137-413: World Series Cricket ( WSC ) was a commercial professional cricket competition staged between 1977 and 1979 which was organised by Kerry Packer and his Australian television network, Nine Network . WSC ran in commercial competition to established international cricket. World Series Cricket drastically changed the nature of cricket, and its influence continues to be felt today. Three main factors caused
274-414: 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, the bowler, bowls the ball toward the striker's wicket from the opposite end of
411-456: 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
548-693: A 3–0 defeat, surrendering the Ashes won two years before. In light of the controversies the Sydney Gazette article clearly showed West Indian captain Clive Lloyd interviewed after leaving the Caribbean team to join Packer, Lloyd stated it was nothing personal it was clearly earning a more comfortable source of income. That interview created waves across the Caribbean and even in world cricket. It
685-405: A Test century against England. Australia led by 430, with the next day a rest day. Day Four (16 March): Marsh duly reached his third Test century (173 balls, 295 minutes) before Chappell declared at 9 for 419 (Marsh 110 not out), setting England a target of 463, which would be a world-record fourth innings chase if successful. Walker kept Australia on top by grabbing the wicket of Bob Woolmer with
822-504: A big score, but a long innings to allow the wicket to wear and make life difficult for England chasing a big target. Australia promoted spin bowler Kerry O'Keefe to open the batting in place of McCosker and he did a good job, lasting until the new ball lost its shine. But England struck a decisive blow after O'Keefe departed, removing the Australian dangerman Chappell for two and Cosier for four, leaving Australia 3 for 53. Opener Ian Davis
959-565: 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
1096-544: A compromise from the start. Now he had no objection to WSC making a brief tour of his country in November, nor was he going to stop the Kiwis' best player, his son Richard , from appearing with WSC. The South Africans, subject to an international boycott caused by the apartheid policy of their government , were keen to see their individual cricketers compete with the world's best. Some were prepared to acclaim South Africa as
1233-590: A crossroads. Since its inception in 1956, commercial television in Australia had developed a reliance on imported programs, particularly from the United States, as buying them was cheaper than commissioning Australian productions. Agitation for more Australian-made programming gained impetus from the "TV: Make it Australian" campaign in 1970. This led to a government-imposed quota system in 1973. The advent of colour transmissions in 1975 markedly improved sport as
1370-454: 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
1507-463: A half of batting, the wickets began to fall again. Chappell was the ninth man out after almost four hours of batting – to illustrate the difficulty of the Australians' struggle, the aggressive Chappell failed to hit a boundary, while he scored his runs at a strike rate of just 28.7. All out 138 in only 44 overs, Australia had left England one hour's batting time before stumps. The English negotiated
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#17327929640001644-621: 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
1781-596: A month later they decided Packer's matches would not be given first-class status and the players involved would be banned from Test matches and first-class cricket. A number of the signed players now considered withdrawing. Jeff Thomson and Alvin Kallicharan had their contracts torn up when it was discovered that they had binding agreements with a radio station in Brisbane requiring them to play for Queensland . Packer moved quickly to shore up support, meeting with
1918-401: A range of merchandise. All of these techniques pioneered by World Series Cricket have become a staple of the way the game is now marketed in Australia. 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
2055-481: A series of minor victories – Packer was unable to use the terms "Test match" or call their team of Australians "Australia", or use the official rules of cricket, which are the copyright of the Marylebone Cricket Club . So the five-day matches became "Supertests", played by the "WSC Australian XI" and Richie Benaud set to work writing rules and playing conditions for the series. Most importantly, WSC
2192-438: A television spectacle and, importantly, Australian sport counted as local content. However, sports administrators perceived live telecasts to have an adverse effect on attendance. The correlation between sports, corporate sponsorship, and television exposure was not evident to Australian sports administrators at the time. After the death of his father Sir Frank in 1974, Kerry Packer had assumed control of Channel Nine , one of
2329-456: A very brief counterattack, hitting three fours, but he succumbed for 18 (the top score of the innings) and the crowd were stunned and elated when England finished with 95 off 34.3 overs. Lillee dominated proceedings, capturing a personal best of 6 for 26, ably supported by the medium pace of Max Walker, whose four wickets destroyed the middle order. With three and a half hours to go, to be followed by three full days of play, Australia needed not only
