Cricket Wikipedia


Pollock to Hussey.jpg
Highest governing bodyInternational Cricket Council
First played18th century (modern), England
Team members11 players per side

with some substitute players (can act as fielders only) permitted (in cases of injury, illness, fatigue).
Mixed genderSingle
TypeTeam, Bat-and-ball
EquipmentCricket ball, cricket bat,

wicket: stumps, bails , several protective gear.
VenueCricket field
Olympic1900 Summer Olympics only

The bowler delivers the ball to the batsman who attempts to hit the ball with his bat away from the fielders so he can run to the other end of the pitch (which is counted as one run) without getting run out (the event in which the fielder throws the ball directly onto wickets or to a player who is near to wickets so he can dislodge them from the ground before the batsman or the non-striker has reached the crease). Each batsman (the other is called non-striker) continues batting until he is out. The batting team continues batting until ten batsmen are out or specified number of overs (defined as 6 countable balls bowled) have been bowled, at which point the teams switch roles and the fielding team comes in to bat.





              Main article: History of cricket


              The first English touring team on board ship at Liverpool in 1859



              Don Bradman of Australia had a Test average of 99.94 and an overall first-class average of 95.14, records unmatched by any other player.

              Sachin Tendulkar of India was rated by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2002 as the second greatest Test batsman of all time, behind Don Bradman.




              Rules and game-play

              Main article: Laws of cricket



              There are separate leagues for Women's cricket, though informal matches may have mixed teams.

              Format of the game


              A coin toss is held by the team captains (who are also players) just before the match starts: the winner decides whether to bat or field first.

              The cricket field is usually oval in shape, with a rectangular pitch at the center. The edge of the playing field is marked with a boundary, which could be a fence, part of the stands, a rope or a painted line.

              At each end of the pitch is a wooden target called a wicket, placed 22 yards apart. The pitch is marked with painted lines: a bowling crease in line with the wicket, and a batting or popping crease four feet in front of it. The wicket is made of three vertical stumps supporting two small horizontal bails. A wicket is put down if at least one bail is dislodged, or one stump is knocked down (usually by the ball, but also if the batsman does it with his body, clothing or equipment). This is also described as breaking, knocking down, or hitting the wicket – though if the ball hits the wicket but does not dislodge a bail or stump then it is not down.

              At any instant each batsman owns a particular wicket (usually the one closer to him) and, except when actually batting, is safe when he is in his ground. This means that at least one part of his body or bat is touching the ground behind the popping crease. If his wicket is put down while the ball is live and he is out of his ground then he is dismissed, but the other batsman is safe.
              A ball being bowled. From back to front -- umpire (with hat), wicket, non-striking batsman (yellow), bowler (blue), ball, pitch, crease, striking batsman (yellow), wicket, wicket keeper (blue,crouching) and fielder (blue,slip position)

              The two batsmen take positions at opposite ends of the pitch. One designated member of the fielding team, called the bowler, bowls the ball from one end of the pitch to the striking batsman at the other end. The batsman at the bowling end is called the non-striker, and stands to the side of his wicket, behind his crease. The batsman are allowed to step forward of their creases, though at some risk. Another member of the fielding team, the wicket keeper, is positioned behind the striker's wicket.

              The fielding team's other nine members stand outside the pitch, spread out across the field. The fielding captain often strategically changes their position between balls.

              There is always an umpire at each end of the pitch.

              The bowler usually retreats a few yards (metres) behind the wicket, runs towards it (his run-up), and then releases the ball over-hand as he reaches the bowling crease. (If he crosses the crease before he releases the ball, or if he flexes his elbow too much in a throw, then it is a no ball, and the batting team gets a penalty or extra run. If the ball passes the far wicket out of reach of the batsman then it is called a wide, also with an extra run.) The ball can be bowled so that it bounces on the pitch, lands exactly on the crease (a yorker), or crosses the crease without bouncing (a full toss).

              The batsman tries to prevent the ball from hitting the wicket by striking the ball with his bat. (This includes the handle of the bat, and his gloves.) If the bowler succeeds in putting down the wicket the batsman is dismissed and is said to be bowled out. If the batsman misses the ball, but any part of his body prevents it from reaching the wicket, then he is out leg before wicket, or "LBW".

