Cricket and baseball

The origins of the game of cricket are lost in the annals of time although a number of legends abound. In the twelfth century there is mention of the game of ‘Creag’. This may have formed the earliest foundations of the game. A ‘Cric’ was a shepherd’s staff and may have been a readily available and suitable striking implement. The first written record of ‘Creckett’ or ‘Crickett’ appears in 1598. In 1611, two players were arrested for playing this ‘illegal and immoral’ game (one can only assume that there were no fielders or that batting and bowling were considered more serious crimes than fielding!). In the ensuing years, many more arrests followed.