2466-416: 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
2603-539: 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
2740-453: 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
2877-423: 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
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#17327929640003014-656: 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
3151-570: 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 ,
3288-464: 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
3425-402: 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
3562-658: The 1976–77 season . Determined to get some cricket on Channel Nine, Packer put an offer to the Test and County Cricket Board (TCCB) to telecast the Australian tour of England scheduled for 1977 . His interest was further stimulated by a proposal to play some televised exhibition matches, an idea presented to him by Western Australian businessmen John Cornell and Austin Robertson . Robertson managed several high-profile Australian cricketers such as Dennis Lillee , while Cornell
3699-657: The Adelaide Oval , which was rejected. Perth and Adelaide were dropped from the itinerary. A strategy of focusing on audiences in Melbourne and Sydney was now in place. The war swung dramatically in Packer's favour on 28 November 1978 when the first day-night match on a traditional cricket ground was played at the SCG between the WSC Australian and West Indian teams. A near-capacity crowd of 44,374 turned out to watch
3836-579: 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
3973-702: 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
4110-465: 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
4247-669: The Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne , Australia. Remarkably, Australia won both matches by exactly the same margin, 45 runs. A second Centenary Test was played in 1980 at Lord's in London, to commemorate the first Test match in England, at The Oval in 1880. The 1880 match was the fourth to be considered a Test match, and followed three earlier matches played between England and Australia in Australia (including
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4384-562: The Melbourne Cricket Ground to commemorate the centenary of Test cricket was conceived by former Test player and MCC committeeman Hans Ebeling . Organisation of the event was coordinated between the Melbourne Cricket Club and the Victorian Cricket Association , with sponsorship provided by Benson & Hedges , Trans Australia Airlines (who flew the past and present Australian cricketers to
4521-511: The NFL in terms of per-match value of broadcast rights, sitting at USD 15.1 million per match, for a deal worth USD 6 billion running from 2023-27. However, the traditional form of the game, first-class cricket and Test matches , is still played around the world, and in recent seasons has challenged one-day cricket for the interest of the public. Indeed, membership of a Test Cricket side is often seen as being more prestigious for players, due both to
4658-482: The Nine Network ), Bob Simpson and Geoffrey Boycott . The Centenary Test was played from 12 to 17 March 1977, with a rest day on 15 March. At that time, Test matches in Australia were played with 8-ball overs . This was the 800th Test match played, and the 225th between the two countries. Australia England Day One (12 March): After the pre-match ceremony, Tony Greig and Greg Chappell walked to
4795-472: 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
4932-449: The limited overs contest , serving a warning to the ACB. A few days later, the official Australian team was humbled in the first Test against England at Brisbane, a precursor to a 5–1 thrashing for a side now captained by the unprepared Graham Yallop . Even Yallop felt himself unsuited to the position, and his team was unable to compete with an experienced, professional England side. Although
5069-444: The " Cavaliers " for this secondary tour, a similar concept to the " International Cavaliers " teams of the 1960s in England. The team captained by Eddie Barlow was made of recently retired cricketers, such as Rohan Kanhai , David Holford and Ian Redpath and occasionally young Australians such as Trevor Chappell . It also starred a great innings at Maitland, New South Wales , by a then unheard of Kepler Wessels of 92 not out for
5206-401: 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
5343-412: The 1877 Test). The 1980 match was badly affected by rain on the first two days, and was drawn. This was the last Test match commentated by John Arlott . The 1877 match was a timeless Test played from 15 to 19 March 1877, with a rest day on 18 March, with 4-ball overs. Australia scored 245 in the first innings, with 165 from Charles Bannerman , the first Test century, before he retired hurt (over 67% of
5480-624: The 1979–80 season, Greg Chappell was restored as Australian captain and the team contained an even mixture of WSC and non-WSC players. The season's schedule was similar to the WSC format. England and West Indies toured, playing three Tests each against Australia, with a triangular one-day tournament (the World Series Cup ) interspersed among the Tests. Australia's results were mixed: in the Test matches, they defeated England 3–0 (having lost 5–1 to
