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A '''first-class [[cricket]]''' match is one of three or more days duration between two sides of eleven players officially adjudged first-class.  Matches must allow for the teams to play two innings each, although a team in practice might only play one innings.
A "first-class [[cricket]]" match is one of three or more days duration between two sides of eleven players officially adjudged first-class.  Matches must allow for the teams to play two innings each, although a team in practice might only play one innings.


First-class cricket is an aspect of [[major cricket]] and is ''not'' major cricket ''per se'', as is sometimes thought.  Major cricket includes [[limited overs cricket]], [[single wicket]] and other forms in which players and/or teams of high standard are playing.  These forms are not first-class cricket but they are equally as important.
First-class cricket is an aspect of [[major cricket]] but is ''not'' major cricket ''per se'', as is sometimes thought.  Major cricket is an unofficial or, at best, quasi-official term that includes [[limited overs cricket]], [[single wicket]] and other forms in which players and/or teams of high standard are playing.  These forms are not first-class cricket but they are equally as important.


Official judgment of status is the responsibility of the governing body in each country that is a ''full member'' of the [[International Cricket Council]] (ICC).  The governing body grants first-class status to international teams and to domestic teams that are representative of the country's highest playing standard.  It is possible for international teams from ''associate members'' of the ICC to achieve first-class status but it is dependent on the status of their opponents in a given match.
[[Test cricket]], although the highest standard of major cricket, is itself a form of first-class cricket, although the term "first-class" is commonly used to refer to domestic competition only.  A player's first-class statistics include his performances in Test matches.   
 
[[Test cricket]], although the highest standard of major cricket, is itself a form of first-class cricket, although the term "first-class" is mainly used to refer to domestic competition only.  A player's first-class statistics include his performances in Test matches.   


Generally, first-class matches are eleven players a side but there have been exceptions.  Equally, although first-class matches must now be scheduled to have at least three days' duration, there have historically been exceptions.
Generally, first-class matches are eleven players a side but there have been exceptions.  Equally, although first-class matches must now be scheduled to have at least three days' duration, there have historically been exceptions.


==Origin of first-class cricket==
Due to the time demands of first-class competition, the players are mostly paid professionals, though historically many players were designated amateur.  First-class teams are usually representative of a geopolitical region such as an English county, an Australian state or a West Indian nation.
The term "first-class cricket" was defined by the then [[International Cricket Council|Imperial Cricket Conference]] (ICC) in May 1947 as a match of three or more days duration between two sides of eleven players officially adjudged first-class; the governing body in each country to decide the status of teams.  Significantly, it was stated that ''the definition does not have retrospective effect''.  [[Marylebone Cricket Club]] (MCC) was authorised to determine the status of matches played in Great Britain.
 
Prior to 1947, the only definition of first-class cricket in Great Britain dates from a meeting at [[Lord's Cricket Ground|Lord's]] in May 1894 between the MCC committee and the secretaries of the clubs involved in the official [[County Championship]], which had begun in 1890.  As a result, those clubs became officially first-class from 1895 along with MCC, [[Cambridge University Cricket Club|Cambridge University]], [[Oxford University Cricket Club|Oxford University]], major cricket touring teams and other teams designated as such by MCC.
 
The position with matches played before 1895 is that each writer or statistician can make up his own mind about which games should be ranked first-class and which should not.  So each statistician must compile his own list of first-class matches prior to 1895 and, in contravention of the ICC directive, the allocation of first-class status to matches before 1895 is necessarily retrospective.  As a result, there are notable differences in published statistical records with particular impact on the career records of [[W G Grace]] and [[Jack Hobbs]].
 
'''''For a full discussion of this scenario, see'' : [[Variations in First-Class Cricket Statistics]]'''.
 
In the context of pre-1895 matches, first-class cricket is essentially a ''statistical'' concept and ''not'' a historical one.  Historians record the importance of a match in contemporary terms regardless of 21st century ideas.  Thus, to a cricket historian, the inter-county match between Kent and Surrey in 1709 has the same importance as the County Championship match between the same two counties in 2007.  In short, both are major cricket matches and both (presumably) met the requirements of the first-class match definition.
 
