79-574: The County Ground, Beckenham is a cricket ground in Beckenham in the London Borough of Bromley . The ground is owned by Leander Sports and Leisure and is used as an outground by Kent County Cricket Club for First XI fixtures, as well as for other matches. As of 2019 the Kent Women cricket team played the majority of their matches at the ground. The ground, which is on a 9.6 hectares (24 acres) site,
158-456: A public school education who had then gone to one of Cambridge or Oxford University . Society insisted that such people were "officers and gentlemen" whose destiny was to provide leadership. In a purely financial sense, the cricketing amateur would theoretically claim expenses for playing while his professional counterpart played under contract and was paid a wage or match fee; in practice, many amateurs claimed more than actual expenditure, and
237-561: A collared shirt with short or long sleeves; long trousers; woolen pullover (if needed); cricket cap (for fielding) or a safety helmet; and spiked shoes or boots to increase traction. The kit is traditionally all white, and this remains the case in Test and first-class cricket, but in limited overs cricket, team colours are now worn instead. i) A used white ball. White balls are mainly used in limited overs cricket , especially in matches played at night, under floodlights (left). The essence of
316-454: A fence, part of the stands, a rope, a painted line, or a combination of these; the boundary must if possible be marked along its entire length. In the approximate centre of the field is a rectangular pitch (see image, below) on which a wooden target called a wicket is sited at each end; the wickets are placed 22 yards (20 m) apart. The pitch is a flat surface 10 feet (3.0 m) wide, with very short grass that tends to be worn away as
395-481: A general sports development hub in metropolitan Kent. Kent took an initial 20-year lease on the ground and have the aim of further developing the ground in the future. In February 2024 Kent's Chief Executive Simon Storey confirmed that the club were exploring the possibility of hosting a third-London based side in The Hundred at Beckenham, amid plans for an expansion from an 8-team to a 10-team competition. The ground
474-598: A highly popular format, putting the longer formats at risk. The new shorter format also introduced franchise cricket, with new tournaments like the Indian Premier League and the Australian Big Bash League . The ICC has selected the T20 format as cricket's growth format, and has introduced a T20 World Cup which is played every two years; T20 cricket has also been increasingly accepted into major events such as
553-577: A one-day game against the touring West Indians in 2004 and the 2008 Friends Provident Trophy quarter final, a game which had to be moved from the county's usual base at the St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury due to heavy rainfall. In 2017 a new Kent record for the highest partnership for any first-class wicket was set by Sean Dickson and Joe Denly who made 382 runs for the second wicket against Northants . Kent's total score of 701 for 7 declared
632-416: A winner or tie.) The wicket-keeper (a specialised fielder behind the batter) and the batters wear protective gear because of the hardness of the ball, which can be delivered at speeds of more than 145 kilometres per hour (90 mph) and presents a major health and safety concern. Protective clothing includes pads (designed to protect the knees and shins), batting gloves or wicket-keeper's gloves for
711-403: Is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field , at the centre of which is a 22-yard (20-metre; 66-foot) pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails (small sticks) balanced on three stumps . Two players from the batting team, the striker and nonstriker, stand in front of either wicket holding bats , while one player from the fielding team,
790-529: Is aimed at a mark (the wicket) and driven away from it". It is generally believed that cricket originated as a children's game in the south-eastern counties of England, sometime during the medieval period . Although there are claims for prior dates, the earliest definite reference to cricket being played comes from evidence given at a court case in Guildford in January 1597 ( Old Style , equating to January 1598 in
869-565: Is around 0.5 miles (0.80 km) north of Beckenham town centre with the main entrance on the Worsley Bridge Road. The A2015 road runs 220 metres (0.14 mi) to the east of the ground whilst the Mid-Kent railway line is around 300 metres (0.19 mi) to the west. Lower Sydenham railway station and New Beckenham railway station , on the Mid-Kent line, Beckenham Hill railway station on
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#1733092367754948-449: Is certain that cricket was being played c. 1550 by boys in Surrey . The view that it was originally a children's game is reinforced by Randle Cotgrave 's 1611 English- French dictionary in which he defined the noun " crosse " as "the crooked staff wherewith boys play at cricket", and the verb form " crosser " as "to play at cricket". One possible source for the sport's name
