Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1889-07-20
1HE Birth OF CRICKET.
crlc,se.cra and Our Little Tip Cat whaok-


crs Arc Really Brothnrs.
According To tho best authorities
cricket is combination of hockey,
bat and ball, FOUNDERS and tip cat,
S(r. Billiards. theory being tllss when
tip cat WAS played 200 years ago 1t
was known as cross wicket, " and the
PLAYERS consisted OF eleven Il side. with
a notcher or scorer, and that when
the cat was hit away the strikers ran
us now, tho runs counting toward
game. Aftcrwald a ball Was suDstl-
tulel for Tire esd. and the name
changed, or rather shortened p'o'n
cross vickct" 10 cricket. nla PIC
tlre of match played In l1A3 the
came seems 10 have been IN the tran
STORY state, the popping hole, rem
mani Of roumt,crs, being shown under.
The hurdle wicket. and, in reality,
WAS the original OF the popping crease.
Tho wicket chen WAS simply two up.
,ight sticks with another piece OF
wood, or bail, OH top OF them. IN tho
picture the wicket keeper occupies tho
same place rs lie does now III g cricket
match and allowing for the then
shorter stunps. stands in the same po-
sition Of lively watchfnlncss. Tho
hatsr.ian is handling 81 club bat, oovl-
orsly u compromise between hockey
s.ic!; a... Il tip cat bat The bowling
:np,.,s 20 consist in trundlng the
bail along the ground. andi'on the
near rasilion Of the scorer TO the
wicket. and .hc manner III which the
feeders stand. or hitting Was UNI
known at that time There IS only
ono account existing OF an eleven
aside match i'll that era, that OF Kent
KS. All England in l7lG, which, how
ever, goes 10 prove that i'll its. Chief do
tails tie game was contested under
much thcsamc conditions as 1t present.
1t is. however, an open question
whether the county OF Surrey, Sns-
sex or Kent has the most right to be
considered the nursery OF the national
rame in England, though undoubtcd-
" the Eat and Eall inn, about two
miles from Hambledoi! III Sussex, has
most cl,ll, To the title OF being the
cradle Of cricket. This old house
stands OH level expansc OF ground,
where two cross roads meet. and out
wardly-at least few years back
presented much the same appearance
Us i; did $50 years ago.
Between i7.5 and 1850 middle
stump WAS introduced, when Il newer
style Of playing the game came into
vogue-thGt is 10 say, i'll addition TO
the third stump other changes were
taking place, notably III the bats or
clubs, which gradually became
s:raighter and wider in shape. This
continued until 1870. by which time
the cricEetS bats altered in form to
What they arc ut present. Nearly
everything else, such as the bowling
distance, placing OF the iielders, APP
ro;ntmcut OF umpires, etc, were
gradually introduced IS well, the only
difference being in the costumes OF
The players.
At the early part OF the present cen.
turY the cricEetcr's dress consisted OF
brooches. silk stockings. lace UP iron
tip shoes, fancy colored shirts and
iackcv cars-at least that was the uni
form worn by the famous Hambledon
club, which at first helped to spread
such q luSter over this descwedly
popular pastmc 1t is now over a
bundled years ago l7S0) since the
Historical match was played between
Eamblcdol and All England, i'll front
OF the Bat and Bail inn we have al
ready referred TO, at which it has been
alleged that the famous old player,
Willie Da!dh:n. known far and wide
IS Silver Billy, took part-though, &C.
ccrding TO tie best authorities, hecould
not have been mach more than Ii
years old, hut they began young i'll
those days. for boys Of Is fought at
Waterloo.-L;censed Nictuallers Ca