THE ORIGIN OF CRICKET

Cue (NZERS), Issue 33, 15 October 1945, Page 40

THE ORIGIN OF CRICKET

Wherever Englishmen and especially English soldiers have gone, they have taken their national game with them.' But for the outbreak of the Revolution it would have been played in Paris in 1789 under the auspices of the British Ambassador. It was introduced to Lisbon before the Battle of Busaco and later in Vienna during a Congress there. It had been played in Italy by 1828 while a cricket club was formed in Geneva as early as 1850. Of European countries to-day the Dutch and the Danes are the keenest and the most proficient. Cricket is by no means unknown in America —in fact it has been played all over the American continent and a match at New York took place in 1751. The first team of professional cricketers that ever left England toured the U.S.A, and Canada in 1859 and they have been followed by many subsequent teams. The compliment has been returned by the Philadelphians, Pennsylvania and Haverford Universities. In England it was being played by boys of the free school of Guildford in or about 1550 for in 1598, one John Derrick then 58, giving evidence before a jury testified to his having played there as a boy himself at ’’crikett and other plaies”. However, its origin may be even earlier still as various authorities have tried to identify its infancy with a fifteenth century game

called ’’Handyn or Handcute”, stoolball or the Scottish ’’Cat and Doug” all of which seem to have contributed something. It was not born but evolved itself slowly as a specialised variety of the generic club-ball. Dr. Johnson gave the derivation of ’’cricket” as being from ’’cryce”— Saxon —a stick.

When You Return, Remember Traffic keeps to the left-hand side of the road. Hotels close at 1800 hours, (six o’clock in civvic street) and drinking after hours is frowned upon. walking is an offence in urban areas (including Wanganui and Timaru). Robbing of orchards and vineyards is not altogether popular with the owners, and laws of trespass are strict. Numerous items of food and clothing can be bought only when the necessary coupons are produced. It is by no means fine every day during the summer as it is in Italy. Ask any Southland man. Once army pay ceases it will be necessary to work in order to ea , drink and be merryin fact, in order to live.