5617-548: The 1980 issue of Wisden : The feeling in many quarters was that when the Australian Board first found Packer at their throats, the rest of the cricket world supported them to the hilt; even to the extent of highly expensive court cases which cricket could ill afford. Now, when it suited Australia, they had brushed their friends aside to meet their own ends. The WSC Australian players (on tour in West Indies at
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5754-708: 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
5891-413: The ACB throughout the summer. By contrast, Packer was seen disconsolately counting cars as they arrived in the car park at some of his matches. He held one glimmer of hope, however. The best-attended matches had been the day-night fixtures, and this format would become the backbone of the programming for the second season. In hindsight, his organisation's ability to even stage the games at such short notice
6028-536: The ACB's finances. The Pakistanis played their WSC men in what turned out to be an ill-tempered series. WSC then headed to the Caribbean for a tense, hard-fought series that players from both Australia and West Indies declared the best they ever played in. A riot marred the Guyana Supertest, but the five Supertests and 12 one-day matches went some way toward reducing the debts of the West Indies board. The last cricket action of WSC occurred on 10 April 1979,
6165-567: The ACB-Packer fight and decided to select all of their WSC players for the first two Tests, until the West Indies Cricket Board of Control made a decision to leave out three of their WSC-contracted players for the 3rd Test, ostensibly to allow others a chance to play in Test matches prior to the West Indies' tour to India and Sri Lanka later in the year, which would be at a time that World Series Cricket could not guarantee
6302-653: The Cavaliers. These matches brought cricket to venues that rarely saw big games. Packer demonstrated his political clout by getting New South Wales premier Neville Wran to overturn the ban on WSC and allow matches to be played at the traditional home of the game, the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). To boot, Wran had his government foot the bill to install floodlights at the SCG good enough to be used in WSC matches. WSC also gained access to Brisbane's Test ground, Brisbane Cricket Ground , and were offered use of
6439-484: The England bowlers pressed home their advantage, taking the wickets of Gary Cosier, David Hookes and Doug Walters to leave Australia at 5 for 51 mid-afternoon. Hookes played a brief cameo of 17 runs from 19 balls, but it was not a day for fast scoring. Wicketkeeper Rod Marsh joined his captain Greg Chappell for the only substantial partnership of the innings (51), but when Marsh was dismissed for 28 after an hour and
6576-526: The Englishmen merely defeated the opposition presented, they further damaged the ACB's cause by playing slow, grinding cricket. Consequently, attendances were poor and the media clamoured for the Australian team to return to full strength. On the other hand, WSC, with its aggressive marketing, nighttime play, and a plethora of one-day matches, had increased both attendances and television ratings. The targeted audience of women and children flocked to WSC, and
6713-548: The ICC might have stretched the concept of loyalty too far. Players could not be criticised for entering the contracts in secrecy as the main authorities would deny the players the opportunity to enjoy the advantages offered by WSC. The decision was a blow to the cricket authorities and, adding insult to injury, they had to pay court costs. English County cricket teams were pleased as their players who had signed to play for Packer were still eligible to play for them. Official cricket won
6850-523: The International Cricket Conference ( ICC ), now entered a controversy initially perceived as an Australian domestic problem. They met with Packer, Benaud and two assistants at Lord's on 23 June to discuss the WSC plans. After ninety minutes of compromise from both sides had almost created common ground, Packer demanded that the ICC award him the exclusive Australian television rights after the 1978–79 season ended. It wasn't in
6987-584: 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
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#17327929640007124-575: 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
7261-417: The WSC matches: ... he had his jaw shattered by a bouncer from Andy Roberts ... Until that moment, WSC had looked suspiciously like a thrown-together entertainment package; Hookes' injury impressed the contest's intensity on all observers. This incident had another effect: the first helmets appeared on batsmen's heads. Initially, Englishman Dennis Amiss sported a motorcycle helmet when batting in WSC, and he
7398-674: The West Indians began at VFL Park on 2 December 1977. The standard of the cricket was excellent, but the crowds were poor, which was emphasised by the stadium's capacity of 79,000. The official Test match played in Brisbane at the same time, featuring the weakened Australian team and India, attracted far more spectators. Employing personality-based marketing, WSC placed great emphasis on the "gladiatorial" aspect of fast bowling and heavily promoted fast bowlers such as Dennis Lillee , Imran Khan , Michael Holding and Andy Roberts . Packer
