When was the phrase 'maiden over' created in the sports of cricket?

Question

Sports of cricket is full of technical terms that are related to different aspects of the cricket game.I want to know when was the term 'maiden over' created in the sports of cricket?

Answer 1

A "maiden over" is one where no runs are scored. The word originates in Old English meaning young women or virgin and has developed from its original virginal meaning to also cover something new, clean or untouched (maiden voyage, outing, etc.). This latter meaning is actually used in other aspects of cricket to describe a player's first instance of an achievement (such as a batsman's first or "maiden" century).The phrase to bowl a maiden or just to bowl someone over meaning to overwhelm the batsman has been exported back out of cricket to general life. In reconnecting one of the original meanings of maiden the phrase became to mean to do something romantic and overwhelm a young girl and generally to overwhelm someone.