What is cricket and how it plays: Here are details about cricket. After this all your doubts regarding cricket resolve. Must read till the end.
This is a popular sport that is played with a bat and ball between two teams of eleven players each. The game originated in England in the 16th century and is now played in many countries around the world, especially in the Commonwealth nations.
This sport has various formats, ranging from five-day Test matches to three-hour Twenty20 games. The main objective of the game is to score more runs than the opposing team by hitting the ball with the bat and running between the wickets, while the other team tries to prevent this and get the batters out.
Table of Contents
Basic rules and equipment of cricket
Cricket is played on a large oval-shaped field, with a rectangular pitch in the centre. The pitch is 22 yards (20.12 metres) long and 10 feet (3.04 metres) wide, and has a set of three wooden stumps at each end, topped by two wooden bails. These are called the wickets, and they are the targets for the bowlers and the bases for the batters.
The game is divided into two or more innings, depending on the format. In each innings, one team bats and tries to score runs, while the other team bowls and fields and tries to dismiss the batters. Each innings ends when either ten batters are out or a predetermined number of overs (sets of six balls delivered by a bowler) have been bowled.
The batters use a wooden bat to hit the ball, which is made of cork covered by leather and stitched with a raised seam. The ball weighs between 155.9 and 163 grams and has a circumference of between 224 and 229 mm. The batters wear protective gear such as helmets, gloves, pads and guards to prevent injuries from the ball, which can travel at speeds of over 150 km/h.
The bowlers deliver the ball with a straight arm from one end of the pitch to the other, aiming to hit the wicket or induce an error from the batter. The bowlers can vary their speed, direction, angle and movement of the ball to deceive the batters. The bowlers are assisted by fielders, who are positioned around the field to catch, stop or throw the ball.
There are various ways that a batter can be dismissed, such as:
- Bowled: The ball hits the wicket and dislodges the bails.
- Caught: The ball is caught by a fielder before it touches the ground after being hit by the batter.
- Leg before wicket (LBW): The ball hits the batter’s leg or body before it hits the bat or wicket, and would have hit the wicket otherwise.
- Run out: The ball hits or is thrown at the wicket while the batter is out of their ground (the area behind the popping crease, a line marked on the pitch).
- Stumped: The batter leaves their ground to play a shot and misses, and the wicket-keeper (a specialised fielder who stands behind the wicket) breaks the wicket with the ball.
- Hit wicket: The batter accidentally hits their own wicket with their bat or body while playing a shot or taking a run.
- Handled the ball: The batter deliberately touches the ball with their hand without permission from the fielding side.
- Obstructing the field: The batter deliberately obstructs or distracts a fielder from making a play on the ball.
- Timed out: A new batter takes more than three minutes to come to the crease after a dismissal.
- Retired out: A batter voluntarily leaves their innings without being dismissed.
The umpires are officials who enforce the rules of this game and make decisions on matters such as dismissals, boundaries (when
the ball crosses or touches the edge of the field), no-balls (when
the bowler oversteps or throws an illegal delivery), wides (when
the ball is too wide for
the batter to play), byes (when
the ball passes
the batter without hitting
the bat or body) and leg byes (when
the ball hits
the batter’s leg or body without hitting
the bat). There are usually two on-field umpires, one at each end of
the pitch, and sometimes a third umpire who uses video technology to assist with close calls.
The scorers are officials who record
the runs scored,
the dismissals made,
the overs bowled,
and other statistics of
the game. They use scorebooks or electronic devices to keep track of
the game events.
Formats and competitions of cricket
This Game has several formats that differ in duration, number of innings,
and rules. Some of
the most common formats are:
- Test cricket: This is
the longest and most traditional format of the game played between two teams that have official Test status from
the International Cricket Council (ICC), the global governing body of cricket. Test matches last up to five days, with each team having two innings of unlimited overs. Test cricket is considered
the highest level of cricket, as it tests
the skills, stamina, and mental toughness of
the players. - One Day International (ODI) cricket: This is a limited-overs format, played between two teams that have official ODI status from
the ICC. ODI matches last up to eight hours, with each team having one innings of 50 overs. ODI cricket is popular for its fast-paced and exciting nature, as well as its relevance to
the Cricket World Cup, the most prestigious tournament in cricket. - Twenty20 (T20) cricket: This is a shorter and more explosive format, played between two teams that have official T20 status from
the ICC. T20 matches last up to three hours, with each team having one innings of 20 overs. T20 cricket is known for its high scoring and entertainment value, as well as its appeal to a wider and younger audience. T20 cricket also has many domestic leagues and tournaments, such as
the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Big Bash League (BBL), and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). - Other formats: There are also other formats of cricket that are played at various levels and regions, such as 100-ball cricket, which is a new format that will be introduced in England in 2023; first-class cricket, which is a four-day format that is played by domestic teams and is similar to Test cricket; List A cricket, which is a one-day format that is played by domestic teams and is similar to ODI cricket; and club cricket, which is a recreational format that is played by amateur teams and has varying rules and regulations.
This Game has many competitions and tournaments that are organized by the ICC or by regional or national boards. Some of the most notable ones are:
- Cricket World Cup: This is the quadrennial flagship event of ODI cricket, where the top teams compete for the title of world champions. The first Cricket World Cup was held in 1975 in England, and the current champions are England, who won the 2019 edition in their home country.
- ICC Men’s T20 World Cup: This is the biennial flagship event of T20 cricket, where the top teams compete for the title of world champions. The first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup was held in 2007 in South Africa, and the current champions are West Indies, who won the 2016 edition in India.
- ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup: This is the quadrennial flagship event of women’s ODI cricket, where the top teams compete for the title of world champions. The first ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup was held in 1973 in England, two years before the men’s edition, and the current champions are England, who won the 2017 edition in their home country.
- ICC Women’s T20 World Cup: This is the biennial flagship event of women’s T20 cricket, where the top teams compete for the title of world champions. The first ICC Women’s T20 World Cup was held in 2009 in England, alongside the men’s edition, and the current champions are Australia, who won the 2020 edition in their home country.
- ICC World Test Championship: This is a new competition that was launched in 2019 to provide a context and ranking system for Test cricket. The competition involves nine teams playing a series of bilateral Test matches over a two-year cycle, with points awarded for wins, draws, and ties. The top two teams at the end of the cycle qualify for a final match to determine the champions. The first ICC World Test Championship final will be held in 2023 at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.
- The Ashes: This is a historic and prestigious series of Test matches played between England and Australia since 1882. The series is named after a satirical obituary published in a British newspaper in 1882 that declared that English cricket had died after Australia’s first win on English soil, and that “the body will be cremated and
the ashes were taken to Australia”. The term “the Ashes” was later adopted by
the media and
the public, and an urn containing ashes (allegedly of a burnt bail) was presented to
the captain of
the winning team. The Ashes series is usually held every two years,
alternating between England and Australia,
and consists of five Test matches.
The current holders of
the Ashes are Australia,
who retained them after drawing
the 2019 series in England.
Summary
Cricket is a sport that involves batting, bowling, fielding, and scoring runs between two teams of eleven players each on a large field with a pitch and two wickets. It has various formats that differ in duration,
number of innings.
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