1027-423: Is drawn four feet in front of the bowling crease and parallel to it; although it is drawn as a 12 ft (3.7 m) line (six feet on either side of the wicket), it is, in fact, unlimited in length. The return creases are drawn at right angles to the popping crease so that they intersect the ends of the bowling crease; each return crease is drawn as an 8 ft (2.4 m) line, so that it extends four feet behind
1106-635: Is known, through numerous references found in the records of ecclesiastical court cases, to have been proscribed at times by the Puritans before and during the Commonwealth . The problem was nearly always the issue of Sunday play, as the Puritans considered cricket to be "profane" if played on the Sabbath , especially if large crowds or gambling were involved. According to the social historian Derek Birley , there
1185-421: Is now south-east London. Until 1965 , Beckenham, along with other parts of south-east London, was part of the county of Kent , and it is treated by the club as being "Metropolitan Kent". Grounds in nearby Blackheath , Catford , Crystal Palace and Dartford have all also been used by the club in the past for a total of more than 150 matches; the first match played by the county club after its foundation in 1842
1264-556: Is the Old English word " cryce " (or " cricc " ) meaning a crutch or staff. In Samuel Johnson 's Dictionary , he derived cricket from " cryce , Saxon, a stick". In Old French , the word " criquet " seems to have meant a kind of club or stick. Given the strong medieval trade connections between south-east England and the County of Flanders when the latter belonged to the Duchy of Burgundy ,
1343-460: Is the earliest mention of adult participation in cricket and it was around the same time that the earliest known organised inter-parish or village match was played, at Chevening, Kent . In 1624, a player called Jasper Vinall died after he was accidentally struck on the head during a match between two parish teams in Sussex. Cricket remained a low-key local pursuit for much of the 17th century. It
1422-402: Is thought, a " wicket gate " through which sheep were herded), that the batter must defend. The cricket historian Harry Altham identified three "groups" of "club ball" games: the "hockey group", in which the ball is driven to and from between two targets (the goals); the "golf group", in which the ball is driven towards an undefended target (the hole); and the "cricket group", in which "the ball
1501-567: The Asian Games . The resultant growth has seen cricket's fanbase cross one billion people, with 90% of them in South Asia. T20's success has also spawned even shorter formats , such as 10-over cricket (T10) and 100-ball cricket , though not without controversy. Outside factors have also taken their toll on cricket. For example, the 2008 Mumbai attacks led India and Pakistan to suspend their bilateral series indefinitely. The 2009 attack on
1580-685: The British Empire had been instrumental in spreading the game overseas, and by the middle of the 19th century it had become well established in Australia , the Caribbean , British India (which includes present-day Pakistan and Bangladesh ), New Zealand , North America and South Africa . In 1862, an English team made the first tour of Australia. The first Australian team to travel overseas consisted of Aboriginal stockmen who toured England in 1868 . In 1876–77, an England team took part in what
1659-690: The Catford Loop Line and Beckenham Junction station on the Chatham Main Line and Tramlink are all located within 1 mile (1.6 km) of the ground. The ground is on London Buses route 54 and route 352. Around 350 car parking spaces are available on the ground on match days. As of August 2024, nine first-class, 19 List A and 23 Twenty20 men's matches have been held on the ground. Other than one first-class match between West Indies A and India A in July 2018, all of these matches have featured Kent as
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#17330923677541738-461: The Dukes of Richmond , exerted their honour code of noblesse oblige to claim rights of leadership in any sporting contests they took part in, especially as it was necessary for them to play alongside their "social inferiors" if they were to win their bets. In time, a perception took hold that the typical amateur who played in first-class cricket, until 1962 when amateurism was abolished, was someone with
1817-516: The Ken Livingstone , the Mayor of London at the time. Initial plans were for Kent to return to the ground during 2001, although the first match played at the newly developed ground was in 2003. As part of the development 42 flats were built on the site which is designated as Metropolitan Open Land . Kent's matches at Beckenham were partly supported by Bromley Council from 2006. Further redevelopment of
