101-525: Leckhampton is a village and a district in south Cheltenham , Gloucestershire , England. The area is in the civil parish of Leckhampton with Warden Hill and is part of the district of Cheltenham. The population of the civil parish taken at the 2011 census was 4,409. Leckhampton is mentioned in the Domesday Book (1086) as 'Lechametone' and 'Lechantone', meaning 'homestead where garlic or leeks are grown'. The earliest recorded mention comes from
202-456: 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
303-431: 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, 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
404-779: A Regency spa town, tourism is an important sector in Cheltenham's economy, but it also has some light industry , including food processing, aerospace and electronics businesses. The Government's electronic surveillance operation Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), known for its "doughnut-shaped" building, is in Cheltenham. Vertex Data Science , GE-Aviation , Chelsea Building Society , Endsleigh Insurance , Archant , Nelson Thornes , UCAS (Universities & Colleges Admissions Service), Kohler Mira , Zürich Financial Services , Douglas Equipment , Volo and Spirax-Sarco Engineering all have sites in and around Cheltenham. A number of design agencies and businesses are located in
505-565: 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
606-528: A company that owns and operates DVD rental kiosks. The Beechwood Shopping Centre in the town centre was demolished in 2017 to make way for a £30million, 115,000 square foot John Lewis store. Among Cheltenham's many restaurants, two are currently Michelin one-star restaurants , Le Champignon Sauvage and Lumière. The unemployment rate in Cheltenham was 2.7% in 2010 compared to the UK national unemployment level of 7.9%. The average GVA per head in Cheltenham
707-454: 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
808-621: 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
909-452: A key difference is the existence of a solid target structure, the wicket (originally, it 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
1010-469: A major fundraising effort, the roof was replaced in 2009 at a cost of some £90,000. The village has a playing field (known as Burrows Field) for cricket , rugby , and football matches, with a play area and nursery nearby. Local football club Leckhampton Rovers play their home matches at the village playing field. The main shopping area for Leckhampton residents is the Bath Road, a mile or so north of
1111-680: A new secondary school, built at the junction of Kidnappers Lane and Farm Lane, was opened in September 2021 and will eventually cater for pupils aged 11-16. Leckhampton Cricket Club was established in 2006. The Delancey Rehabilitation and Assessment Hospital (originally a fever hospital, named after its benefactor) was located on Charlton Lane. It closed in 2009, with the site built on in 2012. The original main building has been retained with internal alterations. The building and grounds were redeveloped into housing, completed in 2013. The Charlton Lane Centre (dealing with Mental Health including dementia)
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#17327725668561212-548: A planned extension of Cheltenham to the north, undertaken by Joseph Pitt , who laid the first stone 4 May 1825. Cheltenham's success as a spa town is reflected in the railway station, still called Cheltenham Spa , and spa facilities in other towns inspired by or named after it. Alice Liddell and Lewis Carroll were regular visitors to a house in Cudnall Street, Charlton Kings – a suburb of Cheltenham. Alice Liddell's grandparents owned this house, and still contains
1313-516: A programme of art exhibitions running throughout the year. The Wilson was named after polar explorer Edward Wilson , who was born in Cheltenham. In 2014, many of the town's historic cultural and leisure buildings were put under the control of The Cheltenham Trust , a charity set up to manage and develop the buildings on behalf of the town. Along with The Wilson, the Trust now manages the Town Hall,
1414-474: A pump to regulate water flow and erected an elaborate well-house complete with a ballroom and upstairs billiard room to entertain his customers. The beginnings of Cheltenham's tree-lined promenades and the gardens surrounding its spas were first designed by Captain Skillicorne with the help of "wealthy and traveled" friends who understood the value of relaxing avenues. The area's walks and gardens had views of
1515-430: A residential street in Cheltenham. The graffiti depicted three men in trench coats and dark glasses apparently listening in to calls made in the telephone box. In 2016, it was removed – possibly destroyed – ahead of the sale of the house on which it had been painted. Cheltenham features several sculptural artworks of note, including: Cheltenham hosts the annual Cheltenham Music Festival , Cheltenham Jazz Festival and
1616-630: A significant impact on the town. In the Second World War , the United States Army Services of Supply , European Theatre of Operations established its primary headquarters at Cheltenham under the direction of Lt. Gen. John C. H. Lee , with the flats of the Cheltenham Racecourse becoming a giant storage depot for countless trucks, jeeps, tanks and artillery pieces. Most of this material was reshipped to
1717-445: 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 the ball, which is a hard, solid spheroid made of compressed leather with
1818-738: 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 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,
