The game of cricket has developed radically over a long and fascinating history. Set against its humble 14th century origins amongst the sheep farming community of southern England, the sport now bears little resemblance to its early derivations. Upon the establishment of the Hambledon Cricket Club in c. 1750, the game firmly embedded itself into English society and has gone on to establish a long and illustrious national tradition. The formation of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 1787 marked a shift in control of the sport, as power was assumed by the club, and the governing body at Hambledon was transferred to the MCC’s headquarters at Lord’s. Elitism This movement of authority to the capital advanced the rise of elitist cricket, and by the late 18th century the acrimonious split between ‘gentlemen’ and players had been firmly established. Cricket emerged as a pastime of the aristocracy, and a symbol of the leisurely lives of the ruling classes, with clubs such as White Conduit in London restricting their membership exclusively to gentlemen. This elitist philosophy was also driven into schools and universities, as cricket became the stalwart sport at Eton, Oxford and Cambridge. Thought to typify the values of the English Gentleman, cricket functioned as much as a sport as a lesson in social refinement and morality, and was seen as something of a rite of passage into the society of the ruling elite. Cricket as a social educator was not a concept confined to England, as British colonial powers exported its Anglican, ‘civilising’ principles to South Africa, the Caribbean and India during the reign of the Empire. Around the world, cricket retained its elitist philosophy with cricket clubs in India being opened only to European settlers. Australia marked the exception to this rule; its cricketing authorities made no distinction between amateur and professional players, a principle that took until 1963 to assert itself on the game in England and dispel any lingering illusions of exclusivity
Posted on: Sat, 15 Jun 2013 18:52:13 +0000
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