Bats used in cricket have changed significantly over time. Early bats from the 1720s were curved on the bottom, which helped batsmen make contact more easily with underarm throws. Over the centuries, cricket spread from England through the British Empire and became an international sport. The laws of cricket were first written down in 1744 and have continued to evolve, with changes such as pitching instead of rolling, straight bats, limits on ball weight and bat width, and the introduction of leg before wicket rules. Cricket traditions included distinctions between amateur and professional players, with social class and race influencing who could participate. Today, cricket is a global sport with some of the highest-paid stars coming from India.

4. The bats used presently are much
different from the bats used previously.
First bats of 1720, had a curving
outwards at the bottom. This shape
gave the batsmen the best chance of
making contact as the ball was thrown
underarm.

6. Cricket was first played in
southern England in the 16th
century. By the end of the
18th century, it had developed
into the national sport of
England. The expansion of
the British Empire led to
cricket being played overseas
and by the mid-19th century
the first international
matches were being held.

7. The first written Laws of Cricket were
drawn up in 1744. They stated:
 The gentlemen present two umpires who
shall absolutely decide all disputes.
 The stumps must be 22 inches high and the
bail across them six inches.
 The ball must be between 5 and 6 ounces
 The two sets of stumps 22 yards apart.

8.  The world’s first cricket club was formed in
Hambledon in the 1760s.

9.  The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) was
founded in 1787.
 In1788, the MCC published its first
revision of the laws and became the
guardian of cricket’s regulations.

10.  Pitching the ball through the air, rather
than roll it along the ground.
 Replacement of the curved bat with the
straight one.
 The weight of the ball was limited to
between 5.5 to 5.75 ounces.
 The width of the bat was limited to four
inches.
 The first leg-before law was published.
 Three days had become the length of a
major match.
 The creation of the first six-seam cricket
ball.

11.  Amateurs: The rich people who played for
pleasure.
 Professionals: The poor people who played for
a living.
 The wages of the professionals were paid by
subscription.
 The game was seasonal and did not offer
employment the year round.
 The amateurs were called the ‘Gentlemen’ and
the professionals were called the ‘Players’.

12.  The amateurs tended to be batsmen, making the
professionals do the hardworking aspects of the
game such as fast bowling and fielding.
 The captain of the team was traditionally an
amateur owing to his social superiority.
 1930: The English team was led by a professional
named Len Hutton from Yorkshire.
 Cricket glorified the amateur’s belief of playing
not for victory or profit, but for the spirit of fair
play.

13.  Cricket was established in the British colonies.
 Playing cricket became a sign of superior
social and racial status.
 White elite dominated the game, while the
blacks played informal cricket.
 1950: The West Indies won its first Test
series against England.
 1960: Frank Worell, a black player, led the
West Indies team for the first time.
 1932: A national team of India was given the
right to represent India in a Test match.

14. Cricket in India was organized on the
principles of race and religion.
1792: The Calcutta Cricket Club was
established as the first Indian club.
 18th century: Cricket in India was
played by the British military men and
civil servants in all-white clubs and
gymkhanas.
Bombay was the origin of cricket in
India.
1848: The Paris founded the first
Indian cricket club, the Oriental Cricket
Club in Bombay.

15.  1889: A Parsi team beat the all-white club,
Bombay Gymkhana.
 1890s: Hindus and Muslims started gathering
funds and support for a Hindu Gymkhana and an
Islam Gymkhana.
 Cricket Quadrangular tournament was played by
four teams- the Europeans, the Paris, the Hindus
and the Muslims.
 A fifth team named the ‘Rest ‘comprised of all
the communities left over, like the Indian
Christians; this team also joined the tournament
later.

16.  Today, the global marketplace has made Indian
players the best-paid, most famous cricketers in
the game, men for whom the world is a stage.

18. THANK YOU