Why eleven?

Monk · 28-11-2012, 05:30 PM

Does anyone know why a cricket team has eleven players? Rather than ten? Or twelve?

benchmark00 · 28-11-2012, 05:33 PM

Francois Crickét, the inventor of the game, had 11 children, and when trying to organise activities for them he decided to take a fence paling and get his children to stand around and bowl a ball at him while they fielded.

The equipment was primitive, but it gave berth to the game we know today.

Monk · 28-11-2012, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by benchmark00

but it gave berth to the game we know today.

As in, gave it sufficient space to maneuver?

benchmark00 · 28-11-2012, 05:43 PM

I believe it's an old old wooden ship.

Top_Cat · 28-11-2012, 05:51 PM

Baseball, being a froggy/Irish invention has 9, a reference to stage 9 of Le Tour which begins at Arc-et-Senans, a ~~comatose~~ Comtoise village. Soccer, codified by Cambridge toffs has 10. Cricket, with its massive inferiority complex, obviously needed one more. The response from baseball has been the Designated Hitter Rule giving them one more player in order to compete with soccer which, in the cases of the entire contents of South America, Africa, Europe, most of Asia, The Middle East and Caribbean countries not named Cuba or Dominica is widely regarded as a stunning success.

EDIT: Still unsure of the correct word, tbh.

andyc · 28-11-2012, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Top_Cat

Baseball, being a froggy/Irish invention has 9, a reference to stage 9 of Le Tour which begins at Arc-et-Senans, a ~~comatose~~ Comtoise village. Soccer, codified by Cambridge toffs has 10. Cricket, with its massive inferiority complex, obviously needed one more. The response from baseball has been the Designated Hitter Rule giving them one more player in order to compete with soccer which, in the cases of the entire contents of South America, Africa, Europe, most of Asia, The Middle East and Caribbean countries not named Cuba or Dominica is widely regarded as a stunning success.

EDIT: Still unsure of the correct word, tbh.

Top_Cat · 28-11-2012, 06:19 PM

Goalie isn't a real player.

Monk · 28-11-2012, 06:56 PM

Serious question, can anyone tell me how long eleven has been the standard for a cricket team?

benchmark00 · 28-11-2012, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monk

Serious question, can anyone tell me how long eleven has been the standard for a cricket team?

bagapath · 29-11-2012, 03:46 AM

i guess it is to do with the fact that in a team of 11, you have to dismiss 10 batters to oust the team. 10 wickets is a round figure to keep as the standard. i am guessing here

zorax · 29-11-2012, 03:52 AM

I like the idea that 11 was selected as it is the lowest prime number above 10.

Was football (soccer) already established as a proper sport when cricket was being established? If so, I'd guess they picked 11 men for cricket as they were already using 11 men for soccer (10 + a 'keeper).

benchmark00 · 29-11-2012, 03:53 AM

Right, I may as well answer properly now.

I've done a bit of a research into this due to a couple of things I've done.

The earliest report on a game of cricket (1697) mentioned that the match was played with 11 players on each side. So the actual reason is lost because there are no reports about games before that.

Found it on Wiki:

Quote:

The report was in the Foreign Post dated Wednesday, 7 July 1697 and describes a great match at cricket that was played the middle of last week in Sussex with eleven of a side and they played for fifty guineas apiece. The stakes on offer indicate the importance of the fixture and the fact that it was eleven-a-side suggests that two strong and well-balanced teams were assembled. No other details were given but the report is evidence to support the view that top-class cricket, in the form of "great matches" played for high stakes, was in vogue in the years following the Restoration in 1660.

1697 to 1725 English cricket seasons - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So in summary, to the best of my research, no one knows.

Prince EWS · 29-11-2012, 04:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bagapath

i guess it is to do with the fact that in a team of 11, you have to dismiss 10 batters to oust the team. 10 wickets is a round figure to keep as the standard. i am guessing here

I always assumed this too.

Spikey · 29-11-2012, 04:08 AM

they only had enough food to serve lunch to 22 people so they divided them in two

Daemon · 29-11-2012, 04:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prince EWS

I always assumed this too.

Same here.

Similarly, does soccer have 11 because they like having 10 players on the field, plus the keeper?

28-11-2012, 05:30 PM	#1 (permalink)
Monk International Debutant Join Date: May 2012 Location: Australia Posts: 2,568	Why eleven? Does anyone know why a cricket team has eleven players? Rather than ten? Or twelve?

28-11-2012, 05:51 PM	#5 (permalink)
Top_Cat Cricket Web: All-Time Legend Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Posts: 21,183	Baseball, being a froggy/Irish invention has 9, a reference to stage 9 of Le Tour which begins at Arc-et-Senans, a ~~comatose~~ Comtoise village. Soccer, codified by Cambridge toffs has 10. Cricket, with its massive inferiority complex, obviously needed one more. The response from baseball has been the Designated Hitter Rule giving them one more player in order to compete with soccer which, in the cases of the entire contents of South America, Africa, Europe, most of Asia, The Middle East and Caribbean countries not named Cuba or Dominica is widely regarded as a stunning success. EDIT: Still unsure of the correct word, tbh. __________________ Check out my bands! The Colourphonics http://www.youtube.com/user/TheColourphonics http://twitter.com/colourphonics Candice and The Arcade Villains http://triplejunearthed.com.au/Candi...ArcadeVillains Last edited by Top_Cat; 28-11-2012 at 05:56 PM.

29-11-2012, 04:08 AM	#14 (permalink)
Spikey Cricket Web: All-Time Legend Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: All Glory To The Nev Posts: 24,022	they only had enough food to serve lunch to 22 people so they divided them in two __________________ Indians can't bowl - Where has the rumour come from as I myself and many indian friends arwe competent fast bowlers ? With the English bid I said: Let us be brief. If you give back the Falkland Islands, which belong to us, you will get my vote. They then became sad and left

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28-11-2012, 05:43 PM	#4 (permalink)
benchmark00 Request Your Custom Title Now! Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Vote 1 Tangy Posts: 30,097	I believe it's an old old wooden ship.

28-11-2012, 06:19 PM	#7 (permalink)
Top_Cat Cricket Web: All-Time Legend Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Posts: 21,183	Goalie isn't a real player.

28-11-2012, 06:56 PM	#8 (permalink)
Monk International Debutant Join Date: May 2012 Location: Australia Posts: 2,568	Serious question, can anyone tell me how long eleven has been the standard for a cricket team?

29-11-2012, 03:46 AM	#10 (permalink)
bagapath International Vice-Captain Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: India Posts: 4,611	i guess it is to do with the fact that in a team of 11, you have to dismiss 10 batters to oust the team. 10 wickets is a round figure to keep as the standard. i am guessing here

29-11-2012, 03:52 AM	#11 (permalink)
zorax First Class Debutant Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 880	I like the idea that 11 was selected as it is the lowest prime number above 10. Was football (soccer) already established as a proper sport when cricket was being established? If so, I'd guess they picked 11 men for cricket as they were already using 11 men for soccer (10 + a 'keeper).

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