Could somebody explain the rules of cricket to me? I'm from the US and I just don't get this sport. Thanks

Answer 1

Cricket is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players each. It is a bat-and-ball game played on a roughly oval grass field, in the centre of which is a flat strip of ground 20.12 m (22 yards) long, called a pitch. At each end of the pitch is a set of wooden stumps, called a wicket. Note that, rather confusingly, the pitch itself is also often referred to as the wicket. A player from the fielding team (the bowler) propels a hard, fist-sized cork-centred leather ball from one wicket towards the other. The ball usually bounces once before reaching a player from the opposing team (the batsman), who defends the wicket from the ball with a wooden cricket bat. Another batsman (the "non-striker") stands in an inactive role near the bowler's wicket.

Generally, the batsman attempts to strike the ball with the bat and run to the other end of the pitch, exchanging places with his partner, scoring a run. However, he can attempt to run without hitting the ball, and vice versa. While the batting team scores as many runs as it can, the bowling team returns the ball to either wicket. If the ball strikes a wicket with enough force to knock a bail off before the batsman nearer to that wicket has reached safety, then the batsman is out, or "dismissed" - this is also known as a wicket. The batsman can also be out in a number of other ways, such as failing to stop the bowled ball from knocking the bails off, or if a fielder catches the ball before it touches the ground. Once the batsmen are not attempting to score any more runs, the ball is "dead" and is bowled again.

Once out, a batsman is replaced by the next batsman in the team. As there must always be two batsmen on the field, the team's innings ends when ten batsmen are out, and the teams exchange roles. The number of innings, and possible restrictions on the number of balls in each, depend on the type of game played. At the end of the match—of which there are several definitions—the team that has scored more runs wins. In first-class cricket, a draw can result if the team to bat last fails to match the required total before a time limit is reached or if the bowling teams fails to take 10 wickets. This can add interest to one-sided games by giving the team in the worse position an incentive to play for a draw. This is distinct from a tie, which results if scores are level at the completion of both teams' innings.

Cricket has been an established team sport for several centuries. It originated in its modern form in England and is popular mainly in the present and former members of the Commonwealth. In some countries in South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, cricket is by far the most popular sport. Cricket is also a major sport in England and Wales, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe and the English-speaking countries of the Caribbean, which are collectively known in cricketing parlance as the West Indies. There are also well established amateur club competitions in countries as diverse as the Netherlands, Kenya, Nepal, and Argentina (see also: International Cricket Council).

The length of the game — a match can last six or more hours a day for up to five days in one form of the game — the numerous intervals for lunch and tea and the rich terminology are notable aspects that can often confuse those not familiar with the sport. For its fans, the sport and the intense rivalries between top cricketing nations provide passionate entertainment and outstanding sporting achievements. It has even occasionally given rise to diplomatic outrage, the most notorious being the Basil D'Oliveira affair which led to the banning of South Africa from sporting events. Other examples include the Bodyline series played between England and Australia in the early 1930s, an event that almost meant diplomatic ties were severed with England or the 1981 underarm bowling incident involving Australia and New Zealand.

ok now go home and play

Answer 2

Hmmmm, you should use spellchecker, but you explained it well. Actually, they're batting and bowling teams. The balling comes after the game. ;) Also, my beef or correction to the rules. I rarely get to watch cricket, so why don't they play to 10 outs anymore. To fit in with TV coverage, they now only play 50 overs each and they're done. It's not fair. BTW, does anyone know when or why the ruined the game with that restriction?

Answer 3

Cricket is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players each. It is a bat-and-ball game played on a roughly oval grass field, in the centre of which is a flat strip of ground 20.12 m (22 yards) long, called a pitch. At each end of the pitch is a set of wooden stumps, called a wicket. Note that, rather confusingly, the pitch itself is also often referred to as the wicket. A player from the fielding team (the bowler) propels a hard, fist-sized cork-centred leather ball from one wicket towards the other. The ball usually bounces once before reaching a player from the opposing team (the batsman), who defends the wicket from the ball with a wooden cricket bat. Another batsman (the "non-striker") stands in an inactive role near the bowler's wicket.

Generally, the batsman attempts to strike the ball with the bat and run to the other end of the pitch, exchanging places with his partner, scoring a run. However, he can attempt to run without hitting the ball, and vice versa. While the batting team scores as many runs as it can, the bowling team returns the ball to either wicket. If the ball strikes a wicket with enough force to knock a bail off before the batsman nearer to that wicket has reached safety, then the batsman is out, or "dismissed" - this is also known as a wicket. The batsman can also be out in a number of other ways, such as failing to stop the bowled ball from knocking the bails off, or if a fielder catches the ball before it touches the ground. Once the batsmen are not attempting to score any more runs, the ball is "dead" and is bowled again.