At one time, some cricket statisticians held that the [[1864 English cricket season|1864 season]] marked the origin of English first-class cricket because that was when [[overarm bowling]] was officially introduced.  This date was rejected by historians who argued that standards of play during the so-called "[[roundarm bowling|roundarm era]]" could not be termed "second-class".  One prominent statistician then effectively challenged the 1864 date by producing a book of records that began in 1815, the year in which cricket began its recovery from the impact of the [[Napoleonic War]]. 
 
The 1864 date has been further rejected by reference to other nations.  Australia's [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/0/899.html first-class cricket] records begin in February 1851.  In New Zealand, the original [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/1/1311.html first-class match] took place in January 1864.  In the West Indies, the [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/1/1360.html first match] was in February 1865.  Cricket in the other Test nations began much later.  The inaugural first-class match in South Africa was also the country's [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/3/3423.html first Test match] in March 1889.  In the sub-continent, India was the first to stage [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/3/3883.html first-class cricket] in August 1892.  In addition, first-class cricket in [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/2/2427.html North America] is deemed to have begun in October 1880, before being discontinued in 1913.


Although 1815 ensured that the whole of the roundarm era was included in the first-class records, roundarm did not begin in any real sense until 1827 and was not legalised until 1835; and even then the Laws had to be reinforced in 1845 by removing the benefit of the doubt from the bowler in the matter of his hand’s height when delivering the ball.  For most of the period from 1815 to 1845, underarm bowling continued to prevail and so 1815 as the point of origin was resisted by champions of the "underarm era" which had existed from time immemorial.
==Definitions of first-class cricket==
====MCC 1895====
Prior to 1947, the only definition of first-class cricket had been one in Great Britain that dates from a meeting at [[Lord's Cricket Ground|Lord's]] in May 1894 between the [[Marylebone Cricket Club]] (MCC) committee and the secretaries of the clubs involved in the official [[County Championship]], which had begun in 1890.  As a result, those clubs became first-class from 1895 along with MCC, [[Cambridge University Cricket Club|Cambridge University]], [[Oxford University Cricket Club|Oxford University]], major cricket touring teams and other teams designated as such by MCC.


There is in English cricket a continuous though incomplete '''statistical record''' from 1772 and there are surviving scorecards from a few earlier games, including two in 1744.  Some statisticians hold that the earlier games are too isolated for inclusion and that the timespan of first-class cricket for statistical purposes should commence in 1772.
====ICC 1947====
The term "first-class cricket" was formally defined by the then [[International Cricket Council|Imperial Cricket Conference]] (ICC) in May 1947 as a match of three or more days duration between two sides of eleven players officially adjudged first-class; the governing body in each country to decide the status of teams.  Significantly, it was stated that ''the definition does not have retrospective effect''.  MCC was authorised to determine the status of matches played in Great Britain.


As a result, some statisticians began to include games from the 18th century in their first-class records.  It should be noted here that a catastrophic fire occurred at [[Lord's Cricket Ground]] on the night of Thursday [[28 July]] 1825.  The pavilion burned down and many invaluable and irreplaceable records were lost.  It is believed that these included unique scorecards of early matches.  The main difficulty encountered by researchers before the Lord's fire is the absence of match details and there are numerous matches in the 18th century which are known about in name only, with no scores having survived.
For all intents and purposes, the 1947 ICC definition confirmed the 1895 MCC definition and gave it international recognition and usage.


The [[Association of Cricket Statisticians]] (ACS) formed a view sometime since 1980 that the first-class records should include all [[Gentlemen v Players]] matches, which began in 1806, but for some reason that was never fully explained, the ACS decided to start its matchlist in the century convenient year of 1801, "pending further research".  In its spring 2006 journal, the ACS admitted that it could not decide upon its position ''vis-à-vis'' 18th century records because of missing or incomplete scorecards.  Given that there is a mass of available data since 1772, the ACS has been criticised for neglecting to use what it does have on account of what it does not have.  Incidentally, it is by no means certain that there is a complete statistical record of matches between 1801 and 1825, especially given the loss of records in the Lord's fire.  Certainly, there are no complete bowling figures in that period.
Hence, official judgment of status is the responsibility of the governing body in each country that is a ''full member'' of the [[International Cricket Council]] (ICC).  The governing body grants first-class status to international teams and to domestic teams that are representative of the country's highest playing standard.  It is possible for international teams from ''associate members'' of the ICC to achieve first-class status but it is dependent on the status of their opponents in a given match.


