The origin of cricket – a gentleman’s game as they call it – dates back to the 16th century. Cricket finds its roots in south-east England where it was first played, and became its national sport in the 18th century. Since its inception from centuries ago, to its present form in current times, the game of cricket has come a long way. The ICC World Cup 2019 is around the corner, and we at LatestLY take you to trip down the memory lane, from where it all started! Cricket World Cup History: Winners, Host Nations, Participating Teams and Timeline of All the CWC From 1975 to 2015.

The First-Ever International Cricket match:

After being played in different formats and in different geographies amongst domestic teams (or say informally), the first-ever international game was played between the United States of America and Canada in 1844. The game was played at St. Georges Cricket Club in New York. Any guesses for who emerged as the winner? Well, don’t stress your brains; it was Canada who won the two-day game by 23 runs. History of Cricket World Cup Trophy: Facts and Evolution of Cricket’s Prestigious Title From Prudential to ICC (View Pics & Video).

It All Began Here:

After the first game, it was a galore of cricket over different time periods henceforth. In 1859, the England team visited North America making it the first overseas tour. In 1862, England visited Australia for the first time – little people knew back then that it would be one of the most-exciting rivalries of all times.

The First Official Test match:

After a long time, the first official Test match was played between England and Australia, which the latter won by 45 runs. The contest took place at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), in Australia. In 1882, when Australia defeated England at the Oval – their first win on English soil – it is then when ‘The Ashes’ came into existence.

The 19th Century:

The game went under a lot of modifications in the next century. The clubs were formed, the over-arm bowling was legalised, test status was handed to South Africa, and county championships took place among other things. ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Schedule in PDF: Ticket Prices, Dates, Venue Details & Timetable Available for Download Online.

Not many know that the game began with the rule of 4-balls per over, which was later increased to 5-balls in 1889, and 6-balls in 1890. There were experiments done for 8-balls an over too. The rule was then tweaked to 6 or 8 balls per over as per the conditions of play. However, from 1979-80, 6-ball an over has become the new norm.

The 20th Century:

The Imperial Cricket Conference (ICC), now known as International Cricket Council, was formed in 1909 with England, Australia, and South Africa as its original members. West Indies (in 1928), New Zealand (in 1930), and India (in 1932) joined as test nations soon after. Pakistan joined in 1952; Sri Lanka in 1982, Zimbabwe in 1992, and Bangladesh in 2000 were amongst the other entrants.

In the 1960s, some county teams in England started playing a single-inning version of the game, with a certain number of overs stipulated to be the maximum. In no time its popularity increased with people increasing their likeliness to the new (and shorter) form of the game.

It was in 1971, when a first limited-overs international match took place. The match was a time-filler for a rain-abandoned Test match. However, it got great reviews amongst the audience and got popular in no time. Looking at its popularity, the ICC decided to conduct the first-ever World Cup tournament in 1975 – the foundation stone of the evolution of the game of cricket for the next four decades.

The Post-World Cup Era:

There have been many changes in the game in the last 40 years. From the introduction of technology to the advent of using TV replays and ‘Third Umpires’ for decision reviews, to use of ultra-snicko and hawk-eye technology – the game of cricket has come very far from its origins.

The rules have been ever evolving – from powerplay, to super-sub, to not allowing a runner to an injured batsman, to changing fielding restrictions and use of two new balls in an innings. The game of cricket has witnessed an array of changes; however, the vibe has remained the same. Despite several (read many) instances which have rocked the world of cricket over the years, it has weathered the storm and is still what it used to be – a gentleman’s game’.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 19, 2019 08:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).