17th Century (1611 - 1699):
· Growing Adult Participation: While still often considered a "boys' game" in early 17th-century dictionaries, adult participation became increasingly common.
· Village Cricket: The game solidified its presence in villages across Kent, Sussex, and Surrey. Matches between parishes became popular.
· Early Professionals: "Local experts" from village cricket were sometimes employed by wealthy patrons to play in matches, indicating the very beginnings of professionalism in the sport.
· First Fatalities and Rules: Early records show fatalities due to being struck by the bat, leading to the eventual introduction of rules prohibiting hitting the ball twice (a rule that remains in place today).
· Gambling and Patronage: Gambling on cricket matches became common, and wealthy individuals (including aristocrats) began to patronize and sponsor teams, which helped to organize and popularize the sport.
· Basic Scoring and Umpiring: Scorers would notch runs on a stick, and the role of the umpire, first noted around 1680, began to emerge as a "sole judge" of play.
First County-Named Games: While not definitively recorded until 1709, it's believed that
matches involving teams named after counties (e.g., Sussex vs another county) were being arranged towards the end of the 17th century.
