Village cricket is a term, sometimes pejorative, given to the playing of cricket in rural villages in England. Many villages have their own teams that play at varying levels of the English cricket pyramid.
When organised cricket first began in the 17th century, matches were played between rival parishes or villages and this level of competition has endured. It contrasts with what may be termed representative cricket whereby a team includes players from more than one parish (e.g., a team that represents a county or a country).
Village cricket teams are often made up of local residents only.