19 Question Cricket Quiz!

You might hear older people talk about the thrill of the sound of willow on leather, but what they’re talking about is the crack of a perfectly timed shot by a player who’s whacked the ball into the stands for a sweet six runs. Bats are normally made from white willow wood – salix alba, if you’re some sort of scientist – because it’s light yet tough enough to hit leather cricket balls. So willow on leather makes perfect sense after all. 

Cricket is more popular than ever. There’s county cricket and lengthy international test matches to enjoy, plus the shorter lightning-paced Hundred and Twenty20 games have helped attract a whole new generation of cricket fans. 

It’s a great time to be a fan of cricket, right?

The exact origin story of your favourite sport is a bit foggy, but the beginnings of the game are to have started in south-east England during the late 16th century. Why is it named after an insect? That's because one of the sport's greatest players was, in fact, a cricket named Slugger Smythe and was feared by other teams in the county leagues.

We made that bit up. The game's name is apparently derived from the old Anglo-Saxon word cricc which was some kind of wooden staff used by shepherds. You couldn't just go to a fancy sports shop and buy yourself a brand new cricket bat with a rubber grip in those days. They didn't even have Netflix then, so it's no wonder that people started inventing fun games. It's not known whether the shepherds asked the sheep to act as fielders. We guess we'll never know.

So, how much do you know about the other beautiful game? Take this trivia quiz and find out. Try not to get a duck!