What the hell is cricket?

Answer 1

Cricket is a bat-and-ball sport contested by two teams, usually of eleven players each. A cricket match is played on a grass field, roughly oval in shape, in the centre of which is a flat strip of ground 22 yards long, called a pitch. At each end of the pitch is a construction of three parallel wooden stakes driven vertically into the ground, with two small crosspieces laid across the top of them. This wooden structure is called a wicket. The bowler, a player from the fielding team, hurls a hard, fist-sized, cork-centred, leather-covered ball from the vicinity of one wicket towards the other. The ball usually bounces once before reaching the batsman, a player from the opposing team. In defence of the wicket, the batsman plays the ball with a wooden cricket bat. Meanwhile, the other members of the bowler's team stand in various positions around the field as fielders, players who retrieve the batted ball in an effort to stop the batsman scoring, and if possible to get him or her out. The batsman, if he or she does not get out (for example if the bowled ball hits the wicket, or if a fielder catches the ball off the bat before it bounces), may run between the wickets, exchanging ends with a second batsman, who has been waiting near the bowler's wicket. Each completed exchange of ends scores one run, and the match is won by the team that scores more runs. Cricket has been an established team sport for hundreds of years. It originated in its modern form in England and is most popular in the present and former members of the Commonwealth. Cricket is the second most popular sport in the world. More than a hundred cricket-playing nations are recognised by the International Cricket Council. In the countries of South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, cricket is the most popular sport. It 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, among others.
The sport is followed with passion in many different parts of the world. 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.

Answer 2

Your question made me smile.

Cricket is a sport, which isn't popular enough, so I'm not surprised if some people aren't aware of it or how it's played. Many countries, including England, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Pakistan and South Africa have an international team, so it's very well known there!

It's a game played between two teams, each with 11 players. Like baseball/rounders, one team fields, with one person bowling. Two players from the other team are out there in the middle too, they bat, and run between wickets (the two ends of a small strip of the ground called the pitch).These batsmen can be out in various ways, and they're replaced by another batsman if that happens...until 10 are out.

Then the teams swap roles, and the team batting now try to make more runs to win the game.

There is so much more to it though, but those are the basics. Hopefully, you've got a fair idea about cricket now.

I suggest you read this for more info - http://usa.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/ABOUT_CRICKET/EXPLANATION/

Answer 3

Cricket is a bat-and-ball sport contested by two teams, usually of eleven players each. A cricket match is played on a grass field, roughly oval in shape, in the centre of which is a flat strip of ground 22 yards (20.12 m) long, called a pitch. At each end of the pitch is a construction of three parallel wooden stakes (known as stumps) driven vertically into the ground, with two small crosspieces (known as bails) laid across the top of them. This wooden structure is called a wicket.

The bowler, a player from the fielding team, hurls a hard, fist-sized, cork-centred, leather-covered ball from the vicinity of one wicket towards the other. The ball usually bounces once before reaching the batsman, a player from the opposing team. In defence of the wicket, the batsman plays the ball with a wooden cricket bat. Meanwhile, the other members of the bowler's team stand in various positions around the field as fielders, players who retrieve the batted ball in an effort to stop the batsman scoring, and if possible to get him or her out. The batsman, if he or she does not get out (for example if the bowled ball hits the wicket, or if a fielder catches the ball off the bat before it bounces), may run between the wickets, exchanging ends with a second batsman (the non-striker), who has been waiting near the bowler's wicket. Each completed exchange of ends scores one run, and the match is won by the team that scores more runs.

For more details, please check the following link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket

Answer 4

Like baseball except the bowlers(like pitchers) get as long a run up as they want, throw faster than baseball's pitchers using a ball that is slightly smaller and a lot harder than a baseball.

The bats are wider than baseball bats and they generally wear padding through to protect themselves.

Especially since the bowler can aim the ball anywhere they want to either side of the batter or directly at him! And bounce it off the ground on the way in too just to add another dimension of unpredicabililty to it.

And unlike baseball where the idea is to make a hit and then get out of there till next time.

The idea of the cricket batter is he stays out there for hours and keeps facing pitches over and over from different guys who are fresh.

That's for those who call cricket lame ...;)

Answer 5

.......a game under the sun, where a total of 13 players and two umpires are on the field, 15 fools, watched by hundreds of insane people on the stands! (some words of this effect were employed by Bernard Shaw to describe the game, some years ago! Things have changed a lot since, and a lot of money is at stake these days, making the game very popular in cricketing countries!)

Answer 6

It is something that will not interest Americans. They are only interested in Sports they invented (Baseball, Softball, etc, etc). By the way, cricket can be described as a better version of baseball.

Answer 7

Its a sport invented by the English to kill a lot of time and Its popular anywhere english had colonies. Unlike baseball, it uses entire field, no stike zones but has stumps, much more offensive game.
But it takes a whole day!!!!or longer to complete one game!!!!

Answer 8

cricket is a phone company

Answer 9

Its a sport which originated in England and is basically played by all commonwealth countries...
And its way better than baseball

Answer 10

It's a very common sport! If you don't know, where the hell have you been all your life?