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INTRODUCTION

Cricket is a   bat-and-ball team sport. Many variations exist, with its most popular form

 played on an oval-shaped outdoor arena known as a cricket field at the centre of which is

a rectangular 22-yard (20.2 m! long  pitch that is the focus of the game. " game (or

match! is contested between two teams of eleven players each. #ne team bats, trying to

score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss 

the batsmen and thus limit the runs scored by the batting team. " run is scored by the

striking batsman hitting the ball with his bat, running to the opposite end of the pitch and

touching the crease there without being dismissed. $he teams switch between batting

and fielding at the end of an innings.

$here are also variations in the length of a game of cricket. %n  professional cricket this

ranges from a limit of 20 overs per side ($wenty20! to a game played over & days ($est

cricket, which is the highest level of the game!. 'epending on the form of the match

 being played, there are different rules that govern how a game is won, lost, drawn or

tied. $he rules of two-innings games are known as the aws of )ricket and maintained

 by the %)) and the Marylebone )ricket )lub  (M))!* additional +tandard laying

)onditions for $est matches and #ne 'ay %nternationals augment these laws. %n one

version of  %ndoor )ricket, matches include ust players per side and include two 2-

over innings.

)ricket was first documented as being played in southern /ngland in the th century.

y the end of the 1th century, it had developed to the point where it had become the

national sport of /ngland. $he expansion of the ritish /mpire led to cricket being

 played overseas and by the mid-th century the first international matches were being

held. $oday, the game3s governing body, the %nternational )ricket )ouncil (%))!, has

0& member countries. 4ith its greatest popularity in the $est playing countries, cricket

is the world3s second most popular sport after  "ssociation football.

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History 

$he 5oyal 6rammar +chool, 6uildford, was the site for cricket3s earliest definite

reference

/arly cricket was at some time or another described as 7a club striking a ball (like! the

ancient games of club-ball, stool-ball, trap-ball, stob-ball7. )ricket can definitely be

traced back to $udor times in early th-century /ngland. 4ritten evidence exists of a

game known as creag   being played by  rince /dward, the son of   /dward %

(ongshanks!, at 8ewenden, 9ent in :0 and there has been speculation, but no

evidence, that this was a form of cricket.

" number of other words have been suggested as sources for the term 7cricket7. %n the

earliest definite reference to the sport in &1, it is called creckett . 6iven the strong

medieval trade connections between south-east /ngland and the )ounty of ;landers 

when the latter belonged to the  'uchy of urgundy, the name may have been derived

from the  Middle 'utch krick (-e!, meaning a stick (crook!* or the  #ld /nglish cricc  or

cryce meaning a crutch or staff.<= %n #ld ;rench, the word criquet  seems to have meant a

kind of club or stick. %n +amuel >ohnson3s  Dictionary, he derived cricket from 7cryce,+axon, a stick7. "nother possible source is the Middle 'utch word krickstoel , meaning a

long low stool used for kneeling in church  and which resembled the long low wicket 

with two stumps  used in early cricket.= "ccording to ?einer 6illmeister, a /uropean

language expert of onn @niversity, 7cricket7 derives from the Middle 'utch phrase for

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hockey, met de (krik ket)sen (i.e., 7with the stick chase7!. 'r 6illmeister believes that not

only the name but the sport itself is of ;lemish origin.

%n &1, a court case referred to a sport called creckett  being played by boys at the 5oyal

6rammar +chool, 6uildford around &&0. $his is the sport3s earliest definite mention. %t

is believed that it was originally a children3s game but references around 0 indicate

that adults had started playing it and the earliest reference to inter-parish or village

cricket occurs soon afterwards. %n 2A, a player called >asper Binall was killed when he

was struck on the head during a match between two parish teams in +ussex.

$he first /nglish touring team on board ship at iverpool in 1&

'uring the Cth century, numerous references indicate the growth of cricket in the south-

east of /ngland. y the end of the century, it had become an organised activity being

 played for high stakes and it is believed that the first professionals appeared in the years

following the 5estoration  in 0. " newspaper report survives of 7a great cricket

match7 with eleven players a side that was played for high stakes in +ussex in C and

this is the earliest known reference to a cricket match of such importance.

