History of Cricket Timeline

In 1744, the Laws of Cricket were codified for the first time and then amended in 1774, when innovations such as lbw, middle stump and maximum bat width were added, formalising how the game was played.

Image source: Laws of Cricket

The codes of cricket were drawn up by the so-called 'Star and Garter Club', whose members ultimately founded the Marylebone Cricket Club at Lord's in 1787. The opening of Lord's Cricket Ground marked the beginning of a new era with MCC at the centre of the game.

Image source: Marylebone Cricket Club

All the modern county clubs, starting with Sussex in 1839, were founded during the 19th century, establishing the structure of domestic cricket in England.

Image source: Sussex County Cricket Club

No sooner had the first county clubs established themselves than they faced what amounted to 'player action' as William Clarke created the travelling All-England Eleven in 1846, taking professional cricketers around the country.

Image source: All England Eleven

The growth of cricket in the mid and late 19th century was assisted by the development of the railway network, which allowed teams and spectators to travel much more easily across the country.

In 1864, another bowling revolution resulted in the legalisation of overarm bowling, and in the same year Wisden Cricketers' Almanack was first published, becoming the bible of the sport.

Image source: Wisden Cricketers' Almanack

The period from 1890 to the outbreak of the First World War has become one of nostalgia, ostensibly because the teams played cricket according to 'the spirit of the game', but more realistically because it was a peacetime period shattered by the First World War.

A significant development in domestic cricket occurred in 1890 when the official County Championship was constituted in England, formalising the competition between county clubs.

Image source: County Championship

Australia established the Sheffield Shield in 1892–93, creating the premier domestic first-class competition in Australian cricket.

Image source: Sheffield Shield

Soon afterwards, in May 1894, the sport's first-class standard was officially defined, establishing criteria for what constitutes first-class cricket.

Image source: First-class cricket

During most of the 19th century standard overs were made up of four deliveries. In 1889 five-ball overs were introduced in first-class cricket, with a move to generally use six-ball overs in 1900.

Image source: Over (cricket)

In the 20th century, eight-ball overs were used at times in a number of countries, primarily Australia, where eight-balls were the standard over length between 1918/19 and 1978/79, as well as South Africa and New Zealand. Since the 1979/80 seasons, six balls per over have been used worldwide.

The ICC re-defined first-class status in 1947 as a global concept, extending the definition of first-class cricket beyond England's traditional boundaries.

Cricket arrived in Australia almost as soon as colonisation began in 1788. It had earlier been introduced to North America via the English colonies in the 17th century, to the West Indies by colonists, and to the Indian subcontinent by East India Company mariners in the first half of the 18th century.

New Zealand and South Africa followed Australia in adopting cricket in the early years of the 19th century, continuing the global spread of the game throughout the British Empire.

The first international cricket game took place between what were essentially club teams from the United States and Canada in 1844, predating even the first Test matches by more than three decades.

Image source: Canadian cricket team in the United States in 1844

In 1859, a team of leading English professionals set off to North America on the first-ever overseas tour, and in 1862 the first English team toured Australia, expanding international competition.

Image source: English cricket team in North America in 1859

Canada, unlike Australia and the West Indies, witnessed a continual decline in the popularity of the game during 1860 to 1960, despite having hosted the first international cricket match in 1844.

Between May and October 1868, a team of Aboriginal Australians toured England in what was the first Australian cricket team to travel overseas, a landmark moment in cricket history.

Image source: Australian Aboriginal cricket team in England in 1868

In 1877, an England touring team in Australia played two matches against full Australian XIs that are now regarded as the inaugural Test matches, marking the formal beginning of Test cricket.

Image source: Test cricket

No Tests were played in 1878 but more soon followed and, at The Oval in 1882, the Australian victory in a tense finish gave rise to The Ashes, one of cricket's most celebrated rivalries.

Image source: The Ashes

South Africa became the third Test nation in 1889, joining England and Australia in international Test cricket.

Image source: South Africa national cricket team

Cricket came to Latin America in the 19th century as part of a broader British presence in the region. By the 20th century, the growing influence of America meant baseball became the more popular bat-and-ball sport in the Caribbean, while World War I dried up support for the game in Mexico as British expatriates returned home.

