Who invented the game of cricket?

It is not known who officially invented the game of cricket. Cricket originated in Northern Europe during the Dark Ages, likely after the Roman Empire and before the Normans invaded England.

There is evidence that cricket was played as early as 1550 in Guildford, Surrey, just outside of London. The sport was mentioned in Florio's Italian-English dictionary in 1598. The first recorded inter-country match featured England's Kent and Surrey in 1709. While the game has certainly changed over time, the earliest known version of the "Laws of Cricket" detailing the rules of the sport was published in 1744. The first official international match took place in 1844 and pitted Canada against the U.S.