Cricket is a game run by the International Cricket Council. It is the national sport of India and is also popular in Pakistan, England, Australia, Sri Lanka, South Africa and the West Indies. International teams play three forms of cricket: test matches that last 5 days, limited overs cricket that lasts one day and the newest form of cricket that only lasts three hours.
Cricket History
CricInfo claim "the origins of cricket lie somewhere in the Dark Ages - probably after the Roman Empire, almost certainly before the Normans invaded England." The first official Laws of the Game were written by the Marylebone Cricket Club in 1788. Perhaps surprisingly, the first ever international cricket match took place between the USA and Canada at a ground in New York in 1844, although the sport never grew in popularity in North America. The first ever test match took place in Melbourne, Australia ,in 1877 when the home team beat England by 45 runs.
Batting
Two teams of 11 start a cricket match with the toss of a coin. The winning captain decides whether to bat or bowl. If he chooses to bat, only two batsman are allowed on the field of play at any one time. Once a batsman is given out, the next player from the batting team comes onto the field to join their teammate. This continues until the batting side has only one player left to bat, at which point the teams switch sides. A batsman can score runs by running between the two sets of wickets, by hitting the ball over the boundary rope that runs around the perimeter of the ground without bouncing to score six runs, or by hitting the ball along the ground and over the boundary rope to score four runs.
Bowling
The bowling side must select one of their players to bowl. According to BBC Sport, "the bowling team can get the batsmen out by hitting the stumps or catching the ball." Each bowler has six balls, or one "over," at a time to try and get the batsman out. CricInfo state "two bowlers must take turns, from alternating ends." The number of overs is the primary factor in deciding the length of the match. A test match lasts five days, and each individual day requires the bowling team to bowl 90 overs. Once the bowling team gets all the batsman out, the innings are finished. Each team has two innings per test match. A one day international consists of two teams with one inning each that finishes after 50 overs have been bowled. A 20/20 match is the quickest form of cricket, with each team having one inning that lasts 20 overs, or 120 individual balls.
Fielding
Other than the bowlers, the fielding team is required to have a wicketkeeper standing behind the stumps, similar to the catcher in baseball. The other nine players are strategically placed by the captain of the fielding side. The aim is to place your fielders where you think the ball will go. This increases your chances of taking a catch or stopping the batsman from scoring runs.
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