cricket game

 

 

  A game of cricket can be as interesting as it can be dull. To avid followers of the game, it can be sweetly frustrating and at times even nail gripping. In India, cricket is a almost a religion and it is a relic which has been handed down by the Englishmen. In fact the game is said to have actually evolved in England. There are longer and shorter versions of the game, so it can last for just one day if it a one-day match, 3 days if it is domestic match or 5 days if it is a test match. Two teams consisting of 11 players each take the field. Each team consists of usually 1 wicketkeeper, bowlers and batsmen.

The game is played on a large circular or oval shaped ground whose diameter is usually between 450-500 feet. Around the field there is either a rope or fence or a line drawn all around. This is known as the boundary. In the center of the field is the pitch where the actual battle between bat and ball takes place. At either end of this 22-yard pitch lines are drawn, behind which the stumps (3 upright rods) appear. The area between the line and the stumps is called the popping crease. The space between the stumps is so arranged that a cricket ball cannot pass through it. Two batsmen take the crease, the non-striker standing at the bowlers end and the other batsman called the striker who actually receives the ball when delivered by the bowler. When the batsmen are at the crease, the other players wait in the pavilion for their turn to come.

The batsmen wear helmets to protect themselves from deliveries which rise and also wear “pads” on both legs. They have guards to protect sensitive areas.  They have bats which are straight on one side and humped on the other. The ball is made of hard cork and string ball covered with leather. The ball is red in color for a test match and white for a one-day match. They also wear gloves while batting. The wicketkeeper also wears gloves as he has to take hard catches and fielders fielding in close field positions also wear helmets. Leather shoes with spikes and long pants and shirts complete the outfit. The clothes are white if a test match is being played and colored if it is a one-day match. The batting side wears different colored clothes from the fielding side.



The ultimate object of the team that is batting first is to score as many runs as possible and the aim of the opponent would be to get all the batsmen out for as low a score as possible. To achieve this, the opposing team places its 10 fielders in vantage positions to restrict the scoring. The wicket keeper is always behind the batsman to gather any ball not played by him and also to hit the stumps with the ball in case the batsmen decide to take runs. If the batsmen cross over once from crease to crease, 1 run is scored. If the ball crosses the boundary a four is declared, and if it crosses the boundary without touching the ground, then a six is declared. The batsman is declared ‘bowled” if the ball hits the wicket (when the batsman fails to hit the ball), dislodging the bails placed on top of the stumps. If the batsman hits a ball and if it caught before it touches the ground, he is given out” caught”, If he fails to regain his ground after hitting the ball and taking a run or runs, then he is declared “ run out”. If the ball hits the batsman on his leg in front of the wicket without hitting the bat and it is felt that it would have hit the stumps, he is declared out LBW, In attempting to play a shot, if the batsman is outside the popping crease and the wicketkeeper breaks the wicket, he is declare” stumped”.  If while attempting to hit the ball, the wicket is hit, he is given out “hit wicket”.  If after one batsman is out, the next batsman does not take the crease within the stipulated time, the batsman is declared out “ timed out”. The person who decides whether the batsman is out or not is called an “umpire”. There are 2 umpires, one standing behind the stumps at the non-strikers end watching the bowler and the batsman carefully and another umpire to judge “run outs”. The umpire raises his index finger if the batsman is declared “out”. If the umpire is not sure, he can refer the decision to the “ third umpire”.

Two bowlers alternate the bowling attack bowling “ overs” from opposite ends. Each over normally consists of 6 balls. If the bowler while delivering the ball has both feet beyond the crease, the ball is said to be a “no ball”, and a run is given to the opposing team. If the ball is wide off the crease and the batsman is unable to play the ball, a wide is declared and the opposing team scores a run. Byes, leg byes, wides and no balls all constitute what is known as “extras”. It is in the interest of the bowling team to restrict the number of extras.  The umpire extends his arm horizontally and waves it forwards and backwards if it is a four, raises both arms above his head if it is a six, holds out an arm in a horizontal manner if it is a no ball and both arms extend horizontally if it is a wide.



When 10 players of a team are declared “ out.” the “innings” of that team comes to an end. The other team takes the field and tries to score more runs than its opponent. Depending on the nature of the game, there can be one innings (If it is a one day match) and two innings each if it is a test match. In the case of a one day match, the person scoring more runs is the winner, but in the case of a test match which lasts for 5 days, the match is said to be “drawn” if it is inconclusive and “tied” if both the teams score exactly the same number of runs. :: Authored by M. Hemdev.

 

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