Those of you who’ve only just started batting and bowling at the retractable cricket nets will likely be keen to find out as much as you can about the wonderful sport of cricket in order to improve your game as quickly as you can.
This particular team sport involves two sides – typically with 11 players each – with each squad taking turns to bad and field. If you’re on the batting side, you’ll bat in pairs, with each person in the pair standing at each end of the wicket (which is the 22 yards between the stumps).
So what are the stumps? These are the three upright wooden posts that you’ll see on the wicket, with two smaller sticks (known as bails) placed on top of the posts. If you’re on the batting side, you score runs by running between the wickets.
There are several variations of the game that you can play – Twenty20, one-day fixtures or Test matches. In both Twenty20 and one-day games, there are limited overs in place to ensure the match finishes in time. With Twenty20, each team will bat for a total of 20 overs each. With one-day cricket, each side bats for 50 overs.
And just so you’re not totally confused, an over is six balls that a bowler from the fielding team makes. At the very end of the game, the team with the most runs is crowned the winner.
If you’re batting, be aware that there are several ways in which you can be dismissed from the game by the opposing team. These include being caught, bowled, run out, stumped, handling the ball, hitting the ball twice, obstructing the field and hitting the wicket.
Want to find a club local to you so you can start playing cricket? Check out the England and Wales Cricket Board’s Club Finder search engine.
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