She Knows The Rules: She Knows Cricket

She Knows Cricket
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Adrian Peyton on 03/09/2009 08:57:00
 
Cricket is played by 2 teams of 11 players each, and as far as how much time you
should allocate to watch a match, it can take anywhere from an afternoon (one
day cricket) to five days (for a test match).
The whole point is to score more runs than the opponent. Think … baseball.
Runs good, getting out bad. The teams bat in turns (each turn is called an
innings) and try to score runs while the opposing team fields and tries to end
the batters’ innings.  How many innings are played depends on which kind of
cricket you’re playing.
To give you an idea of how long matches usually last:
*Test Cricket goes for 5 days.
*One-Day Cricket is pretty self-explanatory, and lasts about six hours.
*Twenty20 (a limited overs match where each team bats for one innings, which
lasts 20 overs) usually finishes in three hours.
Cricket is played on a field, and there's a “pitch” in the centre that is
20m long, with wickets set up at each end. There are two umpires keeping the
teams in line, and holding people’s sweaters/hats/glasses. They are so handy
and considerate.
The batting team scores runs by hitting the ball and running the whole length
of the pitch. Easy so far.  At any one time there are two batsmen in, one at
each end. Even though the ‘second’ batsmen – the non-striker - might not
be facing up to hit the ball from the bowler, there’s no avoiding the running
part. And either batsmen can lose their wicket (if the ball hits it), whether
they hit the ball or not.
Obviously you can’t score runs if you’re back in the team seats, so the
primary concern of the batsman who is batting (i.e. the "striker") is to prevent
the ball hitting the wicket (which would dismiss them) and then to score runs by
hitting the ball with his bat so that he and his batting partner have time to
run from one end of the pitch to the other before the fielding side can return
the ball. To register a run, both runners must touch the ground behind the
crease with either their bats or their bodies (the batsmen carry their bats as
they run).
Meanwhile the bowling side has a bowler at the pitch, a wicket-keeper crouching
behind the striking batsman’s wicket ready to grab the ball and return it
(you’ll recognise the wickie, just look for the gloves) and other 9 players
scattered around the field.  They’re all trying to get each member of the
batting team out, at which point the batting and bowling teams switch places. As
soon as 10 batsmen have been dismissed, the whole team is out and the innings is
over.
The bowler bowls the ball in sets of six deliveries (or "balls") and each set
of six balls is called an over.  It’s up to the captain to decide where
players should stand in the field, and which player should bowl for each over.