Cricket is one of the well known games all over the world and has been played for quite a long period of time. First-timers may find the rules puzzling, but one must know the fundamentals to have a good time. To assist the new readers to understand the basics of this game, this article outlines the basic rules of cricket.
1. The Objective of the Game
Cricket is a game of two teams with each having eleven players on the field. The aim of the game is to score higher than the other team, in terms of points. A match is a contest of one or more innings during which a team is taking its turn at bat while the other team is fielding and bowling. The batting side strives to score as many runs as possible, on the other hand the bowling side will try to get the batsmen out and thus prevent runs.
2. The Playing Field
Cricket is played on an oval ground with a rectangular piece of ground called pitch which is 22 yards long. On both the two sides of the pitch there are wickets, these are three pieces of wood standing vertically with two small balls at the top. To bowler is one of the players who is expected to roll the ball to the batsman from one end of the pitch.
3. Scoring Runs
Runs can be scored in several ways:
- Running: Run is made when the batsmen cross the wickets after they have hit the ball.
- Boundaries: If the ball is hit and it crosses the boundary line then it is four if the ball has made contact with the ground before crossing the line then it is six if the ball does not touch the ground at all.
- Extras: As an example, the batting side gains extra runs due to blunders by the bowling side such as no balls and wides.
4. Dismissals
A batsman can be dismissed in various ways:
- Bowled: The ball hits the stumps and drops the bails.
- Caught: A fielder catches the ball with his hands before it gets to fall on the ground after being hit by the bat.
- Leg Before Wicket (LBW): If a batsman gets a ball that would have dismissed him, he uses his body instead of the bat to stop it.
- Run Out: A fielder throws the ball at the stumps with a batsman in between wickets and has not crossed the crease.
5. Bowling and Overs
6. Formats of Cricket
Cricket has several formats:
- Test Cricket: A game that is expected to be played in five days with each of the team having to bat for two innings. It is about planning and persistence.
- One Day Internationals (ODIs): Each team has an allotted number of overs (which is mostly fifty). A match takes about eight hours to complete.
- Twenty20 (T20): A version in which a team is able to take a maximum of 20 overs per side making the game very interesting and more competitive.
7. The Role of Umpires
Umpires are in charge of the game and they ensure that all the rules set down are followed to the latter. It is their decision to make when a player is deemed to be offside, when there is a foul or any other matter in the game. It is absolute and players must abide by them.
Conclusion
Cricket is a fairly easy game to understand but the understanding of the rules can enhance the experience of the viewer. This paper argues that through strategy, skill, and teamwork, cricket presents an exciting game to the players and fans. After going through this article, there So whether you are just starting to play in the backyard or watching the best of the best, following these rules you will only be able to enhance your appreciation of this game.