How did cricket originate?

No one knows the precise origins of cricket. The first references to the game date to 1300 during the reign of King Edward I. Cricket has changed over time as rules and equipment have changed.

The first documented game of cricket occurred in 1646, but the rules were not documented in print until 1706 when William Goldwyn witnessed two teams debating the rules before a game. Initially, the cricket ball was rolled over the surface of the ground, but in the 1700s, players began to pitch the ball instead. The ball also evolved over time, eventually resulting in the six-seam ball, which was created in 1780.