The Laws of Cricket exist because rich men bet fortunes on matches and needed the arguments settled in writing.
Eighteenth-century cricket ran on gambling. Aristocrats staked fortunes on matches, and disputes over results meant disputes over money — so the stakes were written down first, and the rules followed.
The 1744 Laws of Cricket are among the earliest codified rules of any modern sport, born not from sportsmanship but from the need to make wagers enforceable.
Out of that world came the Marylebone Cricket Club — the M.C.C. — which became the custodian of the Laws and held that role for more than two centuries.
The first international cricket match was not played in England. It was not played in Australia either.