| Cricket is a team sport usually played
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| | amateur club competitions in countries as
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| between two teams of eleven players each.
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| | diverse as the Netherlands, Kenya, Nepal,
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| It is a bat-and-ball game played on a
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| | and Argentina (see also: International
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| roughly elliptical grass field, in the
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| | Cricket Council).
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| centre of which is a flat strip of ground
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| | The length of the game — a match can
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| 20.12 m (22 yards) long, called a pitch.
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| | last six or more hours a day for up to
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| At each end of the pitch is a set of
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| | five days in one form of the game — the
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| wooden stumps, called a wicket. A player
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| | numerous intervals for lunch and tea and
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| from the fielding team (the bowler)
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| | the rich terminology are notable aspects
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| propels a hard, fist-sized cork-centred
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| | that can often confuse those not familiar
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| leather ball from one wicket towards the
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| | with the sport. For its fans, the sport
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| other. The ball usually bounces once
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| | and the intense rivalries between top
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| before reaching a player from the
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| | cricketing nations provide passionate
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| opposing team (the batsman), who defends
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| | entertainment and outstanding sporting
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| the wicket from the ball with a wooden
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| | achievements. It has even occasionally
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| cricket bat. Another batsman (the
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| | given rise to diplomatic outrage, the
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| "non-striker") stands in an inactive role
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| | most notorious being the Basil D'Oliveira
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| near the bowler's wicket.
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| | affair which led to the banning of South
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| Generally, the batsman attempts to strike
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| | Africa from sporting events. Other
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| the ball with the bat and run to the
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| | examples include the Bodyline series
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| other end of the pitch, exchanging places
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| | played between England and Australia in
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| with his partner, scoring a run. However,
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| | the early 1930s, or the 1981 underarm
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| he can attempt to run without hitting the
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| | bowling incident involving Australia and
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| ball, and vice versa. While the batting
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| | New Zealand.
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| team scores as many runs as it can, the
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| | Cricket is a bat and ball sport. The
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| bowling team returns the ball to either
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| | objective of the game is to score more
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| wicket. If the ball strikes a wicket with
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| | runs than the opposing team. A match is
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| enough force to knock a bail off before
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| | divided into innings during which one
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| the batsman nearer to that wicket has
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| | team bats and one team fields. The word
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| reached safety, then the batsman is out,
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| | "innings" is both singular and plural in
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| or "dismissed". The batsman can also be
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| | cricket usage.
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| out in a number of other ways, such as
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| | If the team batting last is dismissed
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| failing to stop the bowled ball from
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| | while their total score is n runs less
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| knocking the bails off, or if a fielder
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| | than that of their opponents, they are
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| catches the ball before it touches the
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| | said to have lost by n runs. If, in a
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| ground. Once the batsmen are not
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| | two-innings match, one team is dismissed
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| attempting to score any more runs, the
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| | twice with a combined first- and
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| ball is "dead" and is bowled again.
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| | second-innings score less than their
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| Once out, a batsman is replaced by the
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| | opponents' first-innings score, then the
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| next batsman in the team. As there must
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| | winning team has no requirement to bat
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| always be two batsmen on the field, the
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| | again and they are said to have won by an
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| team's innings ends when ten batsmen are
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| | innings and n runs, where n is the
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| out, and the teams exchange roles. The
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| | difference in score between the teams. If
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| number of innings, and possible
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| | the team batting last is dismissed with
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| restrictions on the number of balls in
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| | the scores exactly equal then the match
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| each, depend on the type of game played.
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| | is a tie; a tie is a rare result,
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| At the end of the match—of which there
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| | particularly in matches of two innings a
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| are several definitions—the team that
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| | side. If the team batting last reaches
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| has scored more runs wins. In first-class
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| | their target, they are said to have won
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| cricket, a draw can result if the team to
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| | by n wickets, where n is the number of
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| bat last fails to match the required
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| | wickets the opposition still needed to
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| total before a time limit is reached.
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| | take in order to dismiss them. If the
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| This can add interest to one-sided games
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| | time allotted for the match finishes
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| by giving the team in the worse position
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| | before either side can win, then the game
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| an incentive to play for a draw. This is
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| | is a draw.
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| distinct from a tie, which results if
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| | If the match has only a single innings
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| scores are level at the completion of
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| | per side, then a maximum number of
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| both teams' innings.
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| | deliveries for each innings is often
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| Cricket has been an established team
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| | imposed. In this case the side scoring
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| sport for several centuries. It
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| | more runs wins regardless of the number
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| originated in its modern form in England
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| | of wickets lost, so that a draw cannot
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| and is popular mainly in the present and
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| | occur. If this kind of match is
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| former members of the Commonwealth. In
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| | temporarily interrupted by bad weather,
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| some countries in South Asia, including
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| | then a complex mathematical formula known
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| India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri
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| | as the Duckworth-Lewis method is often
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| Lanka, cricket is by far the most popular
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| | used to recalculate a new target score. A
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| sport. Cricket is also a major sport in
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| | one-day match can be declared a
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| England and Wales, Australia, New
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| | "No-Result" if fewer than a previously
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| Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe and the
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| | agreed number of overs have been bowled
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| English-speaking countries of the
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| | by either team. This can occur if an
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| Caribbean, which are collectively known
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| | interruption makes a resumption of play
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| in cricketing parlance as the West
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| | impossible, for example an extended
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| Indies. There are also well established
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| | period of bad weather.
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