$he game underwent maor development in the 1th century and became the nationalsport of /ngland. etting played a maor part in that development with rich patrons

forming their own 7select D%s7. )ricket was prominent in ondon as early as C0C and

large crowds flocked to matches on the "rtillery 6round in ;insbury. $he single wicket 

form of the sport attracted huge crowds and wagers to match. owling evolved around

C0 when bowlers began to pitch the ball instead of rolling or skimming it towards the

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 batsman. $his caused a revolution in bat design because, to deal with the bouncing ball,

it was necessary to introduce the modern straight bat in place of the old 7hockey stick7

shape. $he ?ambledon )lub was founded in the C0s and, for the next 20 years until

the formation of M)) and the opening of  ord3s #ld 6round in C1C, ?ambledon was

 both the game3s greatest club and its focal point. M)) Euickly became the sport3s

 premier club and the custodian of the aws of )ricket. 8ew aws introduced in the

latter part of the 1th century included the three stump wicket and leg before wicket

(lbw!.

'on radman had a $est average of .A and an overall first-class average of &.A,

records unmatched by any other player.

$he th century saw underarm bowling replaced by first  roundarm and then overarm

 bowling. oth developments were controversial. #rganisation of the game at county

level led to the creation of the county clubs, starting with +ussex ))) in 1:, which

ultimately formed the official )ounty )hampionship  in 10. Meanwhile, the ritish

/mpire had been instrumental in spreading the game overseas and by the middle of theth century it had become well established in %ndia, 8orth "merica, the )aribbean,

+outh "frica, "ustralia and 8ew Fealand. %n 1AA, the first international cricket match 

took place between the @nited +tates and )anada (although neither has ever been ranked

as a $est-playing nation!.

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%n 1&, a team of /ngland players went on the first overseas tour (to 8orth "merica!

and in 12, an /nglish team made the first tour of "ustralia. %n 1CGCC, an /ngland

team took part in the first-ever $est match at the  Melbourne )ricket 6round  against

"ustralia.

4 6 6race started his long career in 1&* his career is often said to have revolutionised

the sport. $he rivalry between /ngland and "ustralia gave birth to $he "shes in 112

and this has remained $est cricket3s most famous contest <citation needed =. $est cricket began to

expand in 111G1 when +outh "frica  played /ngland. $he last two decades before the

;irst 4orld 4ar  have been called the 76olden "ge of cricket7. %t is a nostalgic name

 prompted by the collective sense of loss resulting from the war, but the period did

 produce some great players and memorable matches, especially as organised competitionat county and $est level developed.

$he inter-war years were dominated by one playerH "ustralia3s 'on radman, 

statistically the greatest batsman of all time. %t was the determination of the /ngland

team to overcome his skill that brought about the infamous odyline series in :2G::,

 particularly from the accurate short-pitched bowling of ?arold arwood. $est cricket

continued to expand during the 20th century with the addition of the 4est %ndies, %ndia, 

and   8ew Fealand  before the +econd 4orld 4ar   and then  akistan,  +ri anka,  and

angladesh  in the post-war period. ?owever, +outh "frica was banned from

international cricket from C0 to 2 because of its government3s apartheid policy.

)ricket entered a new era in : when /nglish counties introduced the limited overs 

variant. "s it was sure to produce a result, limited overs cricket was lucrative and the

number of matches increased. $he first imited #vers %nternational was played in C.

$he governing %nternational )ricket )ouncil (%))! saw its potential and staged the first

limited overs )ricket 4orld )up in C&. %n the 2st century, a new limited overs form,

$wenty20, has made an immediate impact.

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Rules and Game-play 

" typical cricket field.

" cricket match is played between two teams (or sides! of eleven players each <=<20= on a

field of variable siIe and shape. $he ground is grassy and is prepared by groundsmen

whose obs include fertilising, mowing, rolling and levelling the surface. ;ield diameters

of :CG&0 metres (&0G0 yd! are usual. $he perimeter of the field is known as the

 boundary and this is sometimes painted and sometimes marked by a rope that encircles

the outer edge of the field. $he aws of )ricket do not specify the siIe or shape of the

field but it is often oval G one of cricket3s famous venues is called $he #val.

$he key action takes place in a specially prepared area of the field (generally in the

centre! that is called the pitch. " run is scored when the batsman has run the length of

the pitch after hitting the ball with his bat, although as explained below there are many

ways of scoring runs. %f the batsmen are not attempting to score any more runs, the ballis dead and is returned to the bowler to be bowled again.

efore play commences, the two team captains toss a coin to decide which team shall

 bat  or  bowl first. $he captain who wins the toss makes his decision on the basis of

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tactical considerations which may include the current and expected field and weather

conditions.<

$he bowling side seeks to dismiss the batsmen by various means until the batting side is

all out, whereupon the side that was bowling takes its turn to bat and the side that was

 batting must take the field.

