rmg
 

ZECCE
 

zTZXl
 

HRQNICL
 

~rrx
 

~rTrt'-—=^
 

RICKBT
 

g—-jiTc:
 

COMPILED   EXPRESSLY   FOR   THE   NEW  YORK   CLIPPER   ANNUAL   FOR   1891.
 

EARLY   HISTORY.

Cricket is not a game of recent growth, but in some
rude form or other Avas in existence as early as the thir¬
teenth century. It Avas played mainly by boys until the
commencement of the eighteenth century, when the sup¬
port of men of influence and position had its natural
effect in improving the game. According to Strutt,
cricket takes its origin from an ancient game called "club
ball." Richardson explains that the game is derived from
the Saxon cryce or creag, a crooked stick, and the fact
that the bat, Avhich is noAv straight, is represented in old
pictures as crooked, shows that it is one of the obvious
instances of games that derived their names from the
implements Avith Avhich they are played. The Rev. J. Py-
croft, in the "Cricket Field," quotes the Avord cricket as
first occurring in 1685, although in the record of a trial in
1598 for the recovery of a piece of Avaste land at Guilford,
Eng,, a Avitness' evidence that he "played at cricket"
thereon Avhen he was "a boy" shows by inference that the
game AA'as played in that tOAvn much earlier. It is, hoAv-
ever, certain that cricket never became a recognized pas¬
time until 1740, the earliest knoAvn rules being dited about
that era, and the earliest knoAvn score is that of 1746. In
the infancy of cricket there Avere no stumps at all; instead
of wickets the early players cut in the turf tAvo circular
holes, and the batsman was put out in running, not, as
now, by puttinar down a wicket, but by the ball being
popped into this hole (Avhence "popping crease," says Mr.
Pycroft) before the point of the bat was grounded in it.
It is most probable that originally the single stump was
placed at the hole to point it out to bowlers and fielders.
In process of time the frequent disputes as to whether bat
or ball reached this hole first, as well as injuries received
in the unseemly struggles, Avould naturally suggest that
the beacon sturiip should be made more useful, and
that the runner should be out if this Avere displaced, as
well as by holing the ball. This also su^ested the conve¬
nience of the line rather less than four feet from, but
parallel to the Avicket, now called the popping crease. It
IS uncertain Avhen the second stump Avas added, but in
1700 the wicket consisted of two upright stumps, about
one foot high and tAvo feet wide, Avith a stick or stump
stretching across and beyond the stumps. Of course
many straight balls simply passed through the Avicket
without disarranging it, and the batsman Avould be not
out, and consequently a third stump Avas added about
1775 with one long bail, the Avicket being tAventy-two inches
high and six wide. About 1798 tlie wickets became
tAventy-four inches by seven inches Avith one bail, and in
1817 the wicket attained its present dimensions of tAventy-
seven inches by eight inches, with two bails, the size at
Avhich it has ever since remained. The length of the
ground between Avickets iias never altered, it always
standing at twenty-two yards. The Aveiglitof the ball is
the same now as in 1774—5><oz. to 5;j^oz,; and with regard
to the Avidth of the bat, it Avas fixed in 1774 at 4)^ inches,
and it has remained so ever since. The inventor of the
treble seamed ball was one John Small, a shoemaker of
Petersfield, Eng., who acquired a deserved competence for
his skill and ingenuity. In the primitive stages of cricket
there Avas neither limitation to length nor stipulation as
to width of the bat. In some old pictures the bat is re¬
presented as of great length and curved at the loAver ex¬
tremity. As the came progressed the bat Avas altered
and improved until, in 1827, its present dimensions Avere
finally fixed upon. PreA'ious to 1746 the score was kept by
notches on a short lath; hence the term notches for runs.
The notching knife gradually gave Avay to the pen, and
the thin stick to a sheet of foolscap. Some years ago an
English schoolmaster devised a system of scoring, very
elaborate in style, and Avhich, AA'hen properly filled, is a
complete reflex of the match itself.