1896-528: The St Lawrence Ground and Polo Farm, both in Canterbury . They are captained by Megan Belt and are coached by David Hathrill. They are the most successful side in both the Women's County Championship and Women's Twenty20 Cup , with 8 and 3 titles respectively. They are partnered with the regional side South East Stars . Kent Women played their first recorded match in 1935, against Civil Service Women. Over
1975-467: The West Indies . Women's cricket , which is organised and played separately, has also achieved international standard. The most successful side playing international cricket is Australia , which has won eight One Day International trophies, including six World Cups , more than any other country, and has been the top-rated Test side more than any other country. Cricket is one of many games in
2054-401: The "club ball" sphere that involve hitting a ball with a hand-held implement. Others include baseball (which shares many similarities with cricket, both belonging in the more specific bat-and-ball games category ), golf , hockey , tennis , squash , badminton and table tennis . In cricket's case, a key difference is the existence of a solid target structure, the wicket (originally, it
2133-675: The 19th century. The game's governing body is the International Cricket Council (ICC), which has over 100 members, twelve of which are full members who play Test matches. The game's rules, the Laws of Cricket , are maintained by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in London . The sport is followed primarily in South Asia , Australia , New Zealand , the United Kingdom , Southern Africa , and
2212-574: The County Championship, Kent finished 5th in Division One with just one win. Over the next few seasons, Kent were a consistently mid-table side, plus one season in Division Two, in 2002 . A steady improvement after their promotion, however, eventually led them to their first Championship title, in 2006 . They retained their title in 2007 , going unbeaten in both seasons. Key to their success
2291-551: The London area in 1918, having developed facilities at the ground in the early 1920s. The 7 acres (2.8 ha) original site served as the base for the bank's sports clubs, including Lloyds Bank Cricket Club and Lloyds Bank RFC . The bank sold the ground, which extended to 25 acres (10 ha) at its greatest extent, to developers for almost £2 million in September 1999, and it is now operated by Leander Sports and Leisure group. The ground
2370-571: The Middle Dutch phrase for hockey, " met de (krik ket)sen " ("with the stick chase"). Gillmeister has suggested that not only the name but also the sport itself may be of Flemish origin. Although the main object of the game has always been to score the most runs , the early form of cricket differed from the modern game in certain key technical aspects; the North American variant of cricket known as wicket retained many of these aspects. The ball
2449-560: The Sri Lankan team during their tour of Pakistan led to Pakistan being unable to host matches until 2019. In 2017, Afghanistan and Ireland became the 11th and 12th Test nations. In cricket, the rules of the game are codified in The Laws of Cricket (hereinafter called "the Laws"), which has a global remit. There are 42 Laws (always written with a capital "L"). The earliest known version of
County Cricket Ground, Beckenham - Misplaced Pages Continue
2528-461: The Twenty20 Cup, going on to lose in the final against Sussex . Kent have also competed in the Women's London Championship since its first edition in 2020, and won their first London Championship title in 2021. In the 2023 Women's Twenty20 Cup , Kent finished second in their group and reached the group final, but the title was shared due to rain. In 2024, the side finished 7th in their group in
2607-454: The ball hits the striker's wicket and dislodges the bails, and by the fielding side either catching the ball after it is hit by the bat but before it hits the ground, or hitting a wicket with the ball before a batter can cross the crease line in front of the wicket. When ten batters have been dismissed, the innings (playing phase) ends and the teams swap roles. Forms of cricket range from traditional Test matches played over five days to
2686-466: The ball, which is a hard, solid spheroid made of compressed leather with a slightly raised sewn seam enclosing a cork core layered with tightly wound string. The earliest known definite reference to cricket is to it being played in South East England in the mid-16th century. It spread globally with the expansion of the British Empire , with the first international matches in the second half of
2765-520: The bank's Lombard Street headquarters in central London. They have since been moved to the sports ground at the bank's management training centre in Solihull . Following the sale of the ground, the facilities were redeveloped by Leander Sports and Leisure, working with Kent and Bromley London Borough Council . A new pavilion was constructed with the aim of turning the ground into a centre of excellence for sports in south-east London. The plans were backed by
