The modern game of cricket originated in England, and the country's teams still dominate the game, along with teams from former British colonies such as Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa, Zimbabwe and the West Indies, as well teams from Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Early Origins
The earliest origins of the game are not clear, but it is thought to have almost certainly evolved in Northern Europe. According to the ESPN website, earliest evidence of cricket being played in England is in 1550, in the city of Guildford, southeast England. This compliments other early evidence suggesting it was played by people on farmland where the fields were close-cropped, like in southeast England.
Lords
The birth of the Marylebone Cricket Club and its home ground, Lords, is really the starting point of modern British cricket. According to the Lords website, the ground was created by the entrepreneur Thomas Lord in 1787 as a result of the English gentry, who were the only players of the game at that time, being upset at the working classes disrupting the games. The Lords stadium was built to achieve some order and keep the mobs out.
The Ashes
The most important contest in modern cricket is The Ashes test series, held every two years between England and Australia. This tradition stretches back to 1882 when England first lost to Australia in Britain. The stumps and bails from the game were burnt to ashes and put inside a small urn. English and Australian sides have competed for the last 130 years to win the ashes from that first game.
Modern Era
A new form of the game was created in 2003 in England called Twenty20. This is a short version of the game which can played in only a few hours, as opposed to test matches like the ashes which are played over five days. Twenty20 has brought an influx of TV and advertising revenue into the game, and attracted new audiences due to its dramatic high scoring and aggressive nature.
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