%n professional matches, there are & people on the field while a match is in play. $wo of

these are the umpires who regulate all on-field activity. $wo are the batsmen, one of

whom is the striker as he is facing the bowling* the other is called the non-striker. $he

roles of the batsmen are interchangeable as runs are scored and overs are completed. $he

fielding side has all players on the field together. #ne of them is the  bowler , another

is the wicketkeeper  and the other nine are called fielders. $he wicketkeeper (or keeper!

is nearly always a specialist but any of the fielders can be called upon to bowl.

Objectives

$he obective of each team is to score more runs than the other team and to completely

dismiss the other team. %n limited overs cricket, winning the game is achieved by scoring

the most runs, even if the opposition has not been completely dismissed. %n $est cricket,

it is necessary to score the most runs and dismiss the opposition twice in order to win the

match, which would otherwise be drawn.

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Pitch, wickets and creases

$he cricket pitch dimensions

"t either end of the pitch, 22 yards (20 m! apart, are placed the wickets. $hese serve as a

target for the  bowling  (aka  fielding! side and are defended by the  batting side which

seeks to accumulate runs. $he pitch is 22 yards (20 m! or one chain in length between

the wickets and is 0 feet (:.0 m! wide. %t is a flat surface and has very short grass that

tends to be worn away as the game progresses. $he 7condition7 of the pitch has a

significant bearing on the match and team tactics are always determined with the state of

the pitch, both current and anticipated, as a deciding factor.

/ach wicket consists of three wooden stumps placed in a straight line and surmounted by

two wooden crosspieces called  bails* the total height of the wicket including bails is

21.& inches (C20 mm! and the combined width of the three stumps is inches (2:0 mm!.

"erial view of the M)6 displaying the stadium, ground and pitch

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;our lines, known as creases, are painted onto the pitch around the wicket areas to define

the batsman3s 7safe territory7 and to determine the limit of the bowler3s approach. $hese

are called the 7popping7 (or batting! crease, the bowling crease and two 7return7 creases.

" wicket consists of three stumps that are hammered into the ground, and topped with

two bails.

$he stumps are placed in line on the bowling creases and so these must be 22 yards (20

m! apart. " bowling crease is 1 feet 1 inches (2.A m! long with the middle stump placed

dead centre. $he popping crease has the same length, is parallel to the bowling crease

and is A feet (.2 m! in front of the wicket. $he return creases are perpendicular to the

other two* they are adoined to the ends of the popping crease and are drawn through the

ends of the bowling crease to a length of at least 1 feet (2.A m!.

4hen bowling the ball, the bowler3s back foot in his 7delivery stride7 must land within

the two return creases while his front foot must land on or behind the popping crease. %f

the bowler breaks this rule, the umpire calls 78o ball7.

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$he importance of the popping crease to the batsman is that it marks the limit of his safe

territory for he can be stumped or run out (see 'ismissals below! if the wicket is broken

while he is 7out of his ground7.

Bat and ball

" cricket bat, front and back.

$he essence of the sport is that a bowler delivers the ball from his end of the pitch

towards the batsman who, armed with a bat is 7on strike7 at the other end.

$he bat is made of wood (usually 4hite 4illow! and has the shape of a blade topped by

a cylindrical handle. $he blade must not be more than A.2& inches (01 mm! wide and

the total length of the bat not more than :1 inches (C0 mm!.

$he ball is a hard leather-seamed spheroid with a circumference of inches (2:0 mm!.

$he hardness of the ball, which can be delivered at speeds of more than 0 miles per

hour (A0 kmJh!, is a matter for concern and batsmen wear protective clothing including

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 pads (designed to protect the knees and shins!, batting gloves for the hands, a helmet for

the head and a box inside the trousers (to protect the crotch area!. +ome batsmen wear

additional padding inside their shirts and trousers such as thigh pads, arm pads, rib

 protectors and shoulder pads.

Umpires and scorers

$he game on the field is regulated by two umpires, one of whom stands behind the

wicket at the bowler3s end, the other in a position called 7sEuare leg7, a position &G20

metres to the side of the 7on strike7 batsman. 4hen the bowler delivers the ball, the

umpire at the wicket is between the bowler and the non-striker. $he umpires confer if

there is doubt about playing conditions and can postpone the match by taking the players

off the field if necessary, for example rain or deterioration of the light.

