Cricket was invented in southeast England, with its origins tracing back to the late 16th century or possibly earlier as a children's game played in rural communities. It is generally believed to have been created during Saxon or Norman times by children living in the Weald, an area of dense woodlands in Kent and Sussex, England. The game evolved from simpler stick-and-ball games and was formalized over time, becoming an adult sport by the early 17th century. Its early form involved a ball (possibly a lump of wool or stone), a stick or farm tool as a bat, and tree stumps or gate wickets.

There are speculative theories that a game similar to cricket existed in Belgium in the 12th century and may have been brought to England by Flemish migrants, but the widely accepted origin of modern cricket is southeast England.