Cricket: History and Facts of Test Cricket

 CRICKET: HISTORY AND FACTS 

Cricket was first documented as being played in southern England in the 16th century. By the end of the 18th century, it had developed to the point where it had become the national sport of England. The expansion of the British Empire led to cricket being played overseas and by the mid-19th century the first international matches were being held. The ICC is the game’s governing body and currently has 105 member countries. Cricket is most popular in the Test playing countries.

Thanks to Wikipedia

Test Cricket :  A game played over 5 days is known as Test Cricket. 

                       The first officially Test Cricket Match started on March 15, 1877. The main contestants’ were

                        England and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground where Australia won by 45 runs.

                        England won the second ever match (also at the MCG) by four wickets, thus drawing the series

                       1–1. This was not the first ever international cricket match however, which was played between

                       Canada and the  United States, on 24 and 25 of September 1844.

Test match to celebrate 100 years of Test cricket was held in Melbourne from 12 to 17 March 1977. Australia won this match by 45 runs, the same margin as the first Test match in 1877, which the 1977 match was commemorating.

Eight other national teams have achieved Test status: South Africa (1889), West Indies (1928), New Zealand (1929), India (1932), Pakistan (1952), Sri Lanka (1982), Zimbabwe (1992) and Bangladesh (2000).

Current rankings on Test Cricket – Main Test table

Note: Zimbabwe has suspended its participation in Test cricket twice; first from June 10, 2004 to January 6, 2005 and then from January 18, 2006. They were scheduled to resume Test cricket in November 2007, but have yet to resume playing.

The top most runs getters (5 players) in Test Cricket History:

Player	Span	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	0 (Duck)
Sachin Tendulkar (India)	1989-2011	177	290	32	14692	248*	56.94	51	59	14
Ricky Ponting (Aus)	1995-2010	152	259	28	12363	257	53.51	39	56	14
Rahul Dravid (India)	1996-2011	150	259	29	12063	270	52.44	31	59	8
Brian Lara(W I)**	1990-2006	131	232	6	11953	400*	52.88	34	48	17
Jacques Kallis (RSA)	1995-2011	145	246	38	11947	201*	57.43	40	54	10
Allan Border (Aus)**	1978-1994	156	265	44	11174	205	50.56	27	63	11

Note: ** indicates retired from Test Cricket.         NO indicates Not Out

Reference: http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/223646.html

The top most wicket taker (10 players) in Test Cricket History:

Note: ** indicates retired from Test Cricket. 

            BBI = Best Bowling in Innings, BBM = Best Bowling in Match

Reference: http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/93276.html

Hat-trick:  means when a bowler takes wicket in a consecutive delivery is called as Hat-trick.

Australian Fred Spofforth was the first and foremost hat-trick maker in Test Cricket history, who dismissed three English batsmen with consecutive deliveries at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia on 2 January 1879, in only the third Test match.

Only three cricketers have taken a Test hat-trick more than once:

·         Australian off spinner Hugh Trumble ,

·          Leg spinner Jimmy Matthews (Australian leg spinner) and 

·         Pakistani fast bowler Wasim Akram. He is the only player to have taken a hat-trick while Test captain.