It was only in 2005 that the ACS' 1801 startpoint was seriously challenged.  Scorecards for all known matches prior to 1801 have been loaded into the [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/ CricketArchive] database and there classified as "major" or "minor" pending an overall accord with the ACS about first-class status.  Given that CricketArchive uses a [[major cricket|major]] classification, this effectively confirms that the matches concerned were first-class providing they were not [[single wicket]], the other form of major cricket that was popular at the time.
According to the ICC definition, a match is first class if:
* it is of three or more days scheduled duration
* each side playing the match has eleven players
* each side may have two innings
* the match is played on natural, and not artificial, turf
* the match is played on an international standard ground
* the match conforms to the [[Laws of Cricket]], except for only minor amendments
* the sport’s governing body in the appropriate nation, or the ICC itself, recognises the match as first-class.


The [http://acscricket.com/Articles/3/3126.html latest view that has been published by the ACS] is that the point of origin for first-class cricket's '''historical record''' is 1660, or thereabouts.  Historical evidence points to this date, in the aftermath of the [[English Restoration|Restoration]] as the time when teams of "county strength" were first assembled.  It is therefore argued <ref>[http://www.jl.sl.btinternet.co.uk/stampsite/cricket/histories/atlords1801.html 1801 &ndash; the start of first-class cricket?]</ref> that 1660 is the startpoint for the ''historical record'' of first-class cricket in England, so as to encompass all matches that ultimately come to light; and that 1772 is the startpoint for the ''statistical record'' of first-class cricket.
A Test match is a first-class match played between two ICC full member countries subject to their current status at the ICC and the application of ICC conditions when the match is played.


==Definition of first-class cricket==
A peculiarity of the two-innings match is the follow-on rule.  If the team that batted second is substantially behind on first innings total, it may be required to bat again (i.e., to immediately follow on from its first innings) in the third innings of the match.  In first-class cricket, the follow-on minimum lead requirement depends on match duration. In a Test or other match with five or more days duration, the team batting second can be asked to follow on if 200 or more runs behind.  If the match duration is three or four days, the minimum lead is 150 runs.
As well as domestic competition, it is typical for international teams touring another country to play warm-up first-class matches against domestic teams. However, with the increasing schedule of international players and consequent more tightly-scheduled tours, the number of such one-off games is decreasing.
According to the [[International Cricket Council]], a match is first class if:
* It is of three or more days scheduled duration
* Each side playing the match has eleven players
* The match is played on natural, and not artificial, turf
* The match is played on an international standard ground
* The match conforms to the [[Laws of Cricket]], except for only minor amendments
* The Board of cricket in the appropriate nation or the International Cricket Council recognizes the match as first-class.


A Test Match is a first class match played between two Full Member countries given the status of a Test match-playing nation by the International Cricket Council, following the Playing Conditions for Test Matches established by the International Cricket Council, and following various other regulations.
==Matches played before the MCC and ICC definitions==
The absence of any ruling about matches played before 1947 (or before 1895 in Great Britain) has caused problems for cricket historians and especially statisticians who have been forced to compile their own matchlists.  Inevitable differences have arisen and there are variations in published first-class statistics.


The following matches or competitions are also recognized as first-class by the appropriate Boards of Cricket, providing the above regulations are met:
For a description of the statistical differences, see : [[Variations in first-class cricket statistics]]