              If the batsman hits the ball but it is caught by a fielder without bouncing then he caught out. If it is caught by the bowler then he is caught and bowled; by the wicket keeper, caught behind.

              If the batsman is successful in striking the ball and it is not caught without bouncing, then the two batsmen may try to score points (runs) for their team. Both batsmen run the length of the pitch, exchanging positions, and grounding their bats behind the opposite crease. Each crossing and grounding by both batsmen is worth one run. The batsmen may attempt one run, multiple runs, or elect not to run at all. By attempting runs, the batsmen risk dismissal. This happens if the fielding team retrieves the ball and hits either wicket with the ball (either by throwing it, or while holding it) before the batsman who owns that wicket reaches his ground behind the crease. The dismissed batsman is run out. Batsmen will sometimes start to run, change their mind, and return to their original positions.

              If the batsman hits the ball over the field boundary without the ball touching the field, the batting team scores six runs. If the ball touches the ground and then reaches the boundary, the batting team scores four runs. The batsmen might start running before the ball reaches the boundary, but those runs don't count.

              If the batsman misses the ball they can still attempt extra runs : these are called byes. If the ball bounces off his body then it is called a leg bye.

              If the striking batsman leaves his ground and misses the ball, then the wicket keeper can catch it and put down the wicket -- stumped.

              In case of a no ball or a wide the batsman can choose to strike the ball, earning runs in addition to the fixed penalty. If he does so he can only be dismissed by being run out.

              When the batsmen have finished attempting their runs the ball is dead, and is returned to the bowler to be bowled again. The ball becomes live when he starts his run up. The bowler continues to bowl toward the same wicket, regardless of any switch of the batsmen's positions.

              A batsman may retire from an innings without being dismissed, usually after reaching a milestone like a hundred runs (a century).

              A dismissed batsman leaves the field, to be replaced by another batsman from the batting team. However, even though the wicket may have been put down, or the ball caught, the batsman is not actually dismissed until the fielding team appeal to the umpires for a decision, traditionally using the expression "How's that" (or "Howzat"). In some matches, particularly test matches, either team may request a review by a third umpire who can use a Decision Review System (DRS), which includes TV replays and other electronic equipment such as hawk eye, hotspot and the snickometer.

              After a bowler has bowled six times (an over), another member of the fielding team is designated as the new bowler, the old bowler taking up a fielding position. The batsmen stay in place, and the new bowler bowls to the opposite wicket, so the role of striker and non-striker reverse. The wicket keeper and the two umpires always change positions, as do many of the fielders, and play continues. Fielding team members may bowl multiple times during an innings, but may not bowl two overs in succession.

              The innings is complete when 10 of the 11 members of the batting team have been dismissed (all out – although one always remaining "not out"), when a set number of overs has been played, or when the batting team declares that they have enough runs.

              The number of innings and the number of overs per innings vary depending on the format of the match. In a match which is not a limited overs format the umpires will usually specify that the last session of the last innings will have a specified number of overs.

              The match always ends when all innings have been completed. The umpires can also call an end to the match in case of bad light or weather. But in many cases the match ends immediately when the first team to bat has played all of its innings, and the last team to bat has more runs. In four-innings games the last team may not even need to play its second innings: this team is said to win by an innings. If this winning team has not completed its last innings, and still has, for example, five batsmen who are not out or have not even batted, then they are said to "win by five wickets". If the last team to bat is losing, is all out, and has 10 fewer runs than the other team, then the winning team "wins by 10 runs". If the two teams both play all their innings and they have the same number of runs, then it is a tie.

              In four-innings matches there is also the possibility of a draw: the team with fewer runs still has batsmen on the field when the game ends. This has a major effect on strategy: a team will often declare an innings when they have accumulated enough runs, in the hope that they will have enough time left to dismiss the other team and thus avoid a draw, but risking a loss if the other team scores enough runs.

              Pitch, wickets and creases

              Main articles: Cricket pitch, Wicket and Crease (cricket)
              See also: Stump (cricket) and Bail (cricket)

              A typical cricket field.
              Playing surface


              The cricket pitch dimensions

              Stumps, bails and creases






              Bat and ball

              Main articles: Cricket bat and Cricket ball
              Used white ball
              Used red ball
              Two different types of cricket balls:



              NB Both balls are the same size.