7535-537: The West Indies, WSC began making noises about a tour to England and signing enough players for stand-alone England and Pakistan teams. A second-tier tour was created for the 1978–79 season, taking the game to provincial centres around Australia and giving back-up players an opportunity to play regularly. This tour covered a 20,000-kilometre route between Cairns in Queensland to Devonport in Tasmania. WSC created
7672-424: The availability of their West Indian players. The non-selection of these three players led to the resignation of Clive Lloyd as captain, and all of the WSC contracted West Indian players to declare themselves unavailable for the rest of the series. Between the two WSC seasons, the united front presented by the ICC countries began to erode. The highest ill-feeling toward Packer existed in England, but many officials of
7809-454: 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
7946-474: 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
8083-449: 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
8220-413: The best side of the world on the basis of the performances of some of their players (LeRoux and Proctor best bowling averages, Barry Richards best batting average) in WSC. Meanwhile, WSC continued to up the stakes for the embattled ACB, optioning a number of young Australians and signing more overseas players: they now had well over 50 cricketers under contract. After organising the tours of New Zealand and
8357-421: 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
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#17327929640008494-414: 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
8631-489: The county clubs were prepared to keep Packer players on their books. The West Indies were the most financially vulnerable, and only voted for the original ICC in the interests of unity. The financial and political problems of the recent Australian tour led them to begin negotiations with Packer for a WSC series in the Caribbean during the spring of 1979. Initially, Pakistan took a hard line and refused to select their Packer players, but when WSC signed additional Pakistanis during
8768-403: The cricket establishment, most of whom had been singing his praises just weeks before. It seemed certain that all Packer players would be banned from Test and first-class cricket. The Australian players were a divided group and the management made their displeasure clear to the Packer signees. Dispirited by this turn of events and hampered by poor form and indifferent weather, Australia crashed to
8905-443: The delivery and play the hook shot. Realising too late that he had been beaten for pace, McCosker was struck flush on the jaw by the ball, which then fell on the stumps. England's joy at capturing the wicket quickly turned to concern when McCosker collapsed to the ground, holding his broken jaw. The plucky opener was helped from the ground, but looked unlikely to take further part in the game. The Australian batsmen appeared tentative and
9042-561: 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
9179-493: The débutant Hookes cut loose by belting Greig for five consecutive boundaries to pass 50, one of the most famous passages of play in the match. Just when he looked to be the man to make a match-winning score, Hookes was deceived by the wiles of spinner Derek Underwood, leaving Australia at 6 for 244, a lead of 287 with all of the recognised batsman back in the pavilion. However, Marsh swung the game Australia's way with some intelligent batting, taking runs when available and shepherding
9316-405: 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
9453-560: The event), Qantas (who flew the past and present English players in from London), and the Melbourne Hilton Hotel. In Australia, the game was broadcast on ABC TV and The 0-10 Network ; the ABC commentary team consisted of Keith Miller , Paul Sheahan , Frank Tyson and Norman May , while the 0-10 Network commentary team comprised Richie Benaud , Bill Lawry , Ian Chappell (all of whom would later commentate cricket for
9590-463: 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
9727-414: The final day of a drawn Supertest at Antigua . The West Indies and Australia finished the series 1–1. By 1979, the ACB was in desperate financial straits and faced the prospect of fighting an opponent who had seemingly endless cash resources. In two seasons, the combined losses of the two biggest cricket associations, New South Wales and Victoria , totalled more than half a million dollars. Kerry Packer
9864-597: 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
10001-493: The first time, the game's officialdom had a demonstration of Packer's wherewithal: he immediately doubled his original offer and won the contract. But he never forgot the machinations involved in winning the bid. Packer's planning of the proposed "exhibition" series was audacious. In early 1977, he began contracting a list of Australian players provided by recently retired Australian Test captain Ian Chappell . A bigger coup