==Recognised matches==
The following matches or competitions are recognised as first-class by the appropriate governing bodies, providing the conditions of the ICC definition are met:
* [[United Kingdom]] and [[Ireland]]
* [[United Kingdom]] and [[Ireland]]
** [[County Championship]] matches
** [[County Championship]] matches
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** [[Scotland national cricket team|Scotland]] versus [[Ireland national cricket team|Ireland]]
** [[Scotland national cricket team|Scotland]] versus [[Ireland national cricket team|Ireland]]
** A first class team versus a touring first class team
** A first class team versus a touring first class team
* [[Australia]]
* [[Australia]]
** [[Pura Cup]] matches.
** [[Pura Cup]] matches.
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** Australian XI versus first class opponents, including State teams
** Australian XI versus first class opponents, including State teams
** A first class team versus a touring first class team
** A first class team versus a touring first class team
* [[South Africa]]
* [[South Africa]]
** [[SuperSport Series]] matches (involving the pro 6 franchises)
** [[SuperSport Series]] matches (involving the pro 6 franchises)
** [[South African Airways Provincial Challenges]] (16 provincial teams and Namibia)
** [[South African Airways Provincial Challenges]] (16 provincial teams and Namibia)
** A first class team versus a touring first class team
** A first class team versus a touring first class team
* [[West Indies]]
* [[West Indies]]
** [[Red Stripe Cup]] matches
** [[Red Stripe Cup]] matches
Line 77: Line 64:
** [[Guystac Trophy]] matches
** [[Guystac Trophy]] matches
** A first class team versus a touring first class team
** A first class team versus a touring first class team
* [[India]]
* [[India]]
** [[Ranji Trophy]] matches
** [[Ranji Trophy]] matches
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** A State or regional associations versus another state or regional association, provided the associations are affiliated to the [[Board of Control for Cricket in India]]  
** A State or regional associations versus another state or regional association, provided the associations are affiliated to the [[Board of Control for Cricket in India]]  
** A first class team versus a touring first class team
** A first class team versus a touring first class team
* [[New Zealand]]
* [[New Zealand]]
** [[New Zealand first-class cricket championship|State Championship]] matches
** [[New Zealand first-class cricket championship|State Championship]] matches
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** A cricket association versus a first class opponent, provided the association is affiliated to New Zealand Cricket
** A cricket association versus a first class opponent, provided the association is affiliated to New Zealand Cricket
** A first class team versus a touring first class team
** A first class team versus a touring first class team
* [[Pakistan]]
* [[Pakistan]]
** [[Quaid-e-Azam Trophy]] matches
** [[Quaid-e-Azam Trophy]] matches
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** Pakistan 'A' versus a touring 'A' team from a Test country or Kenya  
** Pakistan 'A' versus a touring 'A' team from a Test country or Kenya  
** A first class team versus a touring first class team
** A first class team versus a touring first class team
* [[Sri Lanka]]
* [[Sri Lanka]]
** Premier League (Division I) Matches  
** Premier League (Division I) Matches  
** Sri Lanka 'A' (or another team designated by the [[Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka]]) versus a touring 'A' team
** Sri Lanka 'A' (or another team designated by the [[Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka]]) versus a touring 'A' team
** A first class team versus a touring first class team
** A first class team versus a touring first class team
* [[Zimbabwe]]
* [[Zimbabwe]]
** [[Logan Cup]] Matches
** [[Logan Cup]] Matches
** A cricket association versus another cricket association, provided the associations are affiliated to the [[Zimbabwe Cricket Union]]
** A cricket association versus another cricket association, provided the associations are affiliated to the [[Zimbabwe Cricket Union]]
** A first class team versus a touring first class team
** A first class team versus a touring first class team
* [[Bangladesh]]
* [[Bangladesh]]
* [[Kenya]] (Not a Test Team)
* [[Kenya]] (Not a Test Team)
** A first class team (including touring Test teams) versus [[Kenya national cricket team|Kenya]]
** A first class team (including touring Test teams) versus [[Kenya national cricket team|Kenya]]
* Other Non-Test Full Member Countries
* Other Non-Test Full Member Countries
** Non-Test Full Member Country versus a first class touring team, with the consent of the touring team
** Non-Test Full Member Country versus a first class touring team, with the consent of the touring team
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* The 'A' Team and the 'XI' Team are the representatives of a nation subordinate to the Test team, and are not always adjudged first class
* The 'A' Team and the 'XI' Team are the representatives of a nation subordinate to the Test team, and are not always adjudged first class


==Conduct of a game of first-class cricket==
==See also==
The game is conducted similarly to [[Test cricket]], though usually with maximum length three or four days rather than five. Due to the time demands of such a competition, first-class cricketers are mostly paid professionals. Around the world, teams are usually representative of political districts &mdash; for instance, Australia's domestic first-class competition is between state representative teams.
* [[Variations in first-class cricket statistics]]
 
