Cricket beyond one day

[fredpuli47]

When did cricket matches first get played ove two, three, four or five days? I take it that, in the old days of cricket, Hambledon and all that, the local lord or squire was not in the habit of giving his workers two days or more off to play a cricket match!

[Buenchico]

The Lord or Squire would probably either not need to give his workers time off or, alternatively, have a vested interest in doing so.

Firstly, cricket was often played by 'gentlemen', who didn't need to work for a living. Within living memory for some, first class teams had both 'players' (= professionals) and 'gentlemen' (= wealthy amateurs) among their number.

Secondly, cricket was often at the centre of substantial gambling. The Lord or Squire would be happy to let a worker have a few days off if he could score a century and take a few wickets, thus helping to win his boss a great deal of money ;-)

It's interesting that you you should mention Hambledon Club. The Wikipedia entry for that club makes reference to a two-day match (between Kent & 'Hampshire & Sussex') being played in 1772:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hambledon_Club

Chris

[fredpuli47]

Thanks Chris. Hadn't appreciated that by the end of the C18 these cricket clubs could be havens of gambling.Of course, any worker good enough to be a professional could be worth a lot more to his employer than he ever would be on the land .

[fredpuli47]

Thanks Chris. Hadn't appreciated that by the end of the C18 these cricket clubs could be havens of gambling.Of course, any worker good enough to be a professional could be worth a lot more to his employer than he ever would be on the land .