Once out, a batsman is replaced by the next batsman in the team. As there must always be two batsmen on the field, the team's innings ends when ten batsmen are out, and the teams exchange roles. The number of innings, and possible restrictions on the number of balls in each, depend on the type of game played. At the end of the match—of which there are several definitions—the team that has scored more runs wins. In first-class cricket, a draw can result if the team to bat last fails to match the required total before a time limit is reached or if the bowling teams fails to take 10 wickets. This can add interest to one-sided games by giving the team in the worse position an incentive to play for a draw. This is distinct from a tie, which results if scores are level at the completion of both teams' innings.

Cricket has been an established team sport for several centuries. It originated in its modern form in England and is popular mainly in the present and former members of the Commonwealth. In some countries in South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, cricket is by far the most popular sport. Cricket is also a major sport in England and Wales, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe and the English-speaking countries of the Caribbean, which are collectively known in cricketing parlance as the West Indies. There are also well established amateur club competitions in countries as diverse as the Netherlands, Kenya, Nepal, and Argentina (see also: International Cricket Council).

The length of the game — a match can last six or more hours a day for up to five days in one form of the game — the numerous intervals for lunch and tea and the rich terminology are notable aspects that can often confuse those not familiar with the sport. For its fans, the sport and the intense rivalries between top cricketing nations provide passionate entertainment and outstanding sporting achievements. It has even occasionally given rise to diplomatic outrage, the most notorious being the Basil D'Oliveira affair which led to the banning of South Africa from sporting events. Other examples include the Bodyline series played between England and Australia in the early 1930s, an event that almost meant diplomatic ties were severed with England or the 1981 underarm bowling incident involving Australia and New Zealand.

Answer 4

I offer my sincerist apologies to the representatives of other nations, on behalf of my country for inflicting cricket on the world.

The basics are thus:

2 teams of 11
1 team bats, the other fields
The batsmen defend three sticks Wickets) with two more sticks on top (bails) from the fielding team
There are two sets of wickets, 22 yards apart, therefore two batsmen onthe field at any one time
The fielding team elect a bowler, who bowls the ball at one wicket.
The batsman facing the ball has to hit the ball with his bat to protect the wicket.
If the ball is hit far enough that it goes over a piece of old rope around the "boundary" of the playing field, points (runs) are awarded for the batting team - 4 if the ball bounces first, 6 if it goes straight out of the field of play.
The batsman may also score runs by hitting the ball then running to the oposite wicket, exchanging places with the batsman at the other end - one per successful 22yard dash completed by both batsmen.

The objective of the bowlers is to either knock the bail off the wickets with the ball, or to get the batsman out by other means -
LBW: when the ball is bowled and would have hit the wickets, the ball hits the batsman's leg instead while he is stood in the "crease" (little box around the wicket)
Caught out - the batsman hits the ball, it doesn't bounce and a fielding player catches it
Run out - when the ball has been hit and the batsmen try to make runs, the fielders knock the bail off the wickets by throwing the ball at them before the batsman arrives at the crease at the end he is running to.

You have innings - every man on the team gets to bat until eryone is out, or a predetermined number of balls have been bowled in overs (groups of six bowls)

If both teams have had an innings and there is time, they have another innings each.

If you run out of time before both teams have had equal innings, it is a drwn game, regardless of score.

Why they spend so much time standing around, fondling themselves, going for tea, gobbing on the floor and generally poncing about is beyond me.

The whole thing is very dull and generally watched by those who intend to drink so much that they would be rendered physically unable to do the minimal amount of standing and running required to actually take part. Maybe that's why it seems like fun to them.

What the players get out of it is a mystery.

Answer 5

i think the best way for you is to wacth a few games and listen closely to the commentaries and then you may get afew things straight from that. coz apart from the rules, which are many, you will need to have parctical evidence of how the game is actually played. but you will need to have patience at first and take one step at a time coz it may seem as a silly game at first coz thats what happened to me at first but if you give it time and watch a few games, i am sure if you have some interest and patience you will get.

I would alos want to asure you that cricket is a very lovely and enjoyable game, very intriguing and you will do yourself good by trying to understand it. good luck.

Answer 6

i love the game more than any other but i would have to write an essay. 1 match lasts for 5 days for eg. www.wikipedia.org

Answer 7

do you have directtv? check out some free cricket this weekend i believe, for the ashes match between aus and eng.

Answer 8

You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he is out. When they are all out, the side that's been out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out.

When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out, he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who are all out all the time, and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have been out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game.

Answer 9

Too hard to explain in a forum like this but i can assure you it is NOTHING like baseball.

Answer 10

IT IS A FUNNY GAME ITS LIKE BASEBALL BUT HERE THE BOWLER HAS TO HAVE HIS HAND AT 15 DEGREES AND SHOULD HAVE A RUN UP THE BATSMAN SHOULD PLAY IF U DONT UNDERSTAND GO OFF