Epic Moments in Cricket History
‘Sports and Pastimes’ magazine dated 1344 depicted a monk as a bowler and another one with a bat striking it,the game was called “club ball”,but the rules were somewhat similar to cricket.There are traces of some sort of ball games in Rome,Greece and Persia.The Chamberlayne’s ‘Angliæ otitiæ describes cricket as a pastime of inhabitants,in early eighteenth century cricket was played in North America by colonists.Although British authors like Crawford calls it a Anglo-Saxon institution.The year of 1744 has significant place in the history of game as it was in this year ‘Laws of Cricket’ was laid.After three decades laws were revised by ‘Star and Garter Club’ of London.Marylebone Cricket Club was founded on 1787 at Lord’s ground in St.John’s Wood.1830 saw the first printed account of match.However the first international match could not be held for almost fifty years,the first contest took place between Canada and USA in 1844.For simplicity(avoiding controversy regarding origin of game) we consider the first international match as a reference point to begin with that is around 170 years.Over the year there have been lots of events both on field and off-field that have reshaped the game for ever.Here we are not considering events like first Test or ODI matches in contrary we are assuming that matches are already going on and thus highlighting the major decisions/events.I have made an effort to list 17 points in these 170 years which were turning points in cricket history.Since only 17 events could find place many significant innovations like googly,doosra world cup narrowly misses the list.
1864:Overarm Bowling.
1864:Wisden and Cardus publications in 1930.
1882:The birth of Ashes.
1914-1918:The Great War.
1922:The first radio coverage of a cricket match.
1932:Bodyline series between Australia and England.
1938:The first Television broadcast of match and satellite television in late 90s.
1947:The creation of Pakistan out of India(Partition).
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| Crowd gathered outside India House in London to watch the Indian national flag unfurled alongside the Union Jack on the corner of the building marking India’s independence. |
1963:The abolition of amateur era or end of class system.
1960:In the late 60s Covered Pitches became the norm.
1970:The Apartheid:South Africa isolation and readmission in 1991.
1970:The invention of Reverse Swing.
1977:Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket.
1977:Helmet a fashionable necessity.
1992:Fifteen overs field restriction and birth of pinch hitters.
1993-99:The liberalisation of ICC and changing it into a democracy.
2005:The birth of T20 cricket and subsequent rise of IPL.
