The Rationalisation of Cricket

PRE-INDUSTRIAL CRICKET (POPULAR RECREATION)
1. Summer Festival
2. Localised
  1. Locally adapted i.e. played differently in different places, up until the est. of the MCC in 1755 (who later developed the Articles of Agreement ((AOA))
3. Inclusive
  1. Both men and women played and both classes played
  2. Roles within the game: gentry and wealthy = batsmen; lower class = bowler ('serve' the ball)
4. Employment
  1. Because played by both classes, it led to employment i.e. a good lower class cricketer would be employed by the wealthy as gardeners or games keepers so you could play in their cricket team = PATRONAGE.
5. Early Rules
  1. Interest by gentry lead to a standardisation of the rules. The MCC wrote the ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT i.e. the rules of the game. For example:
    1. Introduced the middle stump, to make 3 stumps, rather than just 2 outer stumps.
    2. 6 balls in an over before changing ends.
    3. Bowling could be under OR overarm.
    4. Banned charging into a fielder if going to catch you out!
6. Limited Equipment
  1. Simple
  2. Pitches were uneven and unrolled.
  3. Scores were kept by 'notching' on wood.
7. No Real Boundaries
  1. The game developed on the spaces that were available.
8. Rural
  1. 'Home Counties' cricket e.g. Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex
  2. Played on village greens.
9. Hambledon CC
  1. 1756 - First real pioneers of cricket
    1. Played out of a pub called 'The Bat & Ball Inn' in Hambledon, Hampshire.
    2. They beat everyone they played and the team became nationally renowned.
    3. Because of the high standard of cricket being played, people came to watch.
      1. Attracted large crowds of up to 2000 SPECTATORS!
      2. Players were paid to play.
      3. The Hambledon CC played for large amounts of money.
10. Payment
  1. Players were paid to play.
11. Non-Violent
  1. A civilised game - which could be attributed to the involvement of the upper classes.
  2. BUT you could get a batsman / runner out by throwing the ball at them between the wickets!
12. MCC
  1. Formed in 1788.
  2. Employed Hambledon players as coaches and/or players.
  3. Moved to current site in St. John's Wood in 1811 - LORDS (Home of Cricket).
13. Wagering
  1. A LOT of wagering on result!
  2. Gentry to show wealth and/or status. Peasants to make money (rags to riches).
PUBLIC SCHOOL CRICKET
1. Popular because of the characteristics it developed.
  1. Athleticism
    1. Trust
    2. Teamwork
    3. Leadership
    4. Courage
    5. Honesty
    6. Prowess
    7. Endeavour
    8. Loyalty
2. High Status
  1. Very popular
3. House Fixtures
  1. ...and later INTER-SCHOOL FIXTURES as transport developed.
    1. Enabled by the ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT.
  2. Loyalty to the 'house' and to the 'school'.
4. MASTERS
  1. Employed Cricket Masters.
  2. Often working class people e.g. high performing players of Hambledon CC.
5. MORAL DEVELOPMENT
  1. Linked with 'athleticism' which strengthened crickets popularity and high status.
POST-INDUSTRIAL CRICKET (RATIONAL RECREATION)
1. Transport
  1. The industrial revolution improved transport - the development of transport meant people could travel.
    1. This saw the development of touring teams such as the WILLIAM CLARKE ALL ENGLAND XI
2. William Clarke All England XI
  1. William Clarke was an entrepreneur who employed professional cricketers.
  2. The team toured England and competed in matches all over the country.
  3. Would sometimes play 'DOUBLE TEAMS' i.e. their 11 players would play against 22 players of their opponents!
    1. Attracted huge crowds - SPECTATORS.
3. Popularity / Regularity
  1. Cricket became more popular and county cricket took over from touring sides.
  2. As a result more frequent matches were organised.
    1. The County Championship was est. in 1890
      1. This is the dominant form of regular cricket still today.
4. W.G. Grace
  1. First cricket super star - still known today for his batting prowess.
  2. He dominated the game.
  3. He became 'bigger than the game itself' e.g. he once overruled an early dismissal at the Oval saying, "The spectators have come to watch me bat, not you umpire!"
5. Ashes
  1. International games became viable due to transport improvements.
  2. First Ashes event took place in 1882 - Australia beat England at The Oval, in their first Test defeat on English soil.
  3. Some Australian women burned a bail and gave the ashes to the English Captain.
  4. England beat Australia away the following winter.
6. Improvements in Technology
  1. Factories were able to mass produce materials and resources, enabling....
    1. ...stadia to be built for spectators / better pitches
    2. Better equipment e.g. bats, pads etc.
7. Amateurs & Professionals
  1. Strict class divide - middle / upper class amateurs / working class professionals.
  2. Treated very differently.
    1. Names appeared differently on programmes e.g. Mr J Bloggs (amateur) v Bloggs (professional)
    2. Ate separately.
    3. Travelled separately.
    4. Entered field from different door.
    5. Captain usually an amateur (ALWAYS an amateur at national level).
8. 'Shamateur'
  1. Players who were supposed to be amateurs who earned £50 per game.
  2. W.G. GRACE was a 'shamateur' - he earned £120,000 from cricket (between 1870 and 1910).
9. Travel & Transport
  1. Car, rail and air use enabled players and spectators to travel to matches and still does today.

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The Rationalisation of Cricket

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	Created by Amanda Stamp about 8 years ago