Test matches are the highest level of major cricket

Major cricket is a term used in cricket to encompass all forms of the sport that are played at the highest International and domestic levels. It is more of a colloquial than an official term ^[1] and it has tended to be used in recent years to equate List A ^[2] limited overs cricket with first-class cricket ^[3]. Twenty20 cricket, when played by teams ^[4] normally recognised as first-class or List A, is the newest form of major cricket.

Historically, major cricket includes first-class, List A, single wicket and other forms in which players and/or teams of a recognised high standard are taking part.

[edit] Origin

The origin of major cricket has been traced to the 17th century, during which the sport evolved from a boys' game in 1611 ^[5] to the level of "great matches" in 1697 ^[6]. Until the Restoration in 1660, only village cricket had been played but a general relaxation of control on all forms of entertainment encouraged investment in the sport, especially by gambling interests. It is believed that investors and gamblers began to form teams of county strength at this time and so the sport was able to evolve from "minor" inter-parish matches to "major" inter-county matches ^[7].

[edit] CricketArchive classification

The CricketArchive database classifies eleven-a-side matches played in the 18th century as major ^[8] or minor ^[9] whereby a major cricket match is understood to be the equivalent of a later first-class match. The difference is due to 18th century records being largely incomplete and so there can on occasion be doubt about the status of a given team or match. For example, this match has not been given the benefit of the doubt and has been classified as "minor", subject to more details being discovered.

[edit] References

1. ^ Some cricketing organisations do use the term in a quasi-official sense: see Sydney Cricket Ground membership criteria
2. ^ Note that this includes One Day International matches
3. ^ Note that this includes Test cricket
4. ^ including new teams created for Twenty20 tournaments (e.g., Indian Premier League) if they contain a majority of recognised first-class or ListA players
5. ^ See reference to Randle Cotgrave's dictionary in 1611
6. ^ "A Great Match in Sussex"
7. ^ The Origin of Major Cricket
8. ^ for example – major cricket matches in 1772
9. ^ for example – minor cricket matches in 1769

[edit] External sources

• CricketArchive
• The official laws of cricket
• From Lads to Lord's; The History of Cricket: 1300 – 1787

[edit] Further reading

• H S Altham, A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914), George Allen & Unwin, 1962
• Derek Birley, A Social History of English Cricket, Aurum, 1999
• John Major, More Than A Game, HarperCollins, 2007