1919-416: 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
2020-414: A working Victorian kitchen and laundry, Regency drawing room and an Edwardian nursery. The Cheltenham Civic Society has been responsible for erecting commemorative plaques in the town since 1982: blue plaques to celebrate well-known people and green plaques to celebrate significant places and events. Every year, Cheltenham Festivals organises music , jazz , literature and science festivals in
2121-598: Is a dedicated museum and a monument in the town, and FKA Twigs . The collection's of the Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum include decorative arts from the era of the Arts and Crafts Movement . The collection enjoys National Designation by the Arts Council of England. The Holst Birthplace Museum contains personal belongings of the composer of The Planets , including his piano. It also includes
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#17327725668562222-471: Is a festival of 7s sport, which includes Netball, Rugby, Dodgeball and Hockey amongst others and incorporates drinking and musical acts over the weekend to complement the sport. Cheltenham has played host to and featured in a number of film and TV series: The Thistle Golden Valley Hotel was used by the ITV soap opera Crossroads for outdoor location filming from 1982 to 1985. Cheltenham has four theatres:
2323-541: Is a medieval manor house dating from about 1320, built by the Giffard family of Brimpsfield . It is now a Sue Ryder Care hospice . Between 1881 and 1962, Leckhampton had its own railway station with services on both the Great Western Railway line between Cheltenham and Banbury and on the north–south Midland and South Western Junction Railway . Until 1930, Leckhampton was served by the tramcars of
2424-453: 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
2525-423: 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
2626-656: 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
2727-599: Is nearby, as well as a Leonard Cheshire home. Leckhampton Court, adjacent to St Peter's Church, is a Sue Ryder hospice. Scouting has been active in Leckhampton since 1907. It is based in the Leckhampton Scout Hut, on Leckhampton Road. Beavers , Cubs , Scouts , and Explorers all meet there and it is an occasional meeting place of Network . The Group actively organises its own camps and weekly meetings, as well as attending County level camps. Near
2828-564: Is now a Cheltenham Borough Council nature reserve. The curiously named Kidnappers Lane meanders its way from Church Road towards Shurdington Road. The name is old enough for its reason to be undocumented. Cheltenham Cheltenham ( / ˈ tʃ ɛ l t n ə m / ) is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire , England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following
2929-570: 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 ,
3030-464: 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
3131-814: 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 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
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3232-579: 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
3333-639: 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
3434-653: The British Isles , Cheltenham experiences a temperate oceanic climate ( Cfb in the Köppen climate classification ). It has warm summers and cool winters. The town held the British maximum temperature record from 1990 to 2003—temperatures reached 98.8 °F (37.1 °C). The absolute minimum is −4.2 °F (−20.1 °C), set during December 1981. During a typical year, 145.6 days will report at least 1 mm of rain, and some 42.2 nights will record air frost. As
3535-638: The Cheltenham and District Light Railway . On the hill still stands the ruins of the old quarry. You can still see the remains of the old lime kilns, and there are old railway tracks all over the hill. Leckhampton Hill, together with Charlton Kings Common, is designated an SSSI by Natural England . The oldest railway (or tramway) in Gloucestershire ran from the quarries to Daisybank road, then alongside Leckhampton road, through Tivoli and beside Queens Road and Gloucester Road, terminating opposite
3636-465: 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
3737-636: The Everyman , the Playhouse , the Bacon and the Parabola Arts Centre. Cricket First-class cricket One Day International Limited overs (domestic) Twenty20 International Twenty20 (domestic) Other forms Cricket 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
3838-927: The South West of England region being 88 miles (142 km) west-northwest of London, 38 miles (61 km) northeast of Bristol and 41 miles (66 km) south of Birmingham. The districts of Cheltenham include: Arle , Benhall , Charlton Kings , Fairview , Fiddler's Green, Hesters Way , Lansdown , Leckhampton , Lynworth, Montpellier , Oakley, Pittville , Prestbury , the Reddings, Rowanfield , St Luke's, St Mark's, St Paul's , St Peter's, Springbank, Swindon Village , Tivoli, Up Hatherley , Whaddon and Wyman's Brook . The borough contains three civil parishes within its boundaries. These are Charlton Kings , Leckhampton with Warden Hill and Prestbury . These all have their own parish councils who handle local services and planning with elected councillors. Parts of
3939-519: The non-metropolitan district of Cheltenham. Four parishes— Swindon Village , Up Hatherley , Leckhampton and Prestbury —were added to the borough of Cheltenham from the borough of Tewkesbury in 1991. The head office of the British Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), known to locals as The Doughnut , is located in Cheltenham, to which it moved in 1951. As with the vast majority of
