Origins
Cricket was probably created during Saxon or Norman times by children living in the Weald, an area of dense woodlands and clearings in south-east England. It is generally believed that cricket survived as a children’s game for many generations before it was increasingly taken up by adults around the beginning of the 17th century.
According to Heiner Gillmeister, a European Language Expert Of The University Of Bonn, The Word Cricket Was Derived From The Middle Dutch Phrase For Hocky Met De (Krik Ket)sen (Meaning “With The Stick Chase. The Bat Used To Be Curved Like A Hockey Stick. The Ball Used To Be Rolled On The Ground There Used To Be Only 2 Sticks.
It is generally believed that cricket survived as a children’s game for many generations before it was increasingly taken up by adults around the beginning of the 17th century. Several words are thought to be possible sources for the term “cricket”. In the earliest definite reference, it was spelled creckett. Cricket thrived after the Restoration in 1660 and is believed to have first attracted gamblers making large bets at this time. Cricket was introduced to North America via the English colonies in the 17th century, probably before it had even reached the north of England. In the 18th Century, it arrived in other parts of the globe. The game continued to spread throughout England, and, in 1751, Yorkshire is first mentioned as a venue. Cricket faced its first real crisis during the 18th century when major matches virtually ceased during the Seven Years’ War. This was largely due to a shortage of players and a lack of investment.
Although There Are Many Different Speculation On What “Cricket Means !!!
Was it Hockey or cricket .. food for thought !!!
Read : Early Cricket
White versus Red versus Pink Ball
Traditionally, red cricket balls have been used in Test Matches whereas White cricket balls are now used exclusively in limited-overs cricket. Pink Cricket Balls are used only in Day-Night Test Matches. Moreover, Red and Pink cricket balls undergo less wear and tear, whereas White balls tend to swing more.
South African Cricket History
Introduction
The first official match was played in 1808 between two teams of military men. 1st team led by Colonel Austin and 2nd team led by General Clavering. But South Africa started playing International cricket in 1880s and 1890s before that they had only domestic leagues. In 1970 because of their apartheid law South Africa was banned from cricket for 21 years.
Formats
South Africa plays in all the three formats One Day Internationals (ODIs), Twenty 20 Internationals (T20Is) and Tests. South Africa is also a full-time member of International Cricket Council (ICC).
Record Holders
Jacques Kallis : He has the third highest catches 338. the only player in the history of cricket to have made more than 10,000 runs and taken more than 250 wickets in both Tests and ODIs.
Shaun Pollock : The first test captain to be remained unbeaten on 99 in a test innings. He also holds the record for taking the most wickets on home soil in ODIs – 193. He holds the record for bowling the most Maiden overs in ODI history – 313.
Famous All Rounders
Jacques Kallis – He is one of the best all rounders of the world he is the only cricketer in the history of the game to make more than 10,000 runs and take more than 250 wickets in tests as well as ODIs.
Hansie Cronje – He has about 3700 runs and 43 wickets in tests and in ODIs he has 5565 runs and 114 wickets. In FC cricket he has scored more than 12000 runs and 116 wickets.
Shaun Pollock – He served the role of a Bowling all rounder though not great with the bat but facing his bowling was one the most difficult things. He was a right arm pacer.
West Indies Cricket History
TheWest Indies is a subregion of North America,that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories.
Also known as Windies or Men in Maroon, West Indies cricket team is men’s cricket team representing territories in the Caribbean region. From the mid-late 1970s to the early 1990s, the West Indies team was the strongest in the world. As of 13 May 2021, the West Indies cricket team is ranked seventh in Tests and ninth in both ODIs and T20Is in the official ICC rankings.
History
it all began in the 1890s, when players were selected to represent themselves to the
visiting english. soon, the wicb joined the imperial cricket conference, played their first
international match, and were given test status, making them the 4 test nation.
