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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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cricket
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England's national summer game, relatively little played in Scotland, Ireland or Wales. It involves two teams of eleven, but the encounter is essentially between a batsman, who with his wooden bat must defend a wicket (consisting of three stumps or upright pieces of wood on which two smaller pieces, the bails, loosely rest), and a bowler, who projects the ball (with a straight arm and nowadays overarm, though this was illegal until 1864) towards the wicket. The bowler's purpose is either to knock the bails off the wicket or to tempt the batsman into hitting the ball in such a way that it can be caught before it reaches the ground.
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The game must originally have been a simple country pastime (there is a theory that it was played by shepherd boys, the wicket being a low gate into the sheep pen). It is first mentioned in the 16C and was developed into a formalized and skilful game in southeast England during the 18C. The most important elements in this development were the *Hambledon Club, the *MCC and *Lord's.
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Competition became regional, from village cricket up to the *county championship. Most county players were paid for their services, but meanwhile the game had been introduced with great success into the *public schools, resulting in many talented amateurs. Thus began a strange division in English cricket between Gentlemen (the amateurs) and Players (the professionals). They played together in county and national teams, but every summer competed against other in the Gentlemen v. Players match at Lords (last played in 1962, after which the distinction was ended).
Cricket was exported to the colonies, and the international *Test matches date back as far as 1877.
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