01/08/2023
The oldest known cricket match in history was played in about 1611, at Chevening in Kent, England. The match was between teams representing the Downs and the Weald. The game was recorded in a letter written by John Evelyn, a diarist and naturalist.
Here are some other details about the match:
The match was played on a Sunday, which was unusual at the time.
The match was played for a stake of £100.
The Downs won the match by 11 runs.
The match was played under the rules of "merrie cricket", which were different from the rules of modern cricket.
The match in 1611 is not the first time that cricket was mentioned in writing. There are earlier references to the game, but they are not as specific. For example, in 1597, the word "creckett" was used in a book called "The Compleat Gentleman".
The game of cricket continued to evolve over the next few centuries, and the rules were gradually standardized. The first Test match was played in 1877, and the first One Day International was played in 1971. Cricket is now a global sport, with millions of fans around the world.