2844-449: The batting team are on the field at any given time. The order of batters is usually announced just before the match, but it can be varied. The main objective of each team is to score more runs than their opponents, but in some forms of cricket, it is also necessary to dismiss all but one of the opposition batters (making their team 'all out') in their final innings in order to win the match, which would otherwise be drawn (not ending with
2923-529: The bowler, bowls the ball toward the striker's wicket from the opposite end of the pitch. The striker's goal is to hit the bowled ball with the bat and then switch places with the nonstriker, with the batting team scoring one run for each of these exchanges. Runs are also scored when the ball reaches the boundary of the field or when the ball is bowled illegally . The fielding team tries to prevent runs from being scored by dismissing batters (so they are "out"). Means of dismissal include being bowled , when
3002-421: The bowling crease, but is also, in fact, unlimited in length. Before a match begins, the team captains (who are also players) toss a coin to decide which team will bat first and so take the first innings . "Innings" is the term used for each phase of play in the match. In each innings, one team bats, attempting to score runs , while the other team bowls and fields the ball , attempting to restrict
3081-478: The club open a new indoor cricket centre and a function centre and the ground now features a permanent 2,048-seat spectator stand and all-weather sports facilities. The ground adjoins the training facilities used by Crystal Palace Football Club who make some use of the all-weather facilities on the site. A new digital scoreboard has been installed at the ground and the outfield has been improved. The ground owners, Leander Sports and Leisure, built 48 houses on part of
3160-479: The code was drafted in 1744, and since 1788, it has been owned and maintained by its custodian, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in London . Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played on a cricket field (see image of cricket pitch and creases) between two teams of eleven players each. The field is usually circular or oval in shape, and the edge of the playing area is marked by a boundary , which may be
3239-416: The county, took the only T20 five-wicket haul on the ground which included Kent's second T20 hat-trick . Wahab's figures of 5/17 remained Kent's best T20 bowling figures until 2017 when Adam Milne took 5/11 against Somerset at Taunton . Cricket First-class cricket One Day International Limited overs (domestic) Twenty20 International Twenty20 (domestic) Other forms Cricket
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3318-548: The derisive term "shamateur" was coined to describe the practice. The game underwent major development in the 18th century to become England's national sport . Its success was underwritten by the twin necessities of patronage and betting. Cricket was prominent in London as early as 1707 and, in the middle years of the century, large crowds flocked to matches on the Artillery Ground in Finsbury . The single wicket form of
3397-405: The earliest known contest that is generally considered a First Class match. The patrons and other players from the gentry began to classify themselves as " amateurs " to establish a clear distinction from the professionals, who were invariably members of the working class , even to the point of having separate changing and dining facilities. The gentry, including such high-ranking nobles as
3476-456: The existence of players like him who were nominally amateur but, in terms of their financial gain, de facto professional. Grace himself was said to have been paid more money for playing cricket than any professional. The last two decades before the First World War have been called the " Golden Age of cricket ". It is a nostalgic name prompted by the collective sense of loss resulting from
3555-631: The first limited overs Cricket World Cup in 1975 . Sri Lanka joined the ranks in 1982. Meanwhile, South Africa was banned by the ICC due to apartheid from 1970 until 1992. 1992 also brought about the introduction of the Zimbabwe team . The 21st century brought with it the Bangladesh Team , who made their Test debut in 2000. The game itself also grew, with a new format made up of 20-over innings being created. This format, called T20 cricket , quickly became
3634-422: The first, third and fourth leading wicket-takers respectively, whilst Tammy Beaumont was the leading run-scorer. Kent batters Fran Wilson , Tammy Beaumont and Maxine Blythin were all in the top ten leading run-scorers in 2019 . Kent Women have also been the most successful side in the history of the Women's Twenty20 Cup , winning the tournament three times, in 2011 , 2013 and 2016 . They also reached