Achievements
- In 1976, fast bowler Michael Holding took 14/149 in the Test against England, setting a record which still stands for best bowling figures in a Test by a West Indies bowler
- They beat Australia and Sri Lanka in the 2012 World Twenty20 to win their first ICC world championship since the 1979 World Cup and then bested England to win the 2016 World Twenty20, making them the first team to win the World Twenty20 twice.
- As an added bonus, the West Indies also became the first to win both the men’s and women’s World Twenty20 on the same day, as the women’s team beat three time defending champion Australia for their first ICC world title immediately beforehand.
There are many top players from historical and modern day times , some of them are
- Chris Gayle
- DJ Bravo
- Andre Russell
Cricket Australia
- Cricket has been played in Australia for over 210 years. The Australian cricket team is also called as the kangaroos
- The first recorded cricket match in Australia took place in Sydney in December 1803
- A report in the Sydney Gazette on 8 January 1804 suggested that cricket was already well established in the infant colony
History of cricket in Australia
- If cricket had been founded in England, it really took off with their contests against Australia.
- It had all started when a group of Australian Aborigines had toured England in 1868.
- It took nine years for the first Test to be played, and five more years for the Ashes – the mother of all cricket contests – to take off.
- Without a doubt Australia has been the most consistent team over years.
- There has not been a five-year lull during which they were not among the top three sides in the world.
- The Australian style of playing cricket in an inimitable aggressive, never-say-die attitude has probably been the driving factor behind their consistent success
Awards
Australia has won the world cup a record 5 times. It won it’s first World cup in 1987 under Allan Border. Then in 1999 under Steve Waugh and then in 2003 and 2007 under Ricky Ponting. And in 2015 under Michael Clarke.
Guess Greatest players of Australia
Australian team rankings
Australia plays 3 formats – tests, ODI and T20.
They are no.1 in tests
They are no.3 in ODI
They are no.6 in T20
(But Australia recently won the T20 world cup played in the UAE)
The current white ball captain is Aaron Finch And the current red ball captain is Pat Cummins.
Women’s team of Australia
The women’s Australian team is currently on the top of the table in both ODI and T20. It also remained unbeaten in the recently concluded 2022 world cup led by Meg Lanning.
Cricket grounds of Australia
1.Bellireve Oval
2.Gabba Stadium
3.Manuka Oval
4. MCG
5. Marvel Stadium
6.Metricon Stadium
7.Geelong
8.SCG
9.Optus Stadium
Bangladesh National Cricket
The Bangladesh men’s national cricket team, popularly known as The Tigers, is administered by the Bangladesh Cricket Board. It is a Full Member of the International Cricket Council with Test, One-Day International and T20 International status.
Although cricket was introduced to Bangladesh under British rule around two centuries ago, it was not until after independence in 1971 that the game gradually took hold with the masses. It became an Associate Member of the ICC in 1977 and quickly rose to prominence thanks to its results in ACC tournaments.
Bangladesh’s first official foray into international cricket came in the 1979 ICC Trophy in England. On 31 March 1986, Bangladesh played its first ODI match, against Pakistan in the Asia Cup.
Success of Bangladesh
Bangladesh’s first participation in the World Cup, in 1999, was a great success when it shocked Pakistan in its last group match before making a creditable exit. Although its 2003 campaign went winless it bounced back in 2007 to achieve significant victories over India and South Africa. It also claimed a memorable scalp during the first ICC World Twenty20, when it beat West Indies to reach the Super Eights. Bangladesh has reached the finals of three Asia Cup tournaments and were semifinalists in the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017.
Test progress has not been at the same pace with its first win coming four years after its November 2000 bow against India – a victory over Zimbabwe in Chittagong. Its first overseas Test victory was quickly followed by a second as it completed a series triumph in West Indies in 2009.
More Facts
- Hakib Al Hasan is one of the leading all-rounders in world cricket and the best cricketer to represent Bangladesh.
- Cricket is the most popular sport in Bangladesh. Its popularity rose after the national team won the ICC Trophy in 1997 and for the first time qualified for the Cricket World Cup in 1999.
- The first T20 captain of Bangladesh is Shahriar Nafees.
Everyday Reflections 