THE WORLD FAMOUS GAME: CRICKET
The History of Cricket
by Ben Johnson
Throughout the English countryside, each year in late April and early May, that familiar sound of leather (ball) against willow (bat) can once again be heard, signifying the start of a new cricket season. For American readers – this is the name of England’s premier summer sport and not some noisy bug!
A game, which could perhaps be described as a cross between baseball and chess. A game, which takes five days to play and more often than not ends in a draw. A game which has found devotees, followers and lovers in all of the far-flung reaches of the old British Empire including Australia, New Zealand, West Indies, South Africa, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The exact origins of cricket are unknown, but are believed to date back to the 16th century, the name deriving from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘cricc’, meaning a shepherd’s staff. It is thought that the first players were English shepherds, who used their ‘criccs’ as bats and the wicket gate of the sheep pens as a target for the bowlers or pitchers.