4040-401: The top-rated Test side more than any other country. Cricket is one of many games in 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,
4141-579: The "cricket group", in which "the ball 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
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4242-709: The 1990s. It had a sign portraying a view of the Malverns with the Devil's Chimney in the foreground. In 1929, Cheltenham Town Council bought the land on the hillside, making it available once more for public access. Leckhampton Village Hall, formerly the Parish Hall of St Peter's Church, is a Grade II listed building in Church Road. It provides a base for community activities, amateur dramatics ( Leckhampton Players ) and dance classes (Leckhampton Tappers). Following
4343-421: The 8th century, as the home farm of the royal manor of Cheltenham. There are remnants of a moat at Church Farm that dates from Saxon times ( grid reference SO941195 }) The old village of Leckhampton stands at the foot of Leckhampton Hill, around the medieval parish church of St Peter's . During the 19th and 20th centuries, there was residential development in the direction of Cheltenham. Leckhampton Court
4444-550: The Cheltenham Festival of the Performing Arts (formerly Cheltenham Competitive Festival) is a collection of more than 300 performance competitions that is the oldest of Cheltenham's arts festivals, having been started in 1926. Greenbelt , a Christian arts and music festival, and Wychwood Festival , a family-friendly folk and world music festival, were held at Cheltenham Racecourse . The town also hosts
4545-835: The Cheltenham International Film Festival, the Cheltenham Cricket Festival and the Cheltenham Food & Drink Festival . In steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup is the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held every March. Cheltenham is located at River Chelt , which rises nearby at Dowdeswell and runs through the town on its way to the Severn . It was first recorded in 803, as Celtan hom ;
4646-461: The Cheltenham Racecourse and surrounding green park, along with St Peter Leckhampton parish church and Brizen Playing Fields/Haven and Greenmead parks along the south of the borough, are covered. In May 2024, under plans by Gloucestershire County Council , it was reported that there are secret talks to formally merge the conurbations of Cheltenham and Gloucester with each other. The plans suggest that around ten new garden towns could be built around
4747-584: 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
4848-532: The Pittville Pump Room, the Prince of Wales Stadium and Leisure @, a large fitness and swimming complex. A volunteer board of Trustees controls the Trust. The Cheltenham Paint Festival attracts hundreds of mural artists from dozens of countries worldwide and is a highlight of the Gloucestershire arts calendar. In 2014, a piece of graffiti by street artist Banksy appeared next to a telephone box in
4949-594: The Second World War. Cheltenham is on the edge of the Cotswolds , an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the South-West region of England. The small River Chelt flows under and through the town. Cleeve Hill , overlooks the town and is the highest point in the county of Gloucestershire and the Cotswold Hills range, at 1,083 feet (330 m). The town is near the northeastern edge of
5050-575: 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
5151-603: The Ukulele Festival of Great Britain. In 2010, Cheltenham was named the UK's fifth "most musical" city (sic) by PRS for Music . Musicians Brian Jones , guitarist and founding member of the Rolling Stones , and Michael Burston, nicknamed ' Würzel ' of Motörhead were both born in Cheltenham, with Jones buried in the town's crematorium following his death in 1969. Other Cheltenham-born musicians of international renown include Gustav Holst , for whom there
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#17327725668565252-562: The area, closing footpaths and warning that anyone found on the land would be treated as trespassers. He also built Tramway Cottage on Daisybank Road, a site that had been used to host a travelling funfair every Good Friday . In March 1902, about 10,000 protesters tore down the fences and converged on Daisybank Road where they destroyed the cottage. The ringleaders were arrested and sent to Gloucester Prison . Henry Dale rebuilt Tramway Cottage but in 1906 another large group of protesters demolished Dale's fences and gathered at Daisybank Road with
5353-449: 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
5454-491: The borough council. Since 2002, elections have been held every two years with half of the councillors elected at each election. Cheltenham was an ancient parish . Until 1786 it was administered by its vestry , in the same way as most rural areas. The vestry was supplemented by a body of unelected improvement commissioners in 1786 known as the Paving and Lighting Commission, initially charged with paving, lighting and repairing
5555-421: 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
5656-633: The buildings are listed, including the Cheltenham Synagogue , judged by Nikolaus Pevsner to be one of the architecturally best non-Anglican places of worship in Britain. Built in 1902 within the Imperial Square, Cheltenham Town Hall is a Grade II-listed building and features a plaque commemorating the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra . The Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum , also called The Wilson, hosts
