The British have adopted Cricket as the national sport since the 18th century and international matches were first played in 1844 whereas Test cricket was recognized in 1877. Playing cricket is a part of the social life of the Brits and in the 19th and 20th centuries, this game has spread throughout the world particularly in India, the West Indies, Pakistan, and Australia
With this cricket’s popularity across the UK, new regulators were launched to oversee and control this sport within the country. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is the current regulator of cricket that was established on 1 January 1997. It has also an eye on independent sites that provide betting services. Apart from this single governing body, the National Cricket Association (NCA) is also responsible for recreational cricket there to prepare and grow the national British teams
The History of Cricket in the UK
The earliest cricket matches were organized between amateur and professional players’ between 1806 and 1962. Although the series ended in 1962, the early matches occurred in the British universities where the first match between Oxford versus Cambridge was played. Since that time, the cricket match has become the most enjoyable during the summer season in London. County cricket was popular at University and the qualification rules of this sport were not established until 1873 and the first championship was legalized in 1890
In this county cricket, in the 1950s, the Surrey team dominated this sport with seven successive championships. This was followed by Yorkshire in the 1960s and Kent and Middlesex in the 1970s. After World War II, the game started to disappear in the community leading to progressively decreased attendance. The MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) and the counties introduced several competitions throughout the country and some of them include the Gillette Cup (1963–1980), the NatWest Bank Trophy (1981–2000), the C&G Trophy (2000–06), and the Friends Provident Trophy (2006–09). In the 1980s, the competitions emerged and the immediate registration of overseas players was allowed leading to the national team progression
NCA under the ECB Regulation
British cricket was reorganized in 1969 and this led to the end of the MCC's regulation over this game at the national and international level. MCC was, however, asked to create a new governing body with the establishment of the Sports Council (a government agency charged with control of sports in Great Britain) and with the possibility of obtaining government aid for cricket. The body that was established took the name of the Cricket Council, comprising the National Cricket Association (NCA), the Test and County Cricket Board (TCCB), and the MCC
The TCCB that combined the Board of Control of Test Matches and the Advisory County Cricket Committee is responsible for the minor-counties cricket across the country as well as the overseas tours. As for the NCA, this association contains representatives from clubs, the Women’s Cricket Association, the schools, armed services cricket, and umpires. The NCA, the Cricket Council, and the TCCB were gathered under the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). In the early part of the 20th century, international cricket was dominated by the founders of the Imperial Cricket Conference including England, Australia, and South Africa
This cricket’s world governing body was renamed later as the International Cricket Council (ICC) that is responsible for organizing world championship events and among them is the Cricket World Cup. These organizations also support responsible gambling as well as GamStop. As England is a founding nation; ECB is obviously a full member of the ICC. In 2005, ICC moved from London to Dubai to improve old governance. Nevertheless, the MCC has remained this sport's lawmaker. The only countries that have still played Test cricket to full houses today are England and Australia but the game has expanded throughout the world.