3713-511: The following years, Kent were one of the most prolific women's sides, playing various one-off and tourist games, against surrounding counties and national sides such as Australia , New Zealand and the Netherlands . Kent joined the Women's Area Championship in 1980, and played in the competition until 1996 (including two title wins, in 1986 and 1987), after which they joined the Women's County Championship . In 1997 , their first season in
3792-450: The game at county level led to the creation of the county clubs , starting with Sussex in 1839. In December 1889, the eight leading county clubs formed the official County Championship , which began in 1890. The most famous player of the 19th century was W. G. Grace , who started his long and influential career in 1865. It was especially during the career of Grace that the distinction between amateurs and professionals became blurred by
3871-424: The game progresses (cricket can also be played on artificial surfaces, notably matting). Each wicket is made of three wooden stumps topped by two bails . As illustrated, the pitch is marked at each end with four white painted lines: a bowling crease , a popping crease and two return creases . The three stumps are aligned centrally on the bowling crease, which is eight feet eight inches long. The popping crease
3950-432: The game quickly grew from 500 tests in 84 years to 1000 within the next 23. Cricket entered a new era in 1963 when English counties introduced the limited overs variant. As it was sure to produce a result, limited overs cricket was lucrative, and the number of matches increased. The first Limited Overs International was played in 1971, and the governing International Cricket Council (ICC), seeing its potential, staged
4029-421: The greatest Test batter of all time. To curb his dominance, England employed bodyline tactics during the 1932–33 Ashes series . These involved bowling at the body of the batter and setting a field, resulting in batters having to choose between being hit or risk getting out. This series moved cricket from a game to a matter of national importance , with diplomatic cables being passed between the two countries over
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#17330923677544108-432: The ground in July 2017 against Northants . The score of 701/7 declared set the team's highest score on a home ground and included only the third triple-century scored by a player playing for Kent, Sean Dickson's 318 runs. The best bowling in a match for Kent was the 7/74 taken by Azhar Mahmood against Gloucestershire in 2009. The highest List A score on the ground was set by Durham in 2021. Their score of 405/4 surpassed
4187-493: The ground is the 181 scored by Hampshire batsman Tom Prest in 2021. In 2021 Durham's Graham Clark , who scored 141 not out , and Alex Lees scored 242 runs for the first-wicket against Kent, a new record for any wicket on the ground in List A cricket. Kent's match against Gloucestershire in 2011 saw the only T20 century scored on the ground, Azhar Mahmood scoring 106 not out as Kent won by eight wickets. Wahab Riaz, in his debut for
4266-459: The ground took place in 2014, partly to provide the opportunity to increase revenue from non-cricket activities as the site was making a loss for the cricket club. Kent had played no matches on it in 2013 and would have pulled out of the ground if the development had not gone ahead. They returned in 2015 with six days of cricket scheduled, including a County Championship match and two NatWest t20 Blast fixtures. The £30 million redevelopment has seen
4345-529: The hands, a safety helmet for the head, and a box for male players inside the trousers (to protect the crotch area). Some batters wear additional padding inside their shirts and trousers such as thigh pads, arm pads, rib protectors and shoulder pads. The only fielders allowed to wear protective gear are those in positions very close to the batter (i.e., if they are alongside or in front of him), but they cannot wear gloves or external leg guards. Subject to certain variations, on-field clothing generally includes
4424-747: The home team. Two women's One Day International matches were held at the ground in 1993, the ground has been used by Kent's women's side and the South East Stars , one of the eight regional sides in English domestic women's cricket, have played matches on it. The ground has tended to produce "flat, white wickets" which favour batting and a number of Kent's batting records have been set on the ground. All records last updated 15 May 2022 Kent's record partnership for any wicket in first-class cricket, second highest team score in first-class cricket and second highest individual score in first-class cricket were all set on
4503-515: The incident. During this time, the number of Test nations continued to grow, with the West Indies , New Zealand and India being admitted as full Test members within a four-year period from 1928 to 1932. An enforced break during the Second World War stopped Test Cricket for a time, although the Partition of India caused Pakistan to gain Test status in 1952. As teams began to travel more,
