Why eleven only?

This is the first reference I can find to 11 players, but it musy have been of some importance, reting a special mention in the report. Quote from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_cricket_1697_-_1725 1697 By the end of the 17th Century, cricket had long since broken its bounds as a village pastime and was already into the age of great matches. All that was needed now was for the matches to be reported. Date Match Title Venue Source Result 30 June (W) "A Great Match" Sussex TJM result unknown The earliest known newspaper report of a match proclaimed to be great or a similar adjective. The report was in the Foreign Post dated Wed 7 July 1697 and describes a great match at cricket that was played the middle of last week in Sussex with eleven of a side and they played for fifty guineas apiece. The stakes on offer indicate the importance of the fixture and the fact that it was eleven a side suggests that two strong and well-balanced teams were assembled. Unfortunately, no other details were given but we do at last have some real evidence to support the view that top class cricket in the form of "great matches" played for high stakes was in vogue in the years following the Restoration in 1660. TJM = Sussex Cricket in the Eighteenth Century by Timothy J McCann

Probably because it was the right amount of people for the games without getting the fields too cluttered.

WHY IT IS..I DONT KNOW THE ACTUAL RESON

because of the rules

maybe the field is to large for few players ... 11 are perfect ;)

i don't what is the reason, i always think about that reason