Cricket

Cricket, the bat-and-ball game of two elevens, a 22-yard pitch and three-stump wickets, grew up in south-east England and travelled with the Commonwealth to South Asia, Australia, southern Africa and the Caribbean.

How it is played

A bowler delivers the ball to a batter who defends the wicket and scores runs by hitting and running between the creases; the fielding side tries to dismiss ten batters. Backyard and street cricket keep the game alive with improvised rules everywhere it is played.

Heritage note

Part of the living heritage of United Kingdom, India, Australia.

Origins

Usually placed in the era of Age of Contact and Craft (about 1500 to 1800), although its exact origins are uncertain, within the cultural world of Celtic and Atlantic Europe.