MY FAV SPORT
CRICKET
THE HISTORY
Cricket was probably first played
in England, at east as early as the 1300's. It became a major sport there in the
1700's. The first printed rule appeared in 1744. Since 1788, cricket rules have
been made and published in England by the Marylebone Cricket Club (M.C.C.)
In the earliest forms of cricket, the ball was bowled underhand and bats were
shaped like hockey sticks. In the mid-1800's, overhand bowling became legal and
batsmen began using bats like those of today. The highest level of cricket is
international competition called TEST MATCHES. The first test
match was played in 1877 between England and Australia in Melbourne, Australia.
Today the International Cricket Conference regulates test matches official tests
are played between 10 teams, representing ENGLAND, AUSTRALIA, INDIA,
PAKISTAN, NEW ZEALAND, SOUTH AFRICA, SRI LANKA ZIMBABWE, WEST-INDIES,
BANGLADESH.
Since 1882 a series of test matches between England and Australia has
been played for the ASHES. This
term was first used after Australia had beaten England in a match in London.
after that defeat, an English newspaper printed a death notice of English
cricket. The last words were : "The body will be cremated, and the ashes
taken to Australia." A year later, an English team went to Australia and
won. Some Australians women burned part of a wicket, put the ashes in a small
urn, and presented the urn to the English team captain. The urn was later sent
to Lord's, a major cricket ground in London and the headquarters of the M.C.C.
It is always kept there, no matter which country win the Ashes.
Many countries in which cricket is popular hold one or more championship series
for the best teams. These series include the County Championship in England, the
Sheffield Shield in Australia, the Shell Series in New-Zealand, the Curry Cup in
South-Africa and the Ranji Trophy in India.
Copyright © 2001 GANESH.