History

The game of cricket is one which is steeped in much history. In England, it can be traced back as far as the 16th century, although evidence suggests that a variation of the game may have been being played as early as 1301. The popularity of the game of cricket grew enormously during the 17th century, when the game was played for the sort of stakes that you might ordinarily associate with the games played online at Partypoker.com. 

It was also during the latter half of this century that notable cricket players began to emerge and gain recognition. The first game which was considered to have been of great importance is thought to have been played in Sussex in 1697, according to a newspaper report. However, during the 18th century, several changes to the game began to take place. Large crowds gathered to watch matches take place on the Artillery Ground in Finsbury, London, with 'single wicket' games being the most popular. The practice of 'bowling' a ball (rather than rolling or skimming it towards the batman) didn't come into effect until 1760. This, in turn, caused a changes to the original bat design, which has been shaped more like a hockey stick. The infamous Hambledon Club was founded in the 1760s, and went on to be the post prominent club until the formation of the MCC 20 years later. Practices such as using the three stump wicket and leg before wicket also were not to be included until the latter part of the 18th century. The game continued to develop, and underarm bowling was replaced, first by roundarm and then by overarm bowling during the 19th century. The British Empire had lead to the overseas expansion of the game and, in 1844, the first international cricket match was played between the United States and Canada. Cricket is often said to have entered a new era in 1963, as it was at this time that English counties introduced the limited overs variant. 

This saw an increase in the number of games which could be logistically played, and lead to the first ever limited overs Cricket World Cup. The game continues to evolve today, whilst staying true to it's historic origins, with the latest significant change being a new form of the limited overs game, known as Twenty20, gaining much popularity. 

source: internet