The sport of cricket shares the same basic playing procedures as baseball. The offensive team attempts to bat the ball while the defensive team takes position in the playing field. While baseball remains a popular American pastime, the sport of cricket has been an international sport since the early 1700s. Due to the longevity of the sport, many strange and interesting occurrences have taken place throughout the history of cricket.
History
According to the University of Southern Indiana Cricket Club, the earliest cricket matches to take place in the United States occurred in the Chesapeake, Va., region in the year 1700. Strangely enough, many animals have interrupted official cricket matches over the years. In 1889, for instance, an English match between the Worchestershire and Derbyshire teams came to a halt as a pig ran across the playing field. According to Athletic Scholarships, large crowds of uninvited spectators would often gather to watch the aristocracy of England play cricket in the late 1780s. These events led to the aristocracy purchasing land to develop some of the earliest private cricket fields.
Function
According to Athletic Scholarships, cricket originally functioned as a gentlemanly activity for aristocrats, similar to fox hunting or horseback riding. However, as the years progressed and teams began to form, cricket evolved into an international competitive sport. The first official international cricket match took place in 1844. The American cricket team played the Canadian cricket team at the St. Georges Club in New York. The teams wagered $1,000 on the outcome of the cricket match.
Geography
According to the University of Southern Indiana Cricket Club, cricket stands as the second most popular sport in the world, after soccer, and currently has teams in over 130 countries. Cricket helped to spawn the game of town ball, which became popular in North America in the 1800s. Town ball eventually led to the development of baseball in New York City in the mid-1840s.
Features
The defensive team uses a flattened bat in an attempt to hit the ball. According to RBC Wicket Cricket, the cricket bat actually has a lightweight construction of around 2 to 3 lb. The cricket ball features a core constructed of tightly woven strings and a leather cover. In men's cricket, the ball weighs around 5 oz. The ball used in women's and junior cricket has a slightly smaller construction.
Types
According to the War of Cricket, one-day cricket remains the most popular type of cricket and attracts huge audiences of spectators. International one-day cricket matches are played between two teams, each representing a country. As the name implies, one-day cricket matches have a time limit of one day. Test cricket, another widely played form of the sport, consists of matches that often last up to five days.
Member Comments