The game we know as cricket has its roots in an even older sport called Testes, which was played around the world for centuries before it was brought to England where it is still popular today.
Testes is not related to the more well-known football (or soccer) game, but rather a variant of rugby that is only two halves of fifteen minutes each. A goal in testes cricket is 2 yards long and there are 6 players per side, making this game very close in size to baseball!
Cricket eventually spread from Britain to other parts of Europe and then Asia, where people have adapted the rules and made their own variations. It caught on quickly and so did the term “cricket” until someone decided to make their own version using the word “test” instead. This new version became known as T20 or Twenty-Twenty-Football-Type Cricket and is now the most common form of the game.
In fact, some countries use twenty-twenty cricket by adding another ten minute period at the end of the match! These games are usually referred to as Super T20s or just simply TTFCs (Ten Time Fives Cockshoot).
The crease
In cricket, a creashold is an imaginary line drawn across the pitch that represents the edge of the field of play. It is determined by where the ball crossed the boundary after being bowled or hit through the air towards the batsman. If the batted-ball goes over this border then it becomes inplay; the fielder must run to catch it unless they have the option to drop the side back into their own half (field of play). A dropped catch can result in a goal or a penalty shot if there are no more stoppages before the next score.
If however, the ball crosses the crease at an angle, then it becomes what we refer to as a bounced out wicket. This means the batter fails to make contact with the ball and it rolls away untouched until someone else runs between the bails to take a caught behind appeal. Once either of these happens the batting team loses the ball and has to start from square one when they go onto the other end of the pitch.
The length of the crease in international level cricket is three meters both for front and back footed shots depending on whether the player is backing up or forward when hitting the ball.
The wickets
A cricket match is not completed until at least one team has won the game through a win by their side or a loss for the opposition. This is called a victory, while losing is referred to as being defeated. If neither team wins nor loses, then the match is considered a draw!
A cricket field consists of three main structures: the pitch, which is where the games are played; the boundary lines, which determine how far the players can run around the field before they must return; and the stumps, which are two vertical posts used to mark out the middle area of the field.
The cricket ball will usually bounce off the ground several times before it is set down again, so the areas directly in front of each batsman are known as the forward-stump zone, the bowler’s arm is the length of the field, and the striker (or captain) may choose to go “wide” or “narrow” with the goal line when he runs. Beyond those distances, there are no rules except that you cannot step onto the field or touch any part of the stadium wall.
Cricket balls are made from leather and contain latex gel, salt, and water. When the ball is new, the moisture content is highest, and this affects the way the ball bounces. As the ball dries out, the texture changes and the bounce decreases.
How to bat
When you are batting, your goal is to get as many runs as possible by hitting the ball in the field of play or by running it down along the ground. The more runs you get, the higher your score!
The way to start off batting is by learning how to hit a cricket ball with a stick. This is called a “bat” and you will learn how to do this at school or through a club program. Most kids begin playing cricket when they are very young (ages 5-10) and so they already have a bat. If yours does not, look for one that is not too heavy. A light weight bat can be expensive, but you want to make sure it feels good to hold and swing.
After you have mastered hitting the cricket ball with a stick, you can move onto bowling. Bowlers must keep their feet moving while throwing the ball and should use as much power as they can muster. As with batting, most children who start soccer or rugby grow out of it because there is too much kicking involved. With football and cricket, students often add too much muscle memory for kicking so that is why leg hits and goal kicks are better than regular field goals.
How to bowl
Bowlers have three main weapons they use to try and disturb the batsman’s timing or rhythm. These are the fast bowler, off-bowller and slow bowler. The fast bowler bowls as quickly as possible while keeping it short so that it throws the batsmen off balance. An example of this is Shane Warne bowling a leg side googly at very quick speed.
The off-bowler uses his feet more than the other types of bowlers, usually stepping back with one foot before coming forward and throwing the ball. This creates more room for manoeuvre and makes it easier to fake an outside edge. For instance, if you wanted to test whether a batsman was edgy, then bounce the ball just after he has stepped out of the crease.
A slower bowler will typically aim to deceive by pitching the ball slightly uphill, making it seem like there is less power behind it. If the batsman attempts to hit over it, then he may find himself stuck in no man’s land.
When to run
In cricket, there are two main types of running that players do in the field. They are what we refer to as forward runs or dribbles and back-pedalling.
A forward run is when the player takes off from the field at a fast pace towards one of the batting teams’ end zones (the area where the pitch ends). This is usually done for a specific reason such as if the fielder positions themselves close to the batsman, so he has to take evasive action to avoid being bowled out.
Alternatively, a forward run can be made because the player is trying to gain some advantage by taking extra time to think about his next move. For instance, if the ball is thrown long, then the player may want to wait and see whether it bounces down before returning to their defensive position.
The second type of run is called a backward dive or backwards footwork. This is done when the player realises they will not get enough time to react to something happening during play. For example, if the bat hits the ground after an unsuccessful shot, then the player may need to quickly find another good opportunity to hit a ball.
They may choose to go forwards to try and grab the ball before it rolls away too far or they may decide to slide or drop onto the floor to prevent it rolling away completely.
When to stay still
The second fundamental skill in cricket is when to keep yourself from doing something. It’s very tempting as a player to take what you want by force, but that’s not good sportsmanship!
In hockey, for example, it’t hard to see how this can backfire on you. An attacker might throw their stick to try and distract you so you don’t block their shot, or they could just run at you with the puck. By staying focused and vigilant, though, they may get too frustrated and give up before trying anything major.
In soccer, there are similar situations where players will push forward aggressively looking to win the ball, or pull back to create an opening through which to pass. If you watch even slightly, you’ll notice most players keep themselves relatively calm and level-headed until the game situation calls for action.
In rugby union, one area where keeping your cool can make a big difference is rucking. A ruck happens when two teams struggle to gain control of the ball after it has been knocked into the field of play. Depending on the position of the ball and who gets to it first, either team can get away with taking it by brute strength. More often than not, though, a third party comes to the rescue and sweeps the ball out of the way so it doesn’t go straight back into the other team’s hands.
The rules
There are five main sets of rules in cricket. These include laws related to batting, bowling, the field, time and again, and the DRS (discretionary review).
The most important rule is that once the ball is thrown or hit with the bat, you must start play immediately. You cannot wait for it to bounce, roll around the ground, or be picked up before starting your next action.
This is because the thrower has no way of knowing where the ball will go after being batted with the bat. They can only hope it goes somewhere close so they can run and get it.
Key points
The game we know as cricket was first played in England around 1750. It is one of the few sports that has survived several changes to its rules. These have included how many balls are pitched, whether there are limited overs or unlimited matches, and what kind of bat you use.
The word cricket comes from the Old English term cgricce meaning ‘ball’ or ‘circle’. When Sir John Stephens, an early explorer of Australia, returned home he passed his knowledge of the sport onto others. He used the term krick-tuck instead which eventually became cricket.
In this article we will look at some basic concepts of the game of cricket. We will also take a look at different types of player. How to play the game and tips for beginner cricketers can be found out by joining a match or watching a test match online.
