The Original Laws of Cricket

by Bodleian Library, Mike Atherton (Foreword), Michael Rundell (Introduction)

This series of books from the Bodleian Library reproduces the original rules of classic sports, complete with commentary about their historical evolution and adaptation—in attractive, collectible formats. They are informative and often witty companions to the world of sport, bringing the past and present together. Of all the rules governing sports, the laws of cricket are among the oldest. The first written rules of 1744 survive solely on the border of a piece of linen at the Museum of The Marylebone Cricket Club, the home of cricket. The Original Laws of Cricket reprints the complete text of this original and explores how these early laws shaped the development of the game and in turn how the social dimensions of the game changed the laws.

64 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

The Bodleian Library, established in 1602, is the main research library of the University of Oxford and one of the oldest libraries in Europe. In Britain it is second in size only to the British Library.

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Reviews

[Steve Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting little read for all cricket lovers to see how much the Laws of the Game have changed from when they were originally codified in 1744 and updated in 1755. As the author points out, the original Laws are actually shorter than the Duckworth/Lewis method for adjusting the scores of rain affected limited overs cricket today!