Did the French Invent Cricket?

Richie

Well-Known Member
Staff member
WG Grace is rolling in his grave on hearing about a claim by the French that they in fact invented cricket..and not England as the history books tell us. French historians state that the small village of Liettres, Pas de Calais in northern France hosted the first known game of cricket in 1478, more than 50 years before historians say that it was played in England, where it’s always been thought it was invented by shepherds using their crooks.

A letter written in 1478 to King Louis XI, also known as Louis the Prudent, mentions the word “criquet” in describing a game played in Liettres complaining about an incident in which a man was killed during a match. The note, preserved in France’s national archives, mentions ‘boules’, or balls, and ‘criquet’, a wooden post, in a description of a game played at that time.
 
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WG Grace is rolling in his grave on hearing about a claim by the French that they in fact invented cricket..and not England as the history books tell us. French historians state that the small village of Liettres, Pas de Calais in northern France hosted the first known game of cricket in 1478, more than 50 years before historians say that it was played in England, where it’s always been thought it was invented by shepherds using their crooks.

A letter written in 1478 to King Louis XI, also known as Louis the Prudent, mentions the word “criquet” in describing a game played in Liettres complaining about an incident in which a man was killed during a match. The note, preserved in France’s national archives, mentions ‘boules’, or balls, and ‘criquet’, a wooden post, in a description of a game played at that time.
France are, of course, Cricket's reigning Olympic Games Silver Medallists.
 
France are, of course, Cricket's reigning Olympic Games Silver Medallists.
Was unaware of that. Yes in the 1900 Paris Games..the only time cricket has been played at an Olympics. The Pommies defeating the hosts France by 158 runs. Odd an Australian team was not represented.
 
France are, of course, Cricket's reigning Olympic Games Silver Medallists.
Actually...BRONZE medalists; oddly, the Games only awarded silver to the winners (Great Britain, as respresented by the Devon & Somerset Wanderers touring club), and bronze to "France" (which was actually the French Athletic Club Union, comprised mainly British ex-pats living in Paris). It looks like official Olympic records now refer to France as a "Mixed Team" as a result.
 
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That game of "criquet" may well have been played on this field in Liettres, France.
 
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