Cricket and baseball have both been in existence for over 150 years and have similarities that tie the two games together. They both require a bat and a ball along with fielders and require the scoring of runs to win games. However, both sports have major differences that make them unique.
History
Cricket traces its origins back to 17th century England where the first organized game was played. Additionally, in the 18th century, the first set of rules and regulations was devised for the game. Baseball on the other hand is a much younger game, with the first organized contest being played in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1846. At their cores, cricket is an English game and baseball is an American game, although both sports are played around the world.
Equipment
In cricket, batters wear more protective gear than batters in baseball. Cricket batters wear a helmet, protective gloves, and leg pads whereas baseball players traditionally don only a helmet while batting for protective gear, although more and more players are wearing an arm or shin protector while at the plate. The catcher, though, wears a full set of gear for protection. Both sports feature footwear specified for the playing surface to allow for better traction. Unlike baseball where all players wear a glove on their hands to catch and field the ball, only the wicketkeeper, a position much like a catcher in baseball, wears gloves to catch the ball, no other fielder on a cricket team is allowed to wear gloves for catching the ball. Both sports feature a bat and a ball, although a baseball bat and cricket bat are quite different. A baseball bat is narrow at the handle and gets larger near the barrel, a cricket bat is more paddle shaped, much like an ice hockey goaltender's stick without the blade.
Field of Play
A cricket field is usually rectangular shaped, with two wickets at each end. The playing surface is most often grass. Baseball features a diamond-shaped infield with dirt and an expansive outfield with grass. The fields in both sports feature a fence that is important for determining the scoring of runs. Baseball features a fair and foul territory where everything hit inside the white lines from home plate, past first and third base in play. In cricket, the ball can be hit in any direction. Baseball features nine players in the field whereas cricket features 11 players. Cricket features a bowler, much like a pitcher in baseball, who must bowl the ball in a straight-armed overhead motion that requires the ball to hit the ground toward the wicket where the batter is standing. In baseball, the pitcher throws the ball from a mound in hopes of getting it past the batter for a strike.
Game Play
Baseball requires a pitcher to throw the ball to his catcher while a single batter awaits the pitch in order to hit the ball to reach base or hit a home run. A baseball player must circle the bases and cross home plate in order to record a run for his team. In cricket, two batters are batting at once. The batter at the one set of wickets is having the ball bowled to him as he attempts to put it in play. The other batter awaits at the other set of wickets at the opposite end of the field, waiting to run if his teammate hits the ball. Unlike baseball, the batter who hits the ball does not have to run. When a ball is hit, the two players run across the field to switch sides with another to score a run for their team. The number of runs scored is dependent on how many times each player runs to the opposite wicket. In baseball only four runs can be scored on a single play, but in cricket, a six-run play is possible if the ball is hit over the fence.
Innings and Outs
A baseball game lasts for nine innings with a top and a bottom half to each inning. Each team gets one chance to bat per inning. A half inning is completed when a team records three outs, usually done by striking out a batter, touching a base with the ball where a force out exists, or catching the ball before it hits the ground. A cricket game is two innings, with each team getting a chance to bat in each inning. The defensive team can record an out in numerous ways. The bowler can hit one of the stumps that comprises the wicket, catch a ball in the field before it hits the ground, or to break the wicket with a bowled ball. However, in cricket, if an out is recorded, the batter does not necessarily have to cease batting if an out has been recorded against him. An appeal must be made by the fielding team to one of the umpires to ensure an out has recorded and a new batter will hit. Of the 11 players on the team, 10 must be retired to end the inning.
Scoring Runs
The two games vary greatly on how many runs are scored. Baseball games usually run 2 1/2 to 3 hours in length at the professional level and scores can be as little as 1-0 when the ninth inning has been completed depending on the quality of pitching and defense. Cricket games can feature 100 runs or more in a single inning and can last up to several days due to the high-scoring nature of the sport.
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