10138-442: The formation of WSC — a widespread view that players were not paid sufficient amounts to make a living from cricket or reflect their market value and that following the development of colour television and increased viewer audiences of sports events, the commercial potential of cricket was not being achieved by the established cricket boards and Packer wished to secure the exclusive broadcasting rights to Australian cricket, then held by
10275-450: 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
10412-424: 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
10549-432: 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
10686-535: The game, with the recent innovation of the Day-night test proving popular. Players became full-time professionals, and at least in the larger cricketing nations are very well-paid, mainly through television rights; broadcasters now have a huge say in the running of the game. With the advent of Twenty20 cricket, players can now play in many domestic leagues around the world and attract high salaries, partly due to broadcast rights. The Indian Premier League only trails
10823-421: 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
10960-529: 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
11097-528: 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,
11234-444: The last day with eight wickets in hand. Day Five (17 March): Much rested on the shoulders of Randall and Amiss, but after playing one of his best knocks against Australia, Amiss lost concentration and fell to the part-time medium pace of Chappell for 64. By this time, Randall was well beyond his century, his first in Tests, and looked capable of winning the match if he was well supported at the other end. With his total on 161, Randall
11371-521: The many media interests owned by the family's company Consolidated Press Holdings (CPH). With Nine's ratings languishing, Packer sought to turn the network around via an aggressive strategy that included more sports programming. Firstly, he secured the rights to the Australian Open golf tournament . He spent millions of dollars revamping The Australian Golf Club in Sydney as a permanent home for
11508-596: The match) and Marsh. The first test match in England resulted in a victory to the hosts by 5 wickets. The three-day match was played at The Oval from 6 to 8 September 1880. The England team included three Grace brothers, W. G. Grace , E. M. Grace and G. F. Grace . England won the toss and batted first, with W. G. Grace scoring 152, the first century by an Englishman, in England's first innings total of 420. Australia were bowled out for 149, followed on , and scored 327 in their second innings, including 153 not out for Billy Murdoch . England lost 5 wickets before reaching
11645-473: The middle of the ground for the coin toss. Chappell had been handed a gold coin specially minted for the occasion. Greig called correctly and chose to field, presumably to shield his openers from having to face Dennis Lillee first. After Australian opener Ian Davis had fallen cheaply to the left-armer John Lever, the score advanced to thirteen. Bob Willis, working up some good pace with his ungainly style, bounced Australia's Rick McCosker, who decided to take on
11782-413: 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
11919-487: The more challenging nature of the format and to the higher turnover rate of one-day players. Kerry Packer described his involvement in World Series Cricket as "half-philanthropic". Marketing was a major tool for World Series Cricket, and revolutionised the way cricket in Australia was marketed, with the catchy " C'mon Aussie C'mon " theme song, the simple logo, the coloured clothing worn by the players, and
12056-552: 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
12193-448: 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
12330-966: The non-commercial, government-owned Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) , to realise and capitalise on the commercial potential of cricket. After the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) refused to accept Channel Nine's bid to gain exclusive television rights to Australia's Test matches in 1976, Packer set up his own series by secretly signing agreements with leading Australian, English, Pakistani, South African and West Indian players, most notably England captain Tony Greig , West Indies captain Clive Lloyd , Australian captain Greg Chappell , future Pakistani captain Imran Khan and former Australian captain Ian Chappell . Packer
12467-727: The off-season, and when an under-strength official Pakistan team were easily beaten by England in the three-Test series in the English summer of 1978, they took a more pragmatic approach, so when it came time in October 1978 for the first Test series between Pakistan and India for seventeen years, all the Packer players were included. Ostensibly, India were not involved as yet, but rumours abounded that their captain Bishan Bedi and star batsman Sunil Gavaskar had signed WSC options. New Zealand's chief administrator, Walter Hadlee , had advocated
12604-409: The period reasonably well, losing only Bob Woolmer for 9 in a total of 1 for 29. The visitors were clearly in the ascendancy at this point. Day Two (13 March): Australia found the inspiration they needed to get back into the match via their great fast bowler, Dennis Lillee. He took the wicket of Mike Brearley straight away, and within half an hour, England had crumbled to 5 for 40. Tony Greig mounted