4582-555: The main ground used by the Kent Women cricket team . Two matches in May 2017 saw Sri Lanka play Scotland in preparation for the 2017 Champions Trophy and West Indies A played India A in a four-day first-class match on the ground in July 2018. As a result of the sale of the ground in 1999, its main gates, which are a war memorial commemorating the members of Lloyds Bank who died in World War I and World War II , were removed and stored at
4661-413: The modern calendar). The case concerned ownership of a certain plot of land, and the court heard the testimony of a 59-year-old coroner , John Derrick , who gave witness that: Being a scholler in the ffree schoole of Guldeford hee and diverse of his fellows did runne and play there at creckett and other plaies. Given Derrick's age, it was about half a century earlier when he was at school, and so it
4740-541: The name may have been derived from the Middle Dutch (in use in Flanders at the time) " krick " ( -e ), meaning a stick (crook). Another possible source is the Middle Dutch word " krickstoel " , meaning a long low stool used for kneeling in church that resembled the long low wicket with two stumps used in early cricket. According to Heiner Gillmeister, a European language expert of Bonn University , "cricket" derives from
4819-448: The newer Twenty20 format (also known as T20 ), in which each team bats for a single innings of 20 overs (each "over" being a set of 6 fair opportunities for the batting team to score) and the game generally lasts three to four hours. Traditionally, cricketers play in all-white kit , but in limited overs cricket , they wear club or team colours. In addition to the basic kit, some players wear protective gear to prevent injury caused by
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#17330923677544898-506: The previous best, Kent's 384/8 against Surrey in June 2018 which had equalled Kent's highest List A score and set a new record for their highest score in a 50 over match and against a first-class county. Darren Stevens' 6/25 taken in the match against Surrey are the best bowling figures on the ground. The match also saw Kent record their highest margin of victory in terms of runs in List A cricket, winning by 220 runs. The highest individual score on
4977-412: The scoring and dismiss the batters. When the first innings ends, the teams change roles; there can be two to four innings depending upon the type of match. A match with four scheduled innings is played over three to five days; a match with two scheduled innings is usually completed in a single day. During an innings, all eleven members of the fielding team take the field, but usually only two members of
5056-597: The semi-finals of the competition in 2013 and 2012 , losing to Berkshire both times. In 2011, however, they beat Berkshire by 8 wickets after bowling them out for just 73. In 2013, Kent beat Sussex in the final by 8 wickets, whilst in 2016 they won the title by topping Division One, with five wins from seven games. In 2021 , they competed in the South East Group of the Twenty20 Cup, and won their region, going unbeaten with 6 wins and 2 matches abandoned due to rain. In 2022 , they finished second in their group in
5135-407: The site in order to fund the redevelopment which includes a number of year-round facilities including an indoor cricket school, 3G football pitches and a physiotherapy clinic. Redevelopment was seen as essential in order to keep the ground as a financially viable cricketing venue, with the aim of developing a significant base for Kent in the north-west of the county, to develop younger cricketers and as
5214-443: The sport attracted huge crowds and wagers to match, its popularity peaking in the 1748 season . Bowling underwent an evolution around 1760 when bowlers began to pitch (bounce) the ball instead of rolling or skimming it towards the batter. This caused a revolution in bat design because, to deal with the bouncing ball, it was necessary to introduce the modern straight bat in place of the old "hockey stick" shape. The Hambledon Club
5293-413: The sport is that a bowler delivers (i.e., bowls) the ball from their end of the pitch towards the batter who, armed with a bat , is "on strike" at the other end (see next sub-section: Basic gameplay ). The bat is made of wood, usually Salix alba (white willow), and has the shape of a blade topped by a cylindrical handle. The blade must not be more than 4.25 inches (10.8 cm) wide and
5372-462: The total length of the bat not more than 38 inches (97 cm). There is no standard for the weight, which is usually between 2 lb 7 oz and 3 lb (1.1 and 1.4 kg). Kent Women cricket team The Kent Women cricket team is the women's representative cricket team for the English county of Kent . They play their home matches at County Cricket Ground , Beckenham , as well as
