A Given Man is a term and concept in the sport of Cricket that is rarely used today. It is when a skilled guest player is added to a weak team so that the contest becomes more even. The skilled guest player is often borrowed from the opposing team. In early cricket history, the use of given men were frequent and was highlighted during the Gentlemen V Players games. The goal of using a Given Man is to make the game less predictable and to encourage betting.
Given Man in Early Cricket History
The Gentlemen v Players was one of the well-recognized and one of the longest series of English cricket matches, specifically first class cricket. It is also where one will see the practice of the given man. The two teams consist of amateurs and professionals. The amateurs belong to the Gentleman team and the professionals belong to the Players team. The first two matches were played in the year 1806 but would be followed after in 1819. The most games played for this series was between the years 1819 and 1962.The Players would consist of working class players who earned wages by playing the game. The Gentlemen team consisted of middle and upper class individuals who played the sport for leisure. The series had a bit of a struggle gaining public interest by the time it reached the mid-19th century. The game became predictable with the Players defeating the Gentlemen easily. In order to improve the competitiveness of the game, the given men system was used, wherein the Players would loan one or more of their players to the Gentlemen. This changed the history of this fixture, making the Gentlemen v Players one of the highlights during the cricket season.