* [[List of current first-class cricket teams]]
===The follow-on rule===
* [[Major cricket]]
The follow-on minimum lead requirement in any two-innings cricket match is:
* Five or more days &mdash; 200 runs
* Three or four days &mdash; 150 runs
* Two days &mdash; 100 runs
* One day &mdash; 75 runs
If the whole first day of play is abandoned without a ball being bowled, then the number of days considered for the sake of calculating follow on are counted from the actual start of play. For example, if the first day of a four-day match is abandoned due to weather or other reasons, then the match is counted as a three-day one for the sake of determining follow on. (This would not make a difference if only one day is lost in a four-day match because the follow on requirement is the same for matches of four or three days.)
 
 
[[Category:CZ Live]]
[[Category:Sports Workgroup]]
 
 


==References==
==References==
<references/>
<references/>


== External sources ==
==External sources==
* [http://www.cricinfo.com Cricinfo]
* [http://www.cricketarchive.com/ CricketArchive]
* [http://acscricket.com/index.html Association of Cricket Statisticians & Historians]
* [http://www.jl.sl.btinternet.co.uk/stampsite/cricket/main.html From Lads to Lord's; The History of Cricket: 1300 – 1787]
* [http://www.jl.sl.btinternet.co.uk/stampsite/cricket/histories/atlords1801.html 1801 – the start of first-class cricket?]
* [http://www.lords.org/laws-and-spirit/laws-of-cricket/laws/ The official laws of cricket]
* [http://www.lords.org/laws-and-spirit/laws-of-cricket/laws/ The official laws of cricket]


==Further reading==
==Further reading==
* [[Harry Altham|H S Altham]], ''A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914)'', George Allen & Unwin, 1962
* [[Wisden Cricketers Almanack]] &ndash; 1895 and 1948 issues in particular
* [[Derek Birley]], ''A Social History of English Cricket'', Aurum, 1999
 
* [[John Major]], ''More Than A Game'', HarperCollins, 2007
 
[[Category:CZ Live]]
[[Category:Sports Workgroup]]

Revision as of 10:05, 21 January 2008

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A "first-class cricket" match is one of three or more days duration between two sides of eleven players officially adjudged first-class. Matches must allow for the teams to play two innings each, although a team in practice might only play one innings.

First-class cricket is an aspect of major cricket but is not major cricket per se, as is sometimes thought. Major cricket is an unofficial or, at best, quasi-official term that includes limited overs cricket, single wicket and other forms in which players and/or teams of high standard are playing. These forms are not first-class cricket but they are equally as important.

Test cricket, although the highest standard of major cricket, is itself a form of first-class cricket, although the term "first-class" is commonly used to refer to domestic competition only. A player's first-class statistics include his performances in Test matches.

Generally, first-class matches are eleven players a side but there have been exceptions. Equally, although first-class matches must now be scheduled to have at least three days' duration, there have historically been exceptions.

Due to the time demands of first-class competition, the players are mostly paid professionals, though historically many players were designated amateur. First-class teams are usually representative of a geopolitical region such as an English county, an Australian state or a West Indian nation.

Definitions of first-class cricket

MCC 1895

Prior to 1947, the only definition of first-class cricket had been one in Great Britain that dates from a meeting at Lord's in May 1894 between the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) committee and the secretaries of the clubs involved in the official County Championship, which had begun in 1890. As a result, those clubs became first-class from 1895 along with MCC, Cambridge University, Oxford University, major cricket touring teams and other teams designated as such by MCC.

ICC 1947

The term "first-class cricket" was formally defined by the then Imperial Cricket Conference (ICC) in May 1947 as a match of three or more days duration between two sides of eleven players officially adjudged first-class; the governing body in each country to decide the status of teams. Significantly, it was stated that the definition does not have retrospective effect. MCC was authorised to determine the status of matches played in Great Britain.

For all intents and purposes, the 1947 ICC definition confirmed the 1895 MCC definition and gave it international recognition and usage.

