Cricket is one of the forms of the many games played with a ball and bat in England from past 500 years. It evolved as a distinct game around 17th century. Initially, during the mid of the 18th century, the bat used to be like the hockey stick curving outwards.
The test matches played in cricket are the only format of any game that is played for five days and can still end in a draw. Another interesting aspect of cricket is that the length of the pitch is 22 yards, but the size of the ground remains unspecified. There are oval as well circular grounds.
Rules of Cricket
Rules about cricket were first written around 1744. It gave the umpires the power to resolve any dispute. It specified the stumps to be 22 inches high and the bails across them to be six inches. The ball weight about five or six ounces and the distance between the two set of stumps was 22 yards.
The first cricket club came into existence in Hambledon in 1760s. The first leg-before law was published in 1744 and it was around the same time that the third stump became popular. By 1780 the matches were played for around three days and the first six-seam ball was also created in the same time.
Cricket Equipment
The most important equipment associated with cricket continues to be handmade still today. They are made up of natural and pre-industrial materials. The bats are handmade of cork, leather and twine. Only the protective equipment like the pads, gloves and helmets synthetic materials like vulcanised rubber etc are used.
Cricket was first played in India in Bombay by the Zoroastrian or Parsi community. The Oriental Cricket Club found in Bombay in 1848 was the first Indian cricket club. The Parsis had to open built their own Gymkhana following a quarrel with the whites for the Bombay Gymkhana. In 1889 The Bombay Gymkhana team was defeated by the Parsi team.
Modern Cricket and Use of Technology
Modern cricket is dominated by Test and one-day internationals format. Some of the great players whom we all fondly remember are the ones who have played in the Test cricket. CK Nayudu is one such great player. He was also the first Test captain of India. India became a Test playing nation in 1932, many years before it got its independence. Test cricket initially was played among various parts of the British Empire and not between Sovereign states, The first Test was played between England and Australia.
Television coverage has brought cricket to every household. With the satellite television, it is now possible to catch live updates of match played anywhere across the world. India has the largest viewer-ship of the game and is the largest market for cricket. One hundred and fifty years ago our Parsi ancestors had to struggle to play the game, but today, Indian cricket players are the best-paid and the most famous in the world.