              Umpires and scorers

              Main articles: Umpire (cricket) and Scorer
              The game on the field is regulated by two umpires, one of whom stands behind the wicket at the bowler's end, the other in a position called "square leg", a position 15–20 metres to the side of the "on strike" batsman. The main role of the umpires is to adjudicate on whether a ball is correctly bowled (not a no ball or a wide), when a run is scored, and whether a batsman is out (the fielding side must appeal to the umpire, usually with the phrase How's That?). Umpires also determine when intervals start and end, decide on the suitability of the playing conditions and can interrupt or even abandon the match due to circumstances likely to endanger the players, such as a damp pitch or deterioration of the light.

              An umpire








              Main article: Over (cricket)

              Team structure




              Main articles: Bowler (cricket), Bowling (cricket) and Bowling strategy (cricket)

              Shoaib Akhtar of Pakistan hold's the record for delivering the fastest ball (161.3 km/h) of cricket history.

              A typical bowling action







              Main articles: Fielding (cricket) and Fielding strategy (cricket)

              Fielding positions in cricket for a right-handed batsman





              Main article: batting (cricket)







              In the event of an injured batsman being fit to bat but not to run, the umpires and the fielding captain were previously able to allow another member of the batting side to be a runner. The runner's only task was to run between the wickets instead of the incapacitated batsman, and he was required to wear and carry exactly the same equipment as the batsman. As of 2011 the ICC outlawed the use of runners as they felt this was being abused.


              Main article: Run (cricket)



              Brian Lara of the West Indies holds the record for highest score in both Tests and first-class cricket.





              Main article: Extra (cricket)



              Main article: Dismissal (cricket)
              There are eleven ways in which a batsman can be dismissed; five relatively common and six extremely rare. The common forms of dismissal are "bowled", "caught", "leg before wicket" (lbw), "run out", and "stumped". Less common methods are "hit wicket", "hit the ball twice", "obstructed the field", "handled the ball" and "timed out" – these are almost unknown in the professional game. The eleventh - retired out - is not treated as an on-field dismissal but rather a retrospective one for which no fielder is credited.

              7. Hit the ball twice is very unusual and was introduced as a safety measure to counter dangerous play and protect the fielders. The batsman may legally play the ball a second time only to stop the ball hitting the wicket after he has already played it. "Hit" does not necessarily refer to the batsman's bat.
              8. Obstructing the field: another unusual dismissal which tends to involve a batsman deliberately getting in the way (physically and/or verbally) of a fielder.
              10. Timed out usually means that the next batsman was not ready to receive a delivery within three minutes of the previous one being dismissed.



              Innings closed

              Main article: End of an innings (cricket)
              An innings is closed when:


              Main article: Result (cricket)




              Distinctive elements

              Individual focus


              Spirit of the Game


              Influence of weather

              Floodlight at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai




              The umpires always have the final decision on weather related issues.

              Uniqueness of each field


              Types of matches

              Cricket is a multi-faceted sport with multiple formats based around playing standard and level of formality and the desired time that the match should last. A pertinent division in terms of professional cricket is between matches limited by time in which the teams have two innings apiece, and those limited by number of overs, in which they have a single innings each. The former, known as first-class cricket, has a duration of three to five days (there have been examples of "timeless" matches too); the latter, known as limited overs cricket because each team bowls a limit of typically 50 or 20 overs, has a planned duration of one day only (a match can be extended if necessary due to bad weather, etc.).


              Amateur cricketers rarely play matches that last longer than a single day; these may loosely be divided into declaration matches, in which a specified maximum time or number of overs is assigned to the game in total and the teams swap roles only when the batting team is either completely dismissed or declares; and limited overs matches, in which a specified maximum number of overs is assigned for each team's innings individually. These will vary in length between 30 and 60 overs per side at the weekend and the ever popular 20 over format during the evenings. Other forms of cricket, such as indoor cricket and garden cricket remain popular.

              Historically, a form of cricket known as single wicket had been extremely successful and many of these contests in the 18th and 19th centuries qualify as major cricket matches. In this form, although each team may have from one to six players, there is only one batsman at a time and he must face every deliver
              Source: Wikipedia ( )
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