5757-489: 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
5858-736: The continent for and after the D-Day invasion . Lee and his primary staff had offices and took residence at Thirlestaine Hall in Cheltenham. The first British jet aircraft prototype, the Gloster E.28/39 , was manufactured in Cheltenham. Manufacturing started in Hucclecote near Gloucester, but was later moved to Regent Motors in Cheltenham High Street (now the Regent Arcade), considered a location safer from bombing during
5959-492: The countryside, and soon the gentry and nobility from across the county were enticed to come and investigate the beneficial waters of Cheltenham's market town spa. The visit of George III with the queen and royal princesses in 1788 set a stamp of fashion on the spa. The spa waters can still be sampled at the Pittville Pump Room , built for this purpose and completed in 1830; it is a centrepiece of Pittville ,
6060-561: 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
6161-785: The discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the most complete Regency town in Britain . It is directly northeast of Gloucester . The town hosts several cultural festivals, often featuring nationally and internationally famous contributors and attendees: the Cheltenham Literature Festival , the Cheltenham Jazz Festival , the Cheltenham Science Festival , the Cheltenham Music Festival ,
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#17327725668566262-405: 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
6363-399: 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
6464-466: 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 the newer Twenty20 format (also known as T20 ), in which each team bats for
6565-478: 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
6666-450: 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
6767-424: 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
6868-432: 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
6969-421: 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
7070-423: The green belt at Boddington which if removed would result in the complete merger of both boroughs. Doing so would facilitate and effectively merge the two into a supercity . The move has been criticised by both Cheltenham Borough Council and Gloucester City Council . Cheltenham Borough Council is the local authority for Cheltenham; it is split into 20 wards, with a total of 40 councillors elected to serve on
7171-529: 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
7272-462: 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,
7373-614: The intention of demolishing it again. This time, they were met by the town magistrate (George Backhouse Witts) and a number of policemen. The magistrate read the Riot Act and, once more, the ringleaders were sent to prison. The protesters' leaders had met at the Malvern Inn (now a private house in Leckhampton Rd opposite the end of Church Rd), a fact commemorated by a plaque on the wall of the house. The Inn ceased trading in
7474-621: The late 19th century as a mission from St Luke's Church). St Peter's, St Philip & St James and Emmanuel are linked with St Christopher's (Warden Hill) and St Stephen's (Tivoli) in the Anglican South Cheltenham Team – formally established in 2010. Leckhampton is also served by Bethesda Methodist Church, Leckhampton Baptist Church, Naunton Lane Chapel (Evangelical Presbyterian Church from 2010) and Providence Chapel. The local primary schools are Leckhampton Church of England School and Naunton Park School. The High School,
7575-455: The meaning has not been resolved with certainty, but latest scholarship concludes that the first element preserves a Celtic noun cilta , 'steep hill', here referring to the Cotswold scarp; the second element may mean 'settlement' or 'water-meadow'. As a royal manor, it features in the earliest pages of the Gloucestershire section of Domesday Book where it is named Chintenha[m] . The town
7676-525: The mirror, or looking glass, that was purportedly inspired for Lewis Carroll's novel Through the Looking-Glass , published in 1871. Horse racing began in Cheltenham in 1815 and became a major national attraction after the establishment of the Festival in 1902. The racecourse attracts tens of thousands of visitors to each day of the festival each year, with such large numbers of visitors having
7777-413: 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
7878-753: The multi-venue Walk the line festival . Two sporting events are also routinely described as the "Cheltenham Festival" or "the Festival": the Cheltenham Cricket Festival, which features Gloucestershire County Cricket Club , and National Hunt racing's Cheltenham Festival . In 2021 the Cheltenham 7s festival began and is held at the end of July each year at the Newlands Rugby club opposite the main GE Aviation (ex Smiths Industries site) works between Southam and Bishops Cleeve. It
7979-552: 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
8080-415: 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 the ball hits the striker's wicket and dislodges the bails, and by
8181-663: The old village centre. The Wheatsheaf Pub was a favourite drinking spot of Brian Jones . The Old Patesians R.F.C. is based at the foot of the hill. The Sue Ryder organisation has a home in Leckhampton which was once used as a prisoner of war camp . The Leckhampton sub-Post Office (on the corner of Church Rd and Leckhampton Rd) was closed around 2000 and reverted to a general store, which itself closed in 2018. The premises were converted for residential use. The nearest offices are in Bath Rd (about 2 km) and Charlton Kings (about 3 km). A newsagents shop on Old Bath Road
