Cricket Basics

Overview

• Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players each.
• It is the second most popular sport in the world in terms of viewership, after soccer.

History

• Origins date back to 16th century England.
• First recorded match was in 1598.
• International cricket began in 1844 with a match between the United States and Canada.

Gameplay

• Objective: score runs by hitting the ball with a bat and running between wickets.
• Wickets: three vertical stumps (stumps) and two horizontal sticks (bails) on top.
• Teams take turns batting and bowling.
• A match is divided into innings, with each team getting a chance to bat and bowl.

Types of Cricket

• Test Cricket: longest format, played over several days.
• One-Day Internationals (ODIs): limited to one day, with each team facing a limited number of overs.
• Twenty20 (T20): shortest format, with each team facing 20 overs.

Key Positions

• Batsmen: score runs by hitting the ball.
• Bowlers: deliver the ball to the batsmen.
• Wicket-keeper: stands behind the wicket to catch and stump the ball.
• Fielders: support the bowlers and wicket-keeper.

Scoring

• Runs: scored by running between wickets or hitting boundaries (four runs) or sixes (six runs).
• Over: a set of six consecutive balls bowled by the same bowler.
• Wicket: a batsman getting out, resulting in a change of batsmen.

Common Terms

• Duck: a batsman scoring zero runs.
• Century: a batsman scoring 100 or more runs in an innings.
• Hat-trick: a bowler taking three wickets in three consecutive deliveries.

Overview of Cricket

• Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players each.
• It is the second most popular sport in the world in terms of viewership.

History of Cricket

• Origins of cricket date back to 16th century England.
• The first recorded match was in 1598.
• International cricket began in 1844 with a match between the United States and Canada.

Gameplay and Objective

• The objective is to score runs by hitting the ball with a bat and running between wickets.
• A wicket consists of three vertical stumps and two horizontal sticks (bails) on top.
• Teams take turns batting and bowling.
• A match is divided into innings, with each team getting a chance to bat and bowl.

Types of Cricket

• Test Cricket: the longest format, played over several days.
• One-Day Internationals (ODIs): limited to one day, with each team facing a limited number of overs.
• Twenty20 (T20): the shortest format, with each team facing 20 overs.

Key Positions in Cricket

• Batsmen: score runs by hitting the ball.
• Bowlers: deliver the ball to the batsmen.
• Wicket-keeper: stands behind the wicket to catch and stump the ball.
• Fielders: support the bowlers and wicket-keeper.

Scoring in Cricket

• Runs: scored by running between wickets or hitting boundaries (four runs) or sixes (six runs).
• Over: a set of six consecutive balls bowled by the same bowler.
• Wicket: a batsman getting out, resulting in a change of batsmen.

Common Cricket Terms

• Duck: a batsman scoring zero runs.
• Century: a batsman scoring 100 or more runs in an innings.
• Hat-trick: a bowler taking three wickets in three consecutive deliveries.

Learn about the basics of cricket, its history, and gameplay. Discover how the game is played and its popularity around the world.