The Imperial Cricket Conference (ICC) was founded in 1909 with England, Australia and South Africa as the founding members, creating the governing body for international cricket.

Image source: International Cricket Council

In 1926, both New Zealand and the West Indies were admitted as members of the Imperial Cricket Conference, allowing them to play Test cricket against the other teams.

New Zealand and India both became Test playing nations before World War II, expanding the ranks of Test cricket beyond its original three members.

Pakistan joined the ranks of Test playing nations soon afterwards in 1952, following India and New Zealand's admission before World War II.

Image source: Pakistan national cricket team

At the initial suggestion of Pakistan, the ICC was expanded to include non-Test playing countries from 1965, with Associate members being admitted, broadening the global governance of the sport.

The first limited-overs World Cups were played during the 1970s and Sri Lanka became the first Associate member to be raised to Test playing status in 1982.

Image source: Sri Lanka national cricket team

The international game continued to grow with the introduction of Affiliate Member status in 1984, a level of membership designed for teams with less history of playing cricket.

In 1989 the ICC renamed itself the International Cricket Council, reflecting its evolution into the truly global governing body of the sport.

Zimbabwe became Full Members in 1992 and Bangladesh in 2000, expanding Test cricket to new nations in the 1990s and beyond.

In 2004, the ICC Intercontinental Cup brought first-class cricket to 12 nations, mostly for the first time, helping develop the game in emerging cricketing countries.

Image source: ICC Intercontinental Cup

In 2017, the number of countries with full ICC membership was increased to twelve by the addition of Afghanistan and Ireland, and both were admitted as Test teams in 2018, bringing the number of full members of the ICC to 12.

The situation began to crystallise after 1961 when South Africa left the Commonwealth of Nations and so, under the rules of the day, its cricket board had to leave the International Cricket Conference (ICC).

Starting in 1963 as a knockout competition only, limited-overs cricket grew in popularity and, in 1969, a national league was created which consequently caused a reduction in the number of matches in the County Championship.

Cricket's opposition to apartheid intensified in 1968 with the cancellation of England's tour to South Africa by the South African authorities, due to the inclusion in the England team of Basil D'Oliveira, a Cape Coloured player.

Image source: D'Oliveira affair

In 1970, the ICC members voted to suspend South Africa indefinitely from international cricket competition over apartheid. South Africa, now a 'Rainbow Nation' under Nelson Mandela, was welcomed back into international sport in 1991.

The first limited-overs international match took place at Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1971 as a time-filler after a Test match had been abandoned because of heavy rain on the opening days, giving birth to One Day International cricket.

Image source: One Day International

The International Cricket Council reacted to the rise of limited-overs cricket by organising the first Cricket World Cup in England in 1975, with all the Test-playing nations taking part.

Image source: 1975 Cricket World Cup

The money problems of top cricketers were the root cause of a cricketing crisis that arose in 1977 when Australian media magnate Kerry Packer fell out with the Australian Cricket Board over TV rights. The schism lasted only until 1979 and the 'rebel' players were allowed back into established international cricket.

In 1992, the use of a third umpire to adjudicate run-out appeals with television replays was introduced in the Test series between South Africa and India, bringing technology into officiating.

Image source: Third umpire

In June 2001, the ICC introduced a 'Test Championship Table' and, in October 2002, a 'One-day International Championship Table', adding formal rankings to international cricket.

Cricket's newest innovation is Twenty20 (T20), essentially an evening entertainment started in 2003, which revolutionised the sport with its fast-paced, short format.

Image source: Twenty20

The inaugural ICC Twenty20 World Cup tournament was held in 2007, establishing T20 as a major international format of the game.

Image source: 2007 World Twenty20

The formation of Twenty20 leagues in India – the unofficial Indian Cricket League, which started in 2007, and the official Indian Premier League, starting in 2008 – raised much speculation in the cricketing press about their effect on the future of cricket.

Image source: Indian Premier League

From 2011, the third umpire was called upon to moderate review of umpires' decisions, including lbw, with the aid of virtual-reality tracking technologies such as Hawk-Eye and Hot Spot, though such measures still could not free some disputed decisions from heated controversy.

Image source: Decision Review System