5451-523: The war, but the period did produce some great players and memorable matches, especially as organised competition at county and Test level developed. In 1844, the first-ever international match took place between what were essentially club teams, from the United States and Canada , in Toronto ; Canada won. In 1859, a team of English players went to North America on the first overseas tour . Meanwhile,
5530-557: Was England captain Charlotte Edwards , who played for Kent from 2000 to 2016. This started an extremely successful era for Kent Women, winning the most titles in Championship history, eight, and only finishing outside the top 3 of Division 1 once, in 2017 : the further times they won the Championship were in 2009 , 2011 , 2012 , 2014 , 2016 and 2019 . In 2016, Kent bowlers Megan Belt , Tash Farrant and Charlotte Pape were
5609-651: Was bowled underarm by the bowler and along the ground towards a batter armed with a bat that in shape resembled a hockey stick ; the batter defended a low, two-stump wicket ; and runs were called notches because the scorers recorded them by notching tally sticks. In 1611, the year Cotgrave 's dictionary was published, ecclesiastical court records at Sidlesham in Sussex state that two parishioners, Bartholomew Wyatt and Richard Latter, failed to attend church on Easter Sunday because they were playing cricket. They were fined 12 d each and ordered to do penance . This
5688-538: Was a "great upsurge of sport after the Restoration " in 1660. Several members of the court of King Charles II took a strong interest in cricket during that era. Gambling on sport became a problem significant enough for Parliament to pass the 1664 Gambling Act, limiting stakes to £ 100, which was, in any case, a colossal sum exceeding the annual income of 99% of the population. Along with horse racing , as well as prizefighting and other types of blood sport , cricket
5767-510: Was first used by the Kent First XI in 1954 when it hosted a County Championship match against Gloucestershire in a low-scoring rain-affected draw. Kent had previously played home matches at Foxgrove Road in Beckenham between 1885 and 1905, and played one John Player League match at the nearby Midland Bank Sports Ground in 1970. The county have a tradition of playing at outgrounds in what
5846-415: Was first used for first-class cricket in 1954. It hosted two matches during the 1993 Women's Cricket World Cup and has been used by Kent as a regular outground since 2003. The ground was redeveloped in 2001–02 and in 2014 and facilities include a 13 pitch square, a 2,048-seater stand, an indoor cricket school and 3G football pitches. The ground was established by Lloyds Bank as its main sports ground in
5925-592: Was founded in the 1760s and, for the next twenty years until the formation of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the opening of Lord's Old Ground in 1787, Hambledon was both the game's greatest club and its focal point. MCC quickly became the sport's premier club and the custodian of the Laws of Cricket . New Laws introduced in the latter part of the 18th century include the three-stump wicket and leg before wicket (lbw). The 19th century saw underarm bowling superseded by first roundarm and then overarm bowling . Both developments were controversial. Organisation of
6004-490: Was perceived to be a gambling sport. Rich patrons made matches for high stakes, forming teams in which they engaged the first professional players. By the end of the century, cricket had developed into a major sport that was spreading throughout England and was already being taken abroad by English mariners and colonisers—the earliest reference to cricket overseas is dated 1676. A 1697 newspaper report survives of "a great cricket match" played in Sussex "for fifty guineas apiece",
6083-607: Was played at White Hart Field in Bromley . The ground was used for two women's One Day Internationals during the 1993 Women's Cricket World Cup but Kent did not use it again until the 2003 season when they again played Gloucestershire in a 2003 ECB National League match and Hampshire in a 2003 Twenty20 Cup match. As of August 2022 it has hosted eight County Championship matches and 15 List A matches, but has mainly been used by Kent for Twenty20 cricket, most commonly matches against near neighbours Surrey . Notable matches include
6162-471: Was retrospectively recognised as the first-ever Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia . The rivalry between England and Australia gave birth to The Ashes in 1882, which remains Test cricket's most famous contest. Test cricket began to expand in 1888–89 when South Africa played England. The inter-war years were dominated by Australia 's Don Bradman , statistically
6241-455: Was their second highest in any first-class match and their highest on a home ground. Dickson's score of 318 was the second highest score in Kent's history and only the third score of 300 or more to have been made by a Kent player for the county. It is the highest individual score made on a home ground by a Kent player. The County Ground is also used by Kent's second XI and junior sides as well as being
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