Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1889-07-27
THE BIRTH or CRICKET.
crioketers and Our Little Tip Cat whaci:
ers Are Really Brothers.

Crtcketets anu Uur btttte TIP VAT NhhcL
ers Are Really Brothrr..
According 10 tho best authorities,
cricket Is a combination Of hockey.
bat and ball, FOUNDERS and tip cat.
Mr.. Billiards. theory bciiH Sat when
tip cat was played 200 years ago IL
was known as cross wicket. and the
players consisted Of eleven side. with
n notchcr or scorer. and that when
the cat was hit away the strikers ran
rs now, the runs counting toward
game. Afterward ball was substi.
tuted for the cat. and the name
changed, or rather shortened from
cross wicket" 10 cricket" In pic.
turo OF match played in 1913 the
game seems TO have been in the tran.
STORY state, tho popping hole, a rem
nant OF FOUNDERS, being shown under
tho hurdle wicket. and, in reality.
was the original Of the popping crease.
The wicket then was simply two up.
right sticks with another piece Of
wood, or bail. on top Of them. IN the
picture the wicket keeper occupies the
samo place as he does now in u cricket
match, and allowing for the then
shorter stumps. stands in the same po
sition Of lively watclfulncss The
batsman is handling club bat, obvi-
ously compromise between hockey
stick aud lip cat bat. The bowling
appears TO consist in trundling the
ball along the ground. and from the
near position OF the scorer 10 the
wicket, and the manner in which the
iicldcrs stand. oil hitting was um.
known at that time There is only
ono account existing Of an eleven.
aside match in that era. that Of Kent
VS.. All England in l7i6. which. how
ever. goes 10 prove that in lis chief dc.
tails the game was contested under
much the same conditions as ai present
IL is. however an open question
whether the county of Surrey, Sus
sex or Kent has the most right Ia be
considered the nursery Of the national
game in England though undoubtcd
~ the Bat an,, l:a.l inn. about two
miles from liamblc,lon in Sussex. has
most claim To the title Of being the
cradle Of cricket. This old house
stands on n level cXlmnsc Of ground.
where two cross roads meet. and out
warlly at least few years back
presented much the same appearance
asst did $50 years ago
Between lea5 aud 1850 "A middle
stump was introduced. when n newer
style of playing the game came into
voguc-that is TO say. in addition 10
the third stump other changes were
taking place, notably in the bats ar
clubs, which gradually became
ssrt. Il 81, Ia
continued until 1910. by which timo
the crickcts bats altered in form 10
what they arc at present. Nearly
everything else. such as the bowling
distance. placing Of the ilcldcrs. ap
pointmcnt Of unpircs. etc. were
gradually introduced as well. the only
difference being in the costumes Of
tho players
At the early part 81 the present cen.
fury the crickcicr's dress consisted Of
brooches. silk stockings, lace up iron
tip shoes, fancy colorcd shirts and
jockey caps--at least that was the uni.
form worn by the famous Ila,nblc,lon
club, which at first l.clpcd 10 spread
such lustcr over this dcscrvcdly
popular pasiimc. II is now over a
hundred years ago (l1S0, since the
historical match was played between
Hamblcdon and All England. in front
OF the Bat aud Bail inn we have al.
ready referred 10. al which it has been
alleged thni the famous old player.
Willie Baldham. known far and wide
rs Silver Billy. took part though. ne
corling 10 the best authorities. hccould
not have been much more than IL
years old. but they began young in
those days. for boys Of Is fought ut
Waterloo. LICENSED Victuallcrs' Ga
Zcttc