Learn to play cricket


Understanding Cricket

Cricket, although international and popularThe other batsman stands at the other end of
all over the world, is quintessentially athe wicket and has to run at the same time as
very English game. It is played between twothe batsman facing the ball. The batsman has
teams, each consisting of eleven players. Atto reach the other end of the wicket to the
any time on the field are two from one sidecrease before the fielders knock the bails
(the batting side) and eleven from theoff of the stumps. The batting crease is an
opposing side (who would be bowlingarea that is 122cms in front of the stumps.
fielding).When the batsman is in this he cannot be out
by the fielding team knocking the bales off
The first team that have all eleven playersof  the  stumps.
on the pitch are the fielding team and the
team that have just two players on the fieldWhen the bowler is bowling the batsman has to
are the batting team. Cricket is usuallydefend the stumps from the ball being bowled
played on a large oval pitch on which thewith his bat whether or not he is standing in
fielders are distributed around the pitchfront of the crease. But if he stops the ball
according to the instructions of theirfrom hitting the stumps by using his legs
captain and bowler. In cricket there arethen he can be out by LBW, or "leg before
specific fielding positions on the pitch, allwicket".
with  their  own  unique  name.
He can also be out by one of the fielders
In, or around, the middle of the pitch, therecatching a ball that he has hit before it has
is an area called "the wicket". This is abounced on the ground. When the batsman are
thin strip of grass that is 22 yards long, 8running between the stumps, if either of the
foot 8 inches wide and very flat. It has abatsmen are not in the crease when the
set of three stumps also know as wickets, atfielder hits the stumps and knocks the bails
each end. The three "stumps" are about a yardoff  with  the ball, then they are "run out".
high and they are set in to the ground a few
inches apart. They are connected by twoEach time the two batsmen run successfully
wooden "bails" that are balanced onbetween the two sets of stumps, they get one
indentations on top of the stumps. The aimrun. If the batsman manages to hit the ball
for the bowler is to knock the bails off ofover the rope that marks the boundary when it
the top of the stumps by "bowling" the ballhas bounced or rolled on the ground, he gets
at them. And the object for the batsman is tofour runs. If he hits the ball over the
defend the wicket from the ball. "Bowling" isboundary without it bouncing on the ground,
a way of throwing the ball that is unique tothen he gets six runs. Each "innings" lasts
cricket, where the arm must remain straightuntil 10 out of the 11 batsmen are out (two
as  the  ball  is  delivered.batsman must always be on the wicket, so one
batsman can not bat on his own). This is
The bowler has to "bowl the ball overarmbecause the batting team need two players on
while keeping his arm straight all of thethe pitch at a time so that one can be at
time. If he bends his arm and is, in effect,each  end.
throwing the ball, it is not allowed and
called a 'no ball'. The bowler bowls the ballThe team that wins is the team that has the
six times each "over", then another bowlerhighest number of runs after everybody has
bowls six balls from the other end of thebatted or the number of overs being played
wicket. The bowlers can be changed for otherruns out. If the two teams have he same score
members of the fielding team, as usually eachthen the match is a draw, unless one team has
team will have at least four people who wouldfewer players out than the other. Most club
be  classed  as  bowlers.games are played over one "innings". This
means that each team bats and fields once.
The object for the batsman is to hit the ballBut some games are played over two innings
away from his wicket, far enough from thewhere each team bats and fields twice. Games
fielders so that he has enough time to runare very often played over a certain number
between the two sets of stumps and so score aof "overs" that are agreed beforehand by the
"run". He can also score a run withoutcaptains or according to league regulations
hitting the ball as long as he can run beforeand can be altered according to the weather,
the fielders knock the bails off of theif play is interrupted. In club cricket both
stumps;  this  is  called  a  'bye'.teams usually play in cricket whites.



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