🏏Cricket
As the famous song goes, “I don’t like cricket, oh no, I love it!”. This line captures the pure sense of joy that cricket brings to millions of people around the world.
And here at Zenseats, we certainly share this love for the sport, aiming to knock everyone for six with our selection of ticketing options for major cricket events. Whatever the first-class cricket action you’re after, whether it’s domestic or international, we always look to provide our customers with the best ticket packages around. We frequently update our pages with all the latest events, including the latest Test series cricket, One Day Internationals (ODIs), plus the most exciting Twenty20 competitions.
History and Evolution
Incredibly, cricket can trace its roots all the way back to the 1500s in southern England, when popular stick-and-ball games were first referred to as ‘cricket’. Early cricket bats looked more like hockey sticks or even curved oars during the 1600s and 1700s as the sport gradually evolved.
Founded in 1787, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) assumed responsibility for governing the Laws of Cricket in 1788 before going on to build the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground by 1814. Interestingly, the MCC still remains involved and has revised the modern laws on seven occasions in conjunction with the International Cricket Council (ICC).
As the British Empire expanded, so did cricket. During the 19th and 20th centuries, international teams were officially formed throughout the world, as cricket flourished. This international sport is typified by the intense rivalry between England and Australia. The countries played the first Test matches in 1876 and 1877, and a few years later, The Ashes were born.
Test Cricket and The Ashes
The origins of Test cricket began with matches between teams from England and Australia, making this one of the oldest rivalries in modern sports. By 1883 these tours had become official and established. This year also marked the first appearance of The Ashes. Following a shock defeat for England at home in 1882, The Sporting Times famously said, “the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.” England captain Ivo Bligh promised he would regain ‘the ashes’ of English cricket, establishing the term we know today.
Nowadays, there are 12 full members of the International Cricket Council (ICC), which replaced previous organisations including the Imperial Cricket Conference (1909-1963) and the International Cricket Conference (1964-1988). All handily having the same three letter acronym.
As the oldest of the currently played cricket formats, Test matches can last up to five days, consisting of four innings, with two innings for each team. It’s a unique form of sport, full of tactical strategy, patience and skill. Test cricket is the one the purists love.
One Day International Cricket
Emulating the history of Test cricket and meeting the growing demand for shorter matches, the very first One Day International was hosted at the legendary Melbourne Cricket Ground, as Australia took on England in January 1971.
Such was the popularity of this limited 50 overs game, this format is now considered to be the flagship event of international cricket. It brought cricket into the modern era and inspired the first Cricket World Cup, hosted by England in 1975.
Having captivated fans around the world, the Cricket World Cup, held every four years, continues to expand. The 2019 tournament, hosted and won by England, featured 10 teams, while the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India will feature the same number and will take place between 5th October and 19th November.
Amidst widespread support, the Cricket World Cup will increase to 14 teams for the 2027 and 2031 tournaments. Meanwhile, the popularity of One Day International cricket continues to flourish, often featuring as part of international tours, alongside Test series matches and more recently, the addition of Twenty20 cricket.
Twenty20 Cricket
Like many other sports, cricket has faced its own share of challenges over the years and has needed to adapt and evolve. Facing increased pressures from declining attendances and falling advertising revenues, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) proposed the introduction of a new format, bringing fast-paced, short-form cricket that could compete with other popular teams sports.
This led to the launch of the Twenty20 Cup in 2003 as the first official competition featuring 18 county teams. The format features one innings of 20 overs per team, meaning that matches are usually concluded in around two hours, rather than the 5 days of Test cricket. The initial success of this format was transformative for cricket.
The popularity of Twenty20 quickly spread across the world. Most international cricket tours now feature Twenty20 games, alongside Test series and ODI matches. Major domestic leagues have also been formed. These include the Indian Premier League, Big Bash League in Australia, plus the Caribbean Premier League.
County Cricket
Alongside the international game, there’s a thriving county league system in England and Wales, where matches were first played in the early 1700. Since 1890, the ECB has organised the County Championship. This is the highest level of domestic national cricket, featuring two divisions and 18 teams, currently including 17 from England and one from Wales.
The Country season typically runs from April to September, with teams in each division playing 14 matches. Ever since the official competition was established in 1890, Yorkshire has been the most successful county side with 33 championship titles, followed by 21 for Surrey and 13 for Middlesex.
Expanding on the domestic cricket scene across England and Wales, and also managed by the ECB, The Hundred was launched in 2021 to resounding success. This is based around a franchised 100-ball version of the game, featuring eight men’s and eight women’s teams, most of which represent cities rather than counties. This even shorter format with slick marketing and brandable team names, like Trent Rocket, Oval Invincibles and Northern Supercharger, has brought cricket even more into the modern era.
For the big games in cricket, there’s always a huge demand for tickets. Here at Zenseats, we can help fans source tickets from trusted suppliers to make sure you don’t miss any of the top class action.
