How To Play Cricket: Complete Guide

Divya RajputApril 27, 2023

2 minutes read

There are two teams of 11 players each when playing cricket. As in baseball, each team alternates between playing the field and batting. The pitcher in cricket is a bowler, while the batter is a batsman. The bowler attempts to remove the wicket’s bail. By striking the ball, a batter tries to stop the bowler from hitting the wicket. On the pitch at once are two batters.

Scoring

Once the ball has been hit, the hitters may move. Every time they go around the playing field, a run is scored. The winning team is the one with the most runs, which are generally in the hundreds.

6 runs: A ball hit out of the field on a fly.
4 runs: A ball hit out of the field on a bounce.

Outs (Dismissals)

Bowled out: Bowler knocks over (breaks) the wicket with a bowl.
Caught out: Fielder catches a batted ball on the fly
Run out: Fielder catches ground ball and throws it at the wicket, knocking it down before the batsman gets there.
Leg before wicket: Batsman’s body interferes with a bowled ball that would hit the wicket.

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The Field

Circular, natural or artificial turf

Different grounds have different sizes. On each team’s side of the oval, there are 11 players.

The ball

Construction: Core of cork built up with string, has raised seams.
Size: Circumference around 9 inches (slightly smaller, harder and heavier than a baseball).

The bat

Construction: a maximum length of 38 inches and a maximum width of 4.25 inches, made of willow wood.

The Game IS Over When

Sides take turns batting and fielding. Each at-bat, called an “over,” comprises no more than six bowls per batsman. The fielding team must retire or dismiss 10 batsmen to end the innings (always plural). World Cup matches are limited to one inning per team and a limit of 50 overs per inning. Non-elimination games are limited to a single day. Elimination games are allowed a second day if needed.

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Some Cricket Jargon

Bumper or bouncer: A short pitched ball targeted at head height.
Bunny: Lower order batsman who is easy to dismiss.
Dibbly-dobbly: A medium to slow-moving bowler.
Googly or Wrong’un: A ball from the leg spinner which spins the other way.
Howzat: What fielders yell when they are appealing for a wicket.
Jaffa: Unplayable ball.
No Ball: Illegal delivery which adds 1 run to the batting team’s total.
Quack or Duck: When a batsman is dismissed without scoring.
Ramp: when a fast-paced bowler deliberately guides the ball over the top of the wicket keeper and it slips.
Village: Mindless or mediocre play.
Waft: An unimpressive stroke in which the batter waves the ball while omitting to make contact.
Yorker: A full pitched ball aimed at the batsman’s toes or on the crease line.
Zooter: A leg spin delivery which skids through low and quick.

FAQs

What is cricket called?

Cricket is a bat-and-ball sport that is played between two teams of eleven players on a field that has a wicket at each end made up of two bails balanced on three stumps. The pitch measures 22 yards (20 metres) in length.