CRICKET TRIVIA
A selection of Cricket Trivia and facts;
There are 10 ways in which a batsman can get out in cricket: Caught, Bowled, Leg Before Wicket, Run Out, Stumped, Handling the ball, Obstructing the field, Hit the ball twice, Hit Wicket and Timed out.
The first laws of cricket were written in 1774.
In early games the batsman would bat in-front of a tree stump, hence the term “stumps”. As the game progressed it was at times played in front of a wicket-gate – which led to the term “wickets”.
Early bowlers would bowl the ball under arm and cricket records tell stories of great under arm lob bowlers. Over arm bowling was initially illegal. It was introduced to cricket by a Kent cricketer, John Willes. He actually got this move from his sister, Christina who found her skirts were getting in the way when she tried to bowl under-arm!
The first international cricket match was held between the US and Canada in 1844. This epic event and match was played in New York and Canada won by 23 runs.
In 1868 an Englishman called Charles Lawrence based in Australia put together a team of aborigines and took them to England. This was the first ever Australian tour to England, and each player wore a cap of a different colour so that the spectators could identify them. The team played 47 matches against a number of local teams of which they won 14, lost 14 and drew the rest. Apart from playing cricket the aborigines showcased a number of unique sports including the backwards race, boomerang throwing and cricket ball dodging.
While he only played 12 tests with limited success, Alfred 'Tich' Freeman is possibly the greatest first-class bowler ever. A short leg-spin googly bowler, he took 3,776 first-class wickets (second only to Wilfred Rhodes) and is the only bowler to take 300 wickets in a single-season (in 1928). He took over 200 wickets in the next seven seasons, and remains the only man to take all 10 wickets in an innings thrice and 17 wickets in a match twice.
One of the greatest all-rounders in the true sense is CB Fry. He captained England at cricket, played for England in football he equaled the world long-jump record. Away from sport he was offered the Kingship of Albania, he represented India at the League of Nations, and Hitler consulted with him when he was developing the Youth Program in Germany.
Sir Donald George Bradman must surely be the greatest batsman of all time. In his last test innings at the Oval in 1948 he needed 4 runs to end with an average of 100. He was bowled by Eric Hollies for a duck. His test average of 99.94 and first-class average of 95.14 are both world records. His 974 runs in a single test series is also a record. He scored two triple centuries and 12 double centuries in test cricket and was once left stranded on 299.
Montague Druitt was a fast bowler who played for Winchester College, Incogniti and Dorset, he was also a playing member of the MCC. In 1888 he drowned himself in the Thames river. Druitt was suspected of being Jack the Ripper!
