Why Is Cricket Called Cricket?

It’s called cricket because that’s the name of the insect it was named after. Cricket, in case you don’t know (and if you don’t, I can totally forgive you!), is the sport played with a bat and ball between two teams of 11 players on an oval pitch. It evolved from the English sport of rounders, in which there were neither stumps nor boundaries nor fielders. In fact, the origin of cricket (the word) remains uncertain.

The Beginning of Cricket

Cricket was an English pastime that was first played centuries ago in the time of Elizabeth I. The name of the game is a result of history, being that some believe the word derives from crack, meaning the sound of a hard hit ball on a cricket bat. Interestingly, the term 'cricket' did not become formalized until 1864 with its introduction to Australia by Samuel Dickens who brought cricket and other sports to schoolboys while teaching English there. This game as it is known today most likely began when Londoners combined two old English games, stoopball and rounders. In doing so, they created what became known as cricket, which is unique in how players play with bats rather than their hands like baseball or softball players do.

A British Pastime

History tells us that the game of cricket dates back as far as the 16th century. It is thought to have begun in a Kent village called Boughton where an old fashioned game of Coggan was played by the villagers which involved throwing and retrieving a ball. As time went on, it became a bit more complicated with new rules being added so that those who came to watch could make bets on the outcome. In fact, cricket may well be the oldest game of its kind. Cricket clubs in England are so firmly established they maintain their own cemeteries to accommodate centuries worth of illustrious players and spectators who left this world without warning, often after stumps were drawn at either end. 

The Rules

Cricket is an immensely popular game, second only to soccer as the most watched and played team sport on Earth. In the game, each team fields 11 players at one time. The game is played on a large pitch with two sets of wickets placed at either end of the pitch. Each set of wickets consists of three stumps that are hammered into the ground. 

Originally, cricket was named after its crisscross pattern by early players who used their legs as they ran through gaps in a 'cricket,' or post-and-rail fence that separated their fields from one another. 

People played games similar to cricket in Roman and medieval times.

What Is the History of Playing Cricket in India?

The word cricket is believed to have been derived from the word cryce, which means staff or stick, due to the long straight staff being used as a bat. In English-speaking countries, it is assumed that cricket was first played by adults who used an expensive bat they called a cricket stave. Children in England may have started playing with improvised versions of cricket bats and balls while adults were away on other business. These children may have shouted out stick or stave when playing and the word got shortened to the shorter word: cricket. That's why, when you watch people play this sport now, it is known as cricket!

How Common Is Cricket Around the World?

With a few exceptions, the game of cricket is common to the area that follows the contours of the British Empire. Mostly those countries are former colonies of Britain, such as India and Pakistan in Asia, Australia and New Zealand in Oceania and Africa's West Indies. What makes it called cricket is that it was named after crickets which were already well-known there because they were often eaten by English settlers. In English-speaking countries, many people mistakenly think that cricket refers to one variety of cricket bugs rather than the game itself. But this has nothing to do with why it is called cricket – just like how football is not about one particular type of football bug!

The Benefits of Cricket as a Sport

Cricket, a sport originally played in England, was called cricket because the game was historically played outdoors on a strip of ground called a cricketeer. It is unclear where the term came from or its connection to the insect-related term crickets, which refers to the chirping sounds they make. The earliest definite reference in print to cricket is from 1698. There are many theories about the origin of cricket and its name. The most popular theory about why cricket has been called this for over 300 years is that an English field officer named John Derrick sent his servant - also named John - down onto the ground with a bagful of dead crickets.

Where Did Cricket Come From, Anyway?

It all began with an Irish gentleman named Jonathan Swift. What is most surprising about his contribution to the game is that he never actually played the game of cricket and doesn't mention it in his book, Gulliver's Travels. He was more into dancing and wit. The legend has it that Swift came up with the name for the game because he was not only a true wit, but also an early bird. In 1738, he invented a version of lawn tennis which allowed games to be played in short order by adding what we now know as a few random strokes, but later renamed cricket.

Some Fun Facts About The Word Cricket

Cricket's roots date back to at least the sixteenth century, when a form of cricket was played with an animal bone. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, humans were depicted playing this type of game in a cave painting found in France. It is believed that the term 'cricket' has its origins in Acheta campestris meaning 'field-dwelling insect'. In other parts of England, it was known as knockers or bat-and-ball.

This Isn't Really About Cricket at All, But...

I am not a fan of baseball, and for the most part don't really understand it. But I do know one thing about it, and that is why they call it baseball. I assume it has something to do with bases, as in to get from one base to another...does the base refer to a person? That would make sense given that there are two people per team. But what about cricket-isn't this sport all about being on the base? 

We'll, there is no definite answer as to why cricket is called cricket, but many seem to believe that it got its name when crickets chirped while they played.