17 Surprising Facts About Cricket We Bet You Didn’t Know!

Cricket is a game loved by millions that is full of exciting surprises. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just casually interested, there’s always something new to learn about this fascinating sport. Let’s explore some of the surprising facts about cricket that we are sure are less known. Even if you’re a cricket expert, we’re sure some of these fun facts can take you by surprise. Let’s see how many you already know!

#1. Cricket is around 500 years old

The first reference to a cricket game in known history was a game of ‘creckett’, in Guildford, Surrey, in the late 1500s. That’s almost 500 years ago!

#2. It’s The Second Most Popular Sport In The World

If you thought it was basketball, golf, or tennis, you were wrong. Dating back to the 16th century, this sport is played in a whopping 180 countries around the world. With approximately 2.5 billion fans watching or playing the sport, it’s really not surprising it has such an avid fanbase. Not only that, but sports fans also place wagers in the hopes of getting some extra dough. And when there’s no game to bet on, you better believe they’re looking to play some online pokies with the sport’s theme!

#3. The Ashes trophy is actually tiny

10.5cm to be exact. When they say size doesn’t matter, they’re probably referring to this lauded sporting trophy.

#4. The world’s fastest recorded bowling clocks in at 100.2mph

Shoaib Akhtar attained an astonishing world record in 2003 during the World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa, which is yet to be broken.

#5. Stuart Broad bowls 15/8

In a historic feat, Stuart Broad took eight wickets for Australia’s measly 15 runs at the Ashes in 2015. The Aussies were all out for 60.

#6. Cricket bats are called “willow” for a reason

Wondering why people refer to bats as willow on the pitch? That’s because they’re actually made from the wood of a willow tree when manufactured in the traditional manner. The wood is tough but also very lightweight, which makes it ideal for players of all ages to smack the hard cricket ball – hopefully for six! The Salix Alba Caerulea wood, or a form of white willow, is the originally preferred woof choice.

#7. The longest game lasted 168 hours

The game was played by the Blunham Cricket Club in 2019 and clocked in at 168 hours and 22 minutes. Both sides took turns sleeping and had rest breaks every six hours.

#8. The longest individual test match innings lasted 970 minutes

This was achieved by Hanif Mohammad playing for Pakistan in 1958. He batted 337.

#9. It’s the only sport where you can play for five days without a result

Test matches can take time! Cricket is the only sport in the world where you can play for five days straight and still not have a match outcome. In 1939, a test match went into the 10th day of play, with South Africa and England  The game was ultimately called a draw and abandoned after England’s ship’s captain said he could not wait any longer for the team before departure.

#10. Four test matches resulted in a draw

You would think that after all that time that someone would come out on top.

#11. The fewest number of runs in a test innings was just 26

New Zealand had a dismal time against England during this test in 1955, and scored just 26 in one of their innings.

#12. Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for most-ever runs

This cricketing great clocked in almost 16,000 runs over the course of his batting career, far outpacing the competition.

#13. T20 is the fastest-growing form of cricket

While cricket traditionalists bemoan the newer form of the game, Twenty20 cricket is now the fastest-growing form of cricket. Twenty20 was introduced in the early 2000s to reinvigorate interest in the spot, particularly for crowds who found the longer format games difficult to enjoy.

#14. The Nelson Score, 111, is unlucky

Or is it? A score of 111 in cricket is considered unlucky, due to the fact that it looks like the three wickets without the bails on the top. Superstitions can be hard to overcome, and in cricket, it is no different.

#15. A 22-yard pitch forever

While plenty of rules of the game change, one thing that has stayed constant throughout the course of cricket’s history is a 22-yard pitch.

#16. A game called off due to assassination

When Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated in the late 1980s, a game between India and Pakistan was canceled during play. 

#17. Don Bradman still king of the double century

Don chalked up 12 double centuries over the course of his career.