We know plenty of interesting facts about sports like football and rugby, and if you have been paying attention, golf as well, maybe even darts. What about the enigma that is cricket? That sport is unknown to most people who do not watch it regularly, even though it is the second most popular sport on the planet.
Cricket has plenty of amazing stories surrounding it. There are even more interesting facts about cricket. Here are some of them, in no particular order.
Cricket was Invented By Children
It is generally believed that cricket was invented in the 14th or 15th century by children. These children were in south-east England, in Sussex and Kent, a wooden region called the Weald. It is considered that the children in question were probably Norman or Saxon. These are not hard facts, but it is also believed that cricket remained a children’s game for about a century and a half, until adults picked it up. Bats weren’t even used in the first versions of cricket.
The Bats – They Are Made from White Willow
While you could use a tree of choice or find a plank in your garage to turn into a cricket bat, white willows are most frequently used to make cricket bats. The white willows grow in England and western Europe as well as in central Asia. The wood is very light, which allows the batters to have a better swing. Heavier bats are harder to control. It probably has something to do with tradition, as most of these traditional sports do. White willows were also used to make gunpowder, at least, as one of the ingredients.
Cricket Lasts Long – But Not This Long
Cricket has a running joke about it being long and truth be told, some of the matches can stretch from one day to another, if the weather is bad or if it goes too long into the night. At one time, there was a match which lasted for two weeks. There are tournaments which are shorter than fourteen days.
The match in question was between England and South Africa in 1939. Even though it lasted for so long, the match was halted because the English team had to take a ship back home. It was a draw.
The Cricket Ball – Precision and Tradition
The cricket ball is very special. It always weighs 163 grams, otherwise it is not an official ball. It is made out of cork, which is then covered in many layers of yarn. The yarn is afterwards put into leather. The ball is then lacquered. This gives it the iconic glowing look.
Cricket Created Idioms in England (and outside)
Cricket has innings, which is a period where one team bats and the other tries to stop them. They take turns doing this. Since cricket has a joke about its matches lasting long, which is apparently true, having good innings became an idiom.
When someone has done something for a long time or has lived long, you say that they have had good innings.
Cricket is a very special sport with its own rules and regulations, as well as match length. It is unlike any other sport and so are the interesting facts about it. These have been some of them and if they inspire you, maybe you should give cricket a try.