12741-445: 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
12878-516: The players and taking legal action to prevent third parties from inducing players to break their contracts. To clarify the legal implications (including the proposed bans), Packer backed a challenge to the TCCB in the High Court by three of his players: Tony Greig, Mike Procter and John Snow . The case began on 26 September 1977 and lasted seven weeks. The cricket authority's counsel said that if
13015-470: The playing standard remained high. The Supertest final at the SCG between Australia XI and Rest Of The World XI, played under lights, drew almost 40,000 spectators over three days. The sixth Australia-England Test at the same venue a week later was attended by just 22,000 people for four days of play. Later in the season, the ACB scheduled two Tests against Pakistan , which brought the number of Tests played by Australia to eight. This overkill further damaged
13152-613: The power of the ICC to do so and Packer stormed from the meeting to deliver the following unadulterated declaration of war: Had I got those TV rights I was prepared to withdraw from the scene and leave the running of cricket to the board. I will take no steps now to help anyone. It's every man for himself and the devil take the hindmost. This outburst undid any goodwill that Packer had created during his earlier television appearance, and alarmed his contracted players, who had viewed his scheme as being as much philanthropic as commercial. The ICC decided to treat Packer's scheme with contempt when
13289-547: The previous contract), yet he was rebuffed. The ACB felt loyal to the ABC , which had broadcast the game for twenty years when the commercial networks showed little interest in the game. Packer believed that there was an " old-boy network " element to the decision, and he was furious at the dismissive way that his bid was handled. The government-funded ABC could not hope to match a commercial network's bid, but they were awarded another three-year contract worth only $ 210,000, commencing with
13426-448: The same opponents the previous summer) but lost 0–2 to West Indies, and they failed to make the final of the one-day tournament. The format of the season received heavy criticism, but still made a healthy profit, much of which went to PBL rather than the ACB. World Series Cricket changed the game in many ways. Due to the punishing schedule, cricketers had to be fitter than ever before. Night matches have become very common, in all forms of
13563-450: The score at 28, but England finally managed to steady. Derek Randall, an eccentric presence at the wicket who was yet to achieve much at Test level, started playing some shots and generally frustrating the Australians with his antics. His unique presence deflected much of the tension, as did a partnership of 85 with Mike Brearley. When Brearley fell, Amiss continued supporting Randall, who proceeded to 87 not out at stumps. England needed 272 on
13700-412: 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
13837-454: The second in 1980. These matches were played to mark the 100th anniversaries of the first Test cricket matches played in Australia (1877) and in England (1880) respectively. Neither match was played for The Ashes . The first Centenary Test was played in March 1977 to commemorate the match that is considered to be the first Test match, played in 1877. Both the 1877 and 1977 matches were played at
13974-405: The second on 278 for 4, declaring at 385 for 5 on the third day, with centuries for Graeme Wood (112) and Kim Hughes (117). England were bowled out for 205, with Len Pascoe taking 5/59 and including a duck for England captain, Ian Botham . Australia declared on 189 for 4 in their second innings, setting England an unlikely target of 370 in less than one day to win. Geoffrey Boycott batted out
14111-578: The series was the emergence of a West Indian side. The concept was originally envisaged as Australia versus Rest of the World. When the West Indians were offered contracts that would pay them more than they could earn in an entire career, they all signed with alacrity. However, WSC used the West Indian players in the Rest of the World team as well. The first WSC game, a "Supertest" between the Australians and
14248-443: 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
14385-413: 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
14522-477: The story on 9 May. Immediately, all hell broke loose in the hitherto conservative world of cricket. Not unexpectedly, the English were critical of what they quickly dubbed the "Packer Circus" and reserved particular vitriol for the English captain Tony Greig, for his central role in organising the break-away. Greig retained his position in the team, but was stripped of the captaincy and ostracised by everyone in
14659-448: The tail and although England continued to fight, the wickets tumbled at regular intervals. Finally, Lillee trapped Alan Knott on the crease with a fast, straight delivery to earn an lbw decision and victory for his country. It took a few moments before it was realised that the winning margin of 45 runs was exactly the same as it had been 100 years before. Randall received the man of the match award, ahead of Lillee (who took eleven wickets for
