Cricket and baseball are "bat and ball" sports. Cricket is often thought of as the world's baseball, and baseball is America's cricket. In both games, two teams bat and field in an attempt to score runs. While they might appear similar, they are actually quite different.
Setup
There are 11 players on the field at one time in cricket and nine in baseball. Cricket games generally have two innings and baseball games have nine.
Field
A cricket field is round and features different circular boundary lines. Located in the center is the pitch, with two wickets at either end. Fielders surround the batter on defense. A baseball field is shaped like a quarter circle, with foul lines and an outfield wall. The playing field has two distinct areas, the infield and the outfield. The infield features the diamond, with four bases and a pitcher's mound. Fielders are located in front of the batter.
Equipment
A cricket bat is thin and wide, with a long handle. A baseball bat is round and gets thicker from handle to head. The cricket ball is decidedly bouncier than the baseball. Cricket players use their bare hands to field and bowl, while baseball players wear gloves.
Bowling/Pitching
In cricket, the bowler takes a running start and hurls the ball down the pitch at the batter standing in front of the wicket. The wicket-keeper receives the ball when it passes by the batter. The ball must bounce before it reaches the batter. A bowler bowls in sets of six called "overs." After six, a new bowler is appointed. The bowler is trying to get the ball past the batter and knock down one of the stumps to record a dismissal. In baseball, the pitcher throws the ball from the mound to the batter standing at home plate. The catcher receives the ball if it passes the batter. The pitcher is trying to throw strikes and record outs.
Batting
In cricket, the players bat until 10 wickets are taken by the defensive team (10 dismissals/outs are recorded). When this happens, the teams switch positions. In baseball, the players bat until the defensive team records three outs. Then the teams switch positions.
Dismissals/Outs
A player typically earns a dismissal when a bowled ball hits the wicket, when the ball hits the batter's leg and would have hit the wicket had the batter not been in the way, or when the batter hits his own wicket. In baseball, players typically make outs by recording three strikes, by being tagged by a defensive player holding the ball, or by bunting the ball foul with two strikes. Cricket and baseball share the rule that the team is dismissed/out when the ball is caught before it touches the ground.
Scoring
A player most often scores in cricket when he hits the ball, holds onto the bat and runs the length of the pitch. He can score up to six runs by running back and forth between the wickets. A player automatically scores six runs when he hits the ball past the boundary on the full--without bouncing in the field of play first. If he clears the boundary, but not on the full, he scores four runs. A player typically scores in baseball when he hits the ball, drops the bat and runs around all the bases in order. If he hits the ball over the outfield wall, he has hit a home run and automatically scores a run.
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