Chapter One Whitsun Frolics Izmik, a Turkish lakeside town near the Sea of Marmora, is an unlikely icon of cricket history. Today it serves as a pleasant retreat for weekenders escaping the heat and dust of Istanbul, 80 miles away. Cypress trees, cornfields, vineyards and peach orchards add to the hilly charm of an area associated with fine ceramics. The town’s unwitting link with cricket occurred during its previous Hellenistic incarnation of Nicaea. In AD325 Constantine, the first Christian Roman emperor, chose it as the location of the initial Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church. Many important theological issues were debated for several weeks until 25 July, when the Nicene Creed, a statement of the basic principles of the religion, was issued. The Council of Nicaea also brought uniformity to the vexed question of a correct date for Easter, leading to the earliest date for Easter Sunday being set at 22 March and the latest 25 April. Nicaea’s role in helping shape the course of English cricket concerns Whitsuntide, the birthday of the Christian Church. This falls on the seventh Sunday – seven weeks - after Easter Sunday and corresponds with the Jewish festival of Pentecost (from the Greek word for fifty), on the 50th day after Passover. On the first Easter Sunday, Jesus rose; on the first Whit Sunday – “when the day of Pentecost was come” – the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of flames to the Apostles enabled the disciples to spread the message throughout the world. Therefore Whitsuntide is also a moveable feast, with 10 May as the earliest date Whit Sunday can fall and 13 June the latest. Of the 34 dates available to Whit Sunday, 21 occur in May and 13 in June. The name is said to be a variant of White Sunday, derived from the white robes of the newly baptised. The feast was officially known as Whit Sunday in the first prayer book of Edward V1 (1549) and this name has continued in the Anglican Church. The church was the centre of life for the parish, the milestones of people’s lives marked by the feasts and fasts of Christmas, Candlemass, Lady Day, Easter, and Rogationtide. Their games and leisure pursuits took place on the Feast and Holy Days - their holidays. Whitsuntide, falling on the threshold of summer and the first holiday with any realistic chance of warm weather, was such a time. It could herald a four-day occasion starting on Saturday as Whitsun Eve – which saw much preparation including buying new clothes - and finishing on the Tuesday, or a full seven days known as Whit week. As early as the 12th century the clergy had introduced miracle and mystery plays during the early part of Whit week. For centuries Whit Monday had been regarded as a general holiday. Pageants, fairs, Morris dancing, well dressings, social gatherings, ram roasting, cheese rolling, processions, singing and dancing, cudgelling contests, wrestling, foot racing, bowling, backsword play, bull baiting, cock fighting and other activities resulted in innkeepers awash with profit from the sale of food and drink. Whit Walks found the community assembling at a certain point and parading around the town or village. People would wear their new clothes – or at least 9