14796-417: The tail enders from the strike. When the eighth wicket fell at 353, McCosker unexpectedly reappeared, his face tightly bound with bandages to hold his jaw together. The crowd recognised his courage as he batted in a cap – the batting helmet was not introduced to the game until the following year. He finished the day unbeaten on 17 and Marsh was five runs short of becoming the first Australian wicketkeeper to make
14933-407: The target of 57. The 1980 Centenary Test was played at Lord's from 28 August to 2 September 1980, with a rest day on 31 August. It was the 885th Test match played and the 240th between the two countries Australia England Australia, captained by Greg Chappell , won the toss and elected to bat. Although the first two days were affected by rain, Australia ended the first day on 227 for 2 and
15070-414: The time) had no input into the negotiations. This left some disillusioned and apprehensive that they would suffer discrimination from the ACB in the coming years. The ACB opted to not select WSC-contracted players for the tours of England (for the 1979 World Cup ) and India (for six Tests ) later in the year. Both tours produced sub-standard Australian performances, and both were led by Kim Hughes . For
15207-481: The top players deserted traditional cricket then gate receipts would decline. Mr. Packer's lawyers stated that the ICC had tried to force the Packer players to break their contracts and to prevent others from joining them. Mr Justice Christopher Slade considered the following nine points: Justice Slade in his judgement said that professional cricketers need to make a living and the ICC should not stand in their way just because its own interests might be damaged. He said
15344-460: 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). English cricket team in Australia in 1976%E2%80%9377 Centenary Test refers to two matches of Test cricket played between the English cricket team and the Australian cricket team , the first in 1977 and
15481-403: The total, a Test record that still stands). The England team, captained by James Lillywhite , scored 196 in reply, with Billy Midwinter taking 5/78, the first Test "five for". Australia scored 104 in their second innings, with Alfred Shaw taking 5/38, setting England a target of 153 to win, but England were bowled out for 108, with Tom Kendall taking 7/55. The idea of a celebration match at
15618-449: The tournament. Jack Nicklaus was hired to redesign the course and to appear in the tournament. Packer was a fan of cricket, which was undergoing a resurgence in popularity during the mid-1970s. In 1976, Packer sought the rights to televise Australia's home Test matches, the contract for which was about to expire. He approached the ACB with an offer of A$ 1.5 million for three years (eight times
15755-535: 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,
15892-416: Was Paul Hogan 's business manager and on-screen sidekick. Packer took this idea, then fleshed it out into a full series between the best Australian players and a team from the rest of the world. His mistrust of cricket's administrators deepened when the ACB recommended the TCCB accept an offer for their broadcasts rights from the ABC, even though ABC's $ 210,000 offer was only 14% of the offer from Packer. For
16029-655: 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
16166-544: 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
16303-408: Was a triumph and excellent fine-tuning for what was to come. So far, the ACB had enjoyed the backing of the press and the true aficionados of the game. But a series of misfortunes and poor decisions came to plague the ACB in their battle to stay ahead of Packer. The official Australian team toured the Caribbean under Bob Simpson in March 1978. The West Indies cricket officials had no wish to buy into
16440-600: Was achieved when Packer convinced the England captain Tony Greig to not only sign on, but to act as an agent in signing many players around the world. By the time the season climaxed with the Centenary Test match between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in March 1977, about two dozen players had committed to Packer's enterprise, which as yet had no grounds to play on, no administration and
16577-402: Was aided by businessmen John Cornell and Austin Robertson , both of whom were involved with the initial setup and administration of the series. Australian Captain Ian Chappell summed up the quality of World Series Cricket by saying it was the toughest cricket that he ever played (having all the best players in the world involved). In the mid-1970s, the Australian television industry was at
16714-409: Was also feeling the financial pinch – many years later, WSC insiders claimed that the losses he incurred were very much higher than the amounts quoted at the time. During March of that year, Packer instigated a series of meetings with then chairman of the ACB board, Bob Parish, which hammered out an agreement on the future of Australian cricket. When Parish announced the truce on 30 May 1979, a surprise
