There is some dispute about the precise year and place when limited overs cricket began. A one-day cricket tournament, initiated at the Tripunithura Cricket Club, near Cochin, India in 1950 claims the honor.
The Pooja Knockout tournament is still played each year and its 72nd edition is currently underway. In professional cricket, the first one-day competition was a Midlands Knock-out Cup in 1962 between four English counties who, simultaneously, had spare days in their schedule.
The following year, a 65-over tournament, the Gillette Cup, was launched for all 17 counties. This sponsorship lasted until 1980, replaced by NatWest Bank, and the competition survived under a variety of sponsors and formats, although it is a shadow of its former self.
In 1969, a 40-over Sunday competition, sponsored by the tobacco company John Player, was introduced. A third 50-over competition, sponsored by Benson & Hedges, was introduced in 1972 and ran for 30 years before T20 cricket took over.