8282-531: The property containing Cheltenham's first mineral spring upon his 1732 marriage to Elizabeth Mason. Her father, William Mason, had done little in his lifetime to promote the healing properties of the mineral water apart from limited advertising and building a small enclosure over the spring. Skillicorne's wide travels as a merchant had prepared him to see the dormant potential on this inherited property. After moving to Cheltenham in 1738, he immediately began improvements intended to attract visitors to his spa. He built
8383-412: 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
8484-512: The site of the Cheltenham gasworks (now Tesco). This was later superseded by a more substantial line joining the railway at Charlton Kings station, the lower route of which can be seen as a ridge across the golf course in the vicinity of Sandy Lane. In 1894, Henry J. Dale of the Leckhampton Quarry Company Limited bought 26 acres (11 ha) of land on Leckhampton hill. To the outrage of local people, he fenced off
8585-443: 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
8686-413: 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
8787-484: The streets, which later gained other powers including providing a watch and setting standards for new buildings. The commissioners were reformed in 1852 to be partly-elected and were eventually replaced in 1876 when the town was incorporated as a municipal borough . On 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972 , the borough of Cheltenham was merged with Charlton Kings urban district to form
8888-459: The top of Leckhampton Hill stands a noted limestone rock formation known as the Devil's Chimney . It is believed that the chimney was created by limestone quarrymen. Although it has become a symbol of Leckhampton, the Devil's Chimney actually sits within neighbouring parish of Shurdington. In the south of Leckhampton lies the small residential area of Pilley . The former railway line at Pilley Bridge
8989-575: The town has green belt along its fringes, and this extends into the surrounding Tewkesbury district, helping to maintain local green space, prevent further urban sprawl and unplanned expansion towards Gloucester and Bishop's Cleeve, as well as protecting smaller villages in between. West of the Greenfield Way and Fiddlers Green Lane roads, along with much of the open space up to the Civil Service Sports Ground, as well as
9090-807: The town, attracting names with national and international reputations in each field. Events take place at venues including the town hall , the Everyman Theatre , the Playhouse Theatre and the Pittville Pump Room . Several other cultural festivals, including the Cheltenham International Film Festival, Cheltenham Paranormal Festival, the Cheltenham Design Festival, Cheltenham Folk Festival, Cheltenham Poetry Festival, The True Believers Comic Festival and Cheltenham Comedy Festival are separately organised but also attract international performers and speakers. A more local event,
9191-547: The town. Weird Fish was founded in Cheltenham. The multinational design house Meri Meri has its European headquarters in Cheltenham. SuperGroup plc, owner of the Superdry label, has its headquarters in Cheltenham. Cheltenham is a regional shopping centre, home to department stores , the oldest being Cavendish House , from 1823, and the Regent Arcade. Since 2006, Cheltenham is the headquarters of "The Movie Booth",
9292-535: 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,
9393-655: 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
9494-544: 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
9595-469: Was awarded a market charter in 1226. Though little remains of its pre-spa history, Cheltenham has always been a health and holiday spa town resort since the discovery of mineral springs there in 1716. Captain Henry Skillicorne (1678–1763), is credited with being the first entrepreneur to recognise the opportunity to exploit the mineral springs. The retired "master mariner" became co-owner of
9696-592: 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
9797-555: Was higher than across the South West as a whole in the year ending September 2023. The employment rate remains now at 81.3%, for ages 16-64. Unemployment (people looking for work) has risen since a year earlier. The most recent unemployment rate for Cheltenham was about the same as across the South West as a whole. The town is known for its Regency architecture and is said to be "the most complete regency town in England". Many of
9898-490: 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",
9999-481: 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
10100-560: Was well known to be regularly used by the Queen Mother (or her Chauffeur) en route to Cheltenham Races, and was normally decorated with bunting in expectation of a visit. The oldest church in Leckhampton is St Peter's . The expansion of Leckhampton towards Cheltenham resulted in the building of two more churches, the Victorian Gothic St Philip and St James and the mid-20th-century Emmanuel Church (founded in
10201-477: Was £21,947.27 in 2011 compared to the national average of £26,200. In 2012, The Guardian found that, at the end of 2011, 41 multi-millionaires lived in Cheltenham, which was the fourth-highest rate in the UK of multi-millionaires per 100,000 people at 35.44. According to the Office of National Statistics, employment in Cheltenham has decreased in comparison with the previous year. Cheltenham's employment rate
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