Hence, official judgment of status is the responsibility of the governing body in each country that is a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC). The governing body grants first-class status to international teams and to domestic teams that are representative of the country's highest playing standard. It is possible for international teams from associate members of the ICC to achieve first-class status but it is dependent on the status of their opponents in a given match.

According to the ICC definition, a match is first class if:

  • it is of three or more days scheduled duration
  • each side playing the match has eleven players
  • each side may have two innings
  • the match is played on natural, and not artificial, turf
  • the match is played on an international standard ground
  • the match conforms to the Laws of Cricket, except for only minor amendments
  • the sport’s governing body in the appropriate nation, or the ICC itself, recognises the match as first-class.

A Test match is a first-class match played between two ICC full member countries subject to their current status at the ICC and the application of ICC conditions when the match is played.

A peculiarity of the two-innings match is the follow-on rule. If the team that batted second is substantially behind on first innings total, it may be required to bat again (i.e., to immediately follow on from its first innings) in the third innings of the match. In first-class cricket, the follow-on minimum lead requirement depends on match duration. In a Test or other match with five or more days duration, the team batting second can be asked to follow on if 200 or more runs behind. If the match duration is three or four days, the minimum lead is 150 runs.

Matches played before the MCC and ICC definitions

The absence of any ruling about matches played before 1947 (or before 1895 in Great Britain) has caused problems for cricket historians and especially statisticians who have been forced to compile their own matchlists. Inevitable differences have arisen and there are variations in published first-class statistics.

For a description of the statistical differences, see : Variations in first-class cricket statistics

Recognised matches

The following matches or competitions are recognised as first-class by the appropriate governing bodies, providing the conditions of the ICC definition are met:

  • United Kingdom and Ireland
  • Australia
    • Pura Cup matches.
    • 'Australia A' versus Australian XI
    • 'Australia A' versus first class opponents, including State teams
    • Australian XI versus first class opponents, including State teams
    • A first class team versus a touring first class team
  • South Africa
  • West Indies
  • India
  • New Zealand
    • State Championship matches
    • New Zealand 'A' versus a Cricket association, provided the association is affiliated to New Zealand Cricket
    • A cricket association versus another cricket association, provided that the associations are affiliated to New Zealand Cricket
    • New Zealand 'A' versus a first class opponent
    • A cricket association versus a first class opponent, provided the association is affiliated to New Zealand Cricket
    • A first class team versus a touring first class team
  • Pakistan
    • Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches
    • Cricket Associations and Departments (corporate teams) versus each other, or other first class opponents, provided the associations or departments are affiliated to the Pakistan Cricket Board, and the match is organized by the Pakistan Cricket Board
    • Pakistan 'A' versus a touring Test team or Kenya
    • Pakistan versus a touring 'A' team from a Test country or Kenya
    • Pakistan 'A' versus a touring 'A' team from a Test country or Kenya
    • A first class team versus a touring first class team
  • Sri Lanka
    • Premier League (Division I) Matches
    • Sri Lanka 'A' (or another team designated by the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka) versus a touring 'A' team
    • A first class team versus a touring first class team
  • Zimbabwe
    • Logan Cup Matches
    • A cricket association versus another cricket association, provided the associations are affiliated to the Zimbabwe Cricket Union
    • A first class team versus a touring first class team
  • Bangladesh
  • Kenya (Not a Test Team)
    • A first class team (including touring Test teams) versus Kenya
  • Other Non-Test Full Member Countries
    • Non-Test Full Member Country versus a first class touring team, with the consent of the touring team
    • Official Test Trial matches.
    • Special matches between teams adjudged first class by the Board(s) of cricket concerned, with the approval of the International Cricket Council
    • Games played for the ICC Intercontinental Cup. This competition involves teams from Canada, Bermuda, Ireland, Scotland, the Netherlands, Kenya, Namibia and UAE.

Notes:

  • A first class opponent is a team recognized as first class in its home country, and includes foreign touring Test teams (some first class teams are not entitled to play first class matches in other countries; such determinations are made by the local Board of cricket)
  • The 'A' Team and the 'XI' Team are the representatives of a nation subordinate to the Test team, and are not always adjudged first class

See also

References


External sources

Further reading

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