Major cricket

Major cricket is a term used in cricket to encompass all forms of the sport that are played at the highest international and domestic levels. It is more of a colloquial than an official term and it has tended to be used in recent years to equate List A limited overs cricket with first-class cricket. Twenty20 cricket, when played by teams normally recognised as first-class or List A, is the newest form of major cricket.
Historically, major cricket includes first-class, List A, single wicket and other forms in which players and/or teams of a recognised high standard are taking part.
Origin
The origin of major cricket has been traced to the 17th century, during which the sport evolved from a boys' game in 1611 to the level of a "great match" in 1697. Until the Restoration in 1660, only village cricket had been played but a general relaxation of control on all forms of entertainment encouraged investment in the sport, especially by gambling interests. According to From Lads to Lord's, investors and gamblers began at this time to form teams that were stronger than the usual "parish eleven" and these "played for very high stakes indeed". As a result, "there was a gradual evolution over several decades from reinforced village teams to the formation of whole county teams, probably by the 1730s".
By 1772, when match scorecards began to be compiled, inter-county cricket had fully evolved and the most significant matches since then have been accorded first-class status, the earliest being a match between a Hampshire county side and a team representing the rest of England at Broadhalfpenny Down in Hambledon on 24 and 25 June 1772.
Usage of term
Modern usage of the term is essentially colloquial and it is sometimes used by publications when a mixture of first-class and limited overs events are collectively under consideration. For example, The Cricketer has published a list of major cricket events in 2011-12.

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