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Cricket subsequently went into the doldrums in the early 19th century, due principally to the Napoleonic Wars, and heavy betting on matches gradually began to subside.
The emphasis on betting was largely replaced by the appeal of the amateur ethos which appeared in public schools and universities towards the middle of the century. It encompassed other sports such as football, athletics, rowing and boxing.
On the field of play, the major change in the middle decades of the 19th century was in the area of bowling. Roundarm bowling (releasing the ball at shoulder level) was legalised in the 1830s, and this was followed by overarm bowling in the 1860s.
The first county clubs were being formed, starting with Sussex in 1839. It was closely followed by Kent, Cambridgeshire, Nottinghamshire and Surrey. However, it was to be 1890 before the official county championship was instigated, Surrey being the winners in each of the first three seasons.
The lack of competitive cricket around the middle of the 19th century led to the setting up of two professionally-based circuits. They toured round the country initially, before going on overseas tours, principally to Australia where cricket had already been established, the first recorded match there dating back to 1803.
Although the first official Test match between England and Australia took place in 1877, the sides could not be described as truly representative.
The most celebrated English player around this period, and some would argue the most celebrated ever, was W.G. Grace who played first-class cricket from 1865 to 1904.
South Africa lobbied for an international governing body, and the ICC (Imperial Cricket Conference, now the International Cricket Council) was set up in 1909 with just 3 members: England, Australia and South Africa.
Surrey was the most successful side in the early years of the county championship, winning 6 times in the 1890s. They were overtaken by Yorkshire who triumphed on 9 occasions before WW I, and added a further 12 titles in the years between the two World Wars when Northern counties dominated the competition. It was to be the late 1960s and early 1970s before the South followed suit.