First-Class Cricket

As a first-class cricket is known games of the highest category in cricket.

First-class games always consist of two innings per team and are now scheduled for at least three days. While in one- day cricket, with only one innings per team, this is always limited to a certain number of overs, a time limit for the entire game, for example, four days per 6 hours is considered the first-class cricket. Rare games are without limitation the number of days play.

The term is often incorrectly translated as German First League, has however nothing to do. In addition, also have some " friendlies " that status. It is a statement about the quality of teams, not about the importance of a trophy.

Definition

Although the term was in use for a long time, has the Imperial Cricket Conference, the current International Cricket Council (ICC ), established in 1947 official criteria for the award of that status, loud today as follows:

• The game must be scheduled at least three days.
• Both teams must consist of 11 players.
• It must be played on a natural grass pitch ( trajectory ).
• The field of play must meet international standards.
• The Standard Playing Conditions must be applied mainly.

However, this definition did not expressly retroactive.

Only those organizations that have the highest of the three possible levels of membership in the ICC shall set its national area which teams and which games can be described as first class. These countries are now England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. The few first-class matches outside these countries, such as the ICC Intercontinental Cup, can maintain their status only by the ICC. In statistics, these games are sharply separated from other categories.

Also as a first-class cricket, the 5 - day internationals, the so-called test matches apply between the countries mentioned above. Although since 1971 between the major cricket nations also One - Day Internationals are played, and the Cricket World Cup takes place in this game form, continue to Test cricket is the most important mode of conduct in cricket.

History

Since when exactly it is first-class cricket, and since when games have this status, and you can record with it in the appropriate statistics, is generally disputed.

Traditionally considered the year 1864 as the starting point because since this year, " Overarm bowling ", that is, over the shoulder throws are allowed. But even games from the time of the so-called Roundarm period, which began around 1827 and from 1835 has been officially been suggested as first-class.

Another start date is 1815, the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The latter date is used in particular by the famous Wisden Cricketers ' Almanack in its statistics, published annually since 1864 without interruption. But even in the period 1815-1845 continue to the older " Underarm bowling " was predominant, closes this date many previous games of the same type randomly.

In games before 1815 you come very quickly to the difficulty that little more than the names of the teams are known by many. It was not until 1772 exist for all subsequent years scorecards for at least some important games, but not for all games this year. The earliest known scorecards are from the year 1744.

The influential Association of Cricket Statisticians & Historians (ACS ) has a list of all their view, skilled game released, beginning with the year 1801. This happened to at least all ( after 1962 set ) Encounters Gentlemen vs. To include player, although this comparison only began in 1806.

The ACS early games often referred to only as " Great Matches" or "Important matches". In support of the ACS Cricket Archive database, these games are provisionally identified as major or minor.

In the current proposal of the ACS is proposed that since this time matches were played between teams that could take claim for themselves, more than just pure "Village Teams " and in the broadest sense to be precursors of the County teams even the year 1660.

Nowadays, first-class matches will be played over 3 or 4 days, a few, such as test matches also, over 5 days. In most countries, the first-class teams solid teams and usually represent a region, for example, states in Australia or counties in England. The 18 first-class counties in England and Wales are just professional teams and not be seen as representative teams.