Cricket in Wales

Cricket is a popular sport in Wales. With its roots beginning in the late 18th century, Cricket has been played throughout Wales ever since. Glamorgan County Cricket Club is Wales' only first-class team, and Welsh players are eligible to represent England as the team represents both England and Wales. Cricket is played within the Welsh schools system, and is considered one of the country's main summer sports.

Cricket, as a sport, has its origins in England, with its first known set of rules written in 1744. The earliest definite reference to cricket in Wales is in 1763 when it was played at Pembroke. The first recorded match was played at Llanegwad in Carmarthenshire. The first club to be mentioned is Swansea, in 1785. By c. 1800 matches were also being played in the north, specifically in Holywell; there are records of further matches in the Hanmer area in the 1820s.

With the development of the railways and better transportation links, the game of cricket began to spread slowly across Wales and by the 1830s the first interclub fixtures were regularly played. On 5 May 1845, Cardiff Cricket Club was inaugurated, and after three years using the rented field at Longcross, now the location of the Cardiff Royal Infirmary, the team became associated with the Cardiff Arms Park. Both the Arms Park and St. Helen's, in Swansea were cricket venues before they became associated with rugby union. By 1850 cricket had become a popular activity in many schools, and this in turn helped cricket to be adopted as a working-class sport rather than one associated with the gentry as it occurred in England.

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