16851-427: Was considered impossible to create the pitches in such a short time. However, Packer hired curator John Maley, who pioneered the concept of "drop-in" pitches . These pitches were grown in hothouses outside the venue, then dropped into the playing surface with cranes. This revolutionary technique was the unsung highlight of the first season of WSC – without them, WSC would have been a folly. Another unexpected element of
16988-521: Was doubtful of the effectiveness of slow bowling. To counteract the continual rotation of pace bowlers on pitches of unproven quality, WSC batsmen felt the need to increase their bodily protection. In the Sydney Supertest on 16 December, Australian David Hookes was hit a sickening blow from a bouncer bowled by West Indian Andy Roberts . Paradoxically, the effect of Hookes' broken jaw, captured graphically by Nine's cameras, served to "legitimise"
17125-592: 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
17262-434: Was given out to a catch by Marsh, but Marsh indicated that he didn't take the ball cleanly, so the Australians recalled the batsman. After a promising half century partnership with Greig had hauled England to within 117 runs of an improbable victory, Randall fell to a brilliant one handed catch by Cosier from the spin of O'Keeffe. He made 174 off 353 balls in a marathon 446 minutes. With the breach made, Lillee returned to attack
17399-436: Was in store for followers of the game. Not only had Channel Nine won the exclusive rights to telecast Australian cricket, it was granted a ten-year contract to promote and market the game through a new company, PBL Marketing. The ACB capitulation infuriated the English authorities and the ICC as they had provided much in the way of financial and moral support to the ACB, which now appeared to have sold out to Packer. According to
17536-490: 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",
17673-411: Was played alongside six Supertests in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth. The first day/night match, played at Melbourne's VFL Park, attracted some curiosity value, but generally, the paying public were indifferent to the series. Many took a lead from the hostile press, and official cricket benefited from a dramatic Test series played between Australia and a touring Indian team . The ACB's masterstroke
17810-428: Was quickly followed by many other players. Protective cricket equipment developed rapidly, and by the end of WSC, virtually all batsmen in WSC and official Test matches were sporting some form of protective headwear. WSC decided to place a greater emphasis on one-day cricket than it had previously been given in Australia. A one-day series, the " International Cup " featuring the Australian, West Indian, and World teams,
17947-405: 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
18084-491: Was secret to all in the cricket world. It was a measure of the players' dissatisfaction with official cricket that they were prepared to sign up for what was still a vague concept and yet keep everything covert. By the time the Australian team arrived to tour England in May 1977, thirteen of the seventeen members of the squad had committed to Packer. News of the WSC plans were inadvertently leaked to Australian journalists, who broke
18221-466: Was shut out of traditional cricket venues, so Packer leased two Australian rules football stadiums ( VFL Park in Melbourne and Football Park in Adelaide ), as well as Perth 's Gloucester Park (a trotting track ) and Sydney 's Moore Park Showground . The obvious problem was preparing grass pitches of suitable standard at these venues, where none had existed previously. By common consensus, it
18358-428: Was still at the crease and he combined with veteran Doug Walters to add a half century partnership in the time remaining before stumps, leaving the match evenly poised. Day Three (14 March): Starting cautiously, Australia lost both overnight batsmen to the bowling of Greig. Both Davis and Walters had got into the sixties but failed to go on: Australia needed someone to make a hundred. Hookes and Marsh came together, and
18495-522: Was the appointment of the 41-year-old Bob Simpson as Australian captain, after a ten-year retirement from first-class cricket. He led a team of relatively unknown youngsters (with the exception of fast bowler Jeff Thomson , who did not sign up for the WSC) to a 3–2 series victory which was not decided until the final Test in Adelaide. Big crowds attended the Tests, and the media coverage was very supportive of
18632-428: Was the way of the future. The show significantly raised Packer's profile and converted some to his way of thinking. The main goal of his trip was to meet the game's authorities and reach some type of compromise. He made a canny move by securing Richie Benaud as a consultant. Benaud's standing in the game and his journalistic background helped steer Packer through the politics of the game. Cricket's world governing body,
18769-469: Was then realised that the sport had been transformed into one's livelihood. A largely unknown Kerry Packer arrived in London in late May 1977. He appeared on David Frost 's The Frost Programme to debate his concept with commentators Jim Laker and Robin Marlar . Marlar's aggressive, indignant interrogation of Packer came unstuck when Packer proved to be articulate, witty, and confident that his vision
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