The term "stumped" by so and so is fir.st found in 1746,
and it is supposed that such doings Avere recorded before
that as "run out." In 1773 "hit wicket" first occurs in the
score. This and "leg before wicket" were probably en¬
tered as "bowled." It was not until 1833 that the bowler's
name was inserted in the case of a catch. The first men¬
tion of no balls and Avides on the score sheet occurs about
1827. Previous to that Avides were included under the
head of byes. In 18.50 a rule was passed by which leg byes
were entered as such to distinguish them from the faults
of the long stop. The telegraph, an apparatus for de¬
noting the varying stages of a contest, was fir.st used in
1849.   N. Felix, the author of "Felix on the Bat," invented
 

the tubular india-rubber gloves. The first attempts at pads
Avere tAvo thin boards set anglCAvise to guard the shin, but
the fairness of the leg byes, Avhich Avent off rather too
clean, was called in question, and the projector AA'as
laughed out of his invention. Gloves and pads did not
come in until round arm boAA'ling made them necessary
about 1830. There Avas at one time no spikes in the shoe's
and no saAvdust for the boAvler, both of these aids being
introduced about 1800.
 

THE   GAME   IN   AMERICA.

Cricket in this country, although never generally adopt¬
ed, can date its existence back to 1747, the early games in
NeAV York City having been played in the vicinity of
Avhere Fulton Market uoav stands. In an old newspaper
is given an account of a match played May 1, 1751, Avhen
the contestants were "eleven Londoners and eleven New
Yorkers." Tliis—the first recorded match ever played in
this country—was Avon by the home team, the respective
totals being: New York, 80 and 80; London, 43 and 37. A
club was in existence in Boston, Mass., at an early day, a
printed copy of its by laAvs and the rules of cricket, bear¬
ing date May 1,1809. The Union Club of Philadelphia
Avas organized about 1831 or 1832 by a fcAV English resi¬
dents of tiiat city, and the Philadelphia, Germantown and
Young America—the original native American clubs-
were regularly organized about 1854. A game AA'as played
Oct. 22, 23, 1838, botAveen representative elevens of New
York and Long Island, Avhich resulted in a victory for tho
former eleven, Avho Avere afterAvards banded together as
the St. George Club, and occupied grounds in the vicinity
of BroadAvay and Thirtieth Street, Ncav York City, until
1846, when the club took up its headquarters at the Red
House grounds, east of what is noAV the Second Avenue,
and north of 106th Street. The St. George Club changed
its headquarters about 1855 to Hoboken, N. J,, Avhere it for
many years flouri.shed. The Ncav EIngland Eleven sprang
into existence about 1850 and for five seasons kept up the
interest in cricket throughout Massachusetts. Cricket
Avas played in the West more than half a century ago, and
it is noted that in 1849, when a game was played at Mil¬
waukee, Wis., betAveen the horifie team and an eleven
from Chicago, the day was observed as a general holiday.
The English residents of almost every small toAA'u and
village throughout the United States have also at varying
dates organized cricket clubs, many of which are still in
existence. The English residents of New York City were
the most conspicuous cricketers up to the time of the
breaking out of the civil Avar in 1861, but the chief credit
ofhavirig dcA'eloped cricket and brought it into notice
must be conceded to Philadelphia, which has been for
many years the headquarters of cricket on this side of the
Atlantic. The firm footing it has uoav secured there is
shown by the fact that there are upAvards of six enclosed
grounds in and about that city, including the extensive
cricket field owned by the consolidated Germantown and
Young America Clubs, and formally opened under the
former's name, June 28, 1890, Avhich is said to be the best
in America and equal to any in England. The German-
toAvn Club of Philadelphia, Avhich Avas formally organized
June 14, 1855, is believed to be the first in the country
represented by a native eleven, and its old ground Avas the
scene of all international contests from 1866 to 1889, in¬
clusive. The Philadelphia clubs compete each season for
the Halifax Cup—the emblem of the local championship.
It was Avon by the Young America Club in 1880, 1881, 1883
and 1885; Bel'mont Club in 1882, 1884, 1887 and 1890; Ger-
mantoAvn Club in 1886 and 1889, and Merion Club in 1888.
The clubs of Ncav York City and vicinity orj^anized the
Metropolitan League in 1890, when its championship was
Avon by the Manhattan Club of Brooklyn. The leading
clubs of the United States on April 17, 1878, formed the
"Cricketers' Association," Avhich practically regulates the
laws of the game on this side of the Atlantic. Drawbacks
to the advancement of cricket in this country are the
seeming impossibility of amateurs devoting the necessary
time to the game, together Avith the popular craze for
baseball.
 

UNITED   STATES   VS.   CANADA.

The most notCAvorthy events in the history of cricket in
America are the series of international matches between
the United States and Canada.   The first step toward a