village cricket continued to do well. From 1717 to 1727, a farmer named Thomas Marchant kept a diary mentioning 21 village matches, showing how popular cricket was in Sussex. After 1716, we have records of cricket from every season, though details are often limited.
Dartford vs. London
The first big rivalry in cricket was between the Dartford and London clubs, who first played each other in 1722. London also played some matches against Kent, but the Kent team was likely made up mostly of Dartford players. In August 1719, London played Kent at White Conduit Fields, and Kent won. The report said: "The Kentish men won the wager," showing that the bet was more important than the match itself.
In July 1720, London beat Kent at White Conduit Fields. In this match, two London fielders were badly hurt when they crashed heads. After this, there was a quiet period in cricket reporting. This might have been because newspapers had less space for news.
In July 1722, a letter mentioned a match between "the little Parish of Dartford in Kent, and the Gentlemen known by the name of the London Club." This is the first time a "London Club" was actually mentioned by name.
Dartford and London played at Dartford Brent in June 1724. A week later, they had a return game at Kennington Common, near where The Oval cricket ground is today. The results of these matches are unknown.
Other Matches in the 1720s
In July 1720, Kingston beat Richmond in a match. The exact date and location are uncertain.
In 1723, a Surrey team played a London team at Moulsey Hurst. The result is unknown. This is the first time Moulsey Hurst was mentioned as a cricket venue.
In 1723, a politician named Robert Harley wrote in his journal about seeing a cricket match at Dartford Brent. He said: "of all the people of England the Kentish folk are the most renowned for, and of all the Kentish men, the men of Dartford lay claim to the greatest excellence."
In August 1724, a "great cricket match" was played at Penshurst Park between a combined team from Penshurst, Tonbridge, and Wadhurst, and Dartford. No details are known, but it was recorded in a diary.
Cricket Spreads in England and Beyond
The earliest known mention of cricket being played outside England was on May 6, 1676. A man named Henry Tonge, who was in Aleppo (now in Syria), wrote that about 40 English people left the city for fun and played "krickett."
The first clear mentions of cricket in India and North America are from the early 1700s. These actually came before the first mentions of cricket in Ireland, Scotland, or Wales, which happened much later.
In 1709, William Byrd of Westover played cricket on his estates in Virginia. This is the earliest mention of cricket in the New World.
In 1721, British sailors from the East India Company were reported playing cricket in Cambay, India. One player wrote: "We every day diverted ourselves with playing Cricket."
While British ships and trade helped spread cricket overseas, at home, the game grew thanks to better transport. Roads slowly improved, and in 1707, Parliament started setting up "turnpike trusts" to maintain roads. This made it easier for teams to travel for matches.
See also
- English cricket matches to 1725
- History of English cricket (1726–1750)
- List of earliest references in English cricket
- List of English cricketers to 1771
- List of historically significant English cricket teams