"n umpire

#ff the field and in televised matches, there is often a third umpire  who can make

decisions on certain incidents with the aid of video evidence. $he third umpire is

mandatory under the playing conditions for $est matches and limited overs

internationals played between two %)) full members. $hese matches also have a match

referee whose ob is to ensure that play is within the aws of cricket and the spirit of the

game.

#ff the field, the match details including runs and dismissals are recorded by two official

scorers, one representing each team. $he scorers are directed by the hand signals of an

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umpire. ;or example, the umpire raises a forefinger to signal that the batsman is out (has

 been dismissed!* he raises both arms above his head if the batsman has hit the ball for six

runs. $he scorers are reEuired by the aws of cricket to record all runs scored, wickets

taken and overs bowled. %n practice, they accumulate much additional data such as

 bowling analyses and run rates.

Innings

$he innings (ending with 3s3 in both singular and plural form! is the term used for the

collective performance of the batting side. %n theory, all eleven members of the batting

side take a turn to bat but, for various reasons, an 7innings7 can end before they all do so.

'epending on the type of match being played, each team has one or two innings apiece.

$he term 7innings7 is also sometimes used to describe an individual batsman3s

contribution (7he played a fine innings7!.

$he main aim of the bowler, supported by his fielders, is to dismiss the batsman. "

 batsman when dismissed is said to be 7out7 and that means he must leave the field of

 play and be replaced by the next batsman on his team. 4hen ten batsmen have been

dismissed (i.e., are out!, then the whole team is dismissed and the innings is over. $he

last batsman, the one who has not been dismissed, is not allowed to continue alone as

there must always be two batsmen 7in7. $his batsman is termed 7not out7.

"n innings can end early for three reasonsH because the batting side3s captain has chosen

to 7declare7 the innings closed (which is a tactical decision!, or because the batting side

has achieved its target and won the game, or because the game has ended prematurely

due to bad weather or running out of time. %n each of these cases the team3s innings ends

with two 7not out7 batsmen, unless the innings is declared closed at the fall of a wicket

and the next batsman has not oined in the play.

%n limited overs cricket, there might be two batsmen still 7not out7 when the last of the

allotted overs has been bowled.

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Bowling

" typical bowling action

+ri ankan  bowler Muttiah Muralitharan, the highest wicket taker in both $est and #'% 

forms of cricket bowls to "dam 6ilchrist.

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$he bowler reaches his delivery stride by means of a 7run-up7, although some bowlers

with a very slow delivery take no more than a couple of steps before bowling. " fast

 bowler needs momentum and takes Euite a long run-up, running very fast as he does so.

$he fastest bowlers can deliver the ball at a speed of over 0 miles per hour (A0 kmJh!

and they sometimes rely on sheer speed to try and defeat the batsman, who is forced to

react very Euickly. #ther fast bowlers rely on a mixture of speed and guile. +ome fast

 bowlers make use of the seam of the ball so that it 7curves7 or 7swings7 in flight. $his

type of delivery can deceive a batsman into mistiming his shot so that the ball touches

the edge of the bat and can then be 7caught behind7 by the wicketkeeper or a slip fielder.

"t the other end of the bowling scale is the 7spinner7 who bowls at a relatively slow

 pace and relies entirely on guile to deceive the batsman. " spinner will often 7buy his

wicket7 by 7tossing one up7 (in a slower, higher parabolic path! to lure the batsman into

making a poor shot. $he batsman has to be very wary of such deliveries as they are often

7flighted7 or spun so that the ball will not behave Euite as he expects and he could be

7trapped7 into getting himself out.

%n between the pacemen and the spinners are the 7medium pacers7 who rely on persistent

accuracy to try and contain the rate of scoring and wear down the batsman3sconcentration.

"ll bowlers are classified according to their looks or style. $he classifications, as with

much cricket terminology, can be very confusing. ?ence, a bowler could be classified as

;, meaning he is a left arm fast bowler* or as 6, meaning he is a right arm spin

 bowler who bowls deliveries that are called a 7leg break 7 and a 76oogly7.

'uring the bowling action the elbow may be held at any angle and may bend further, butmay not straighten out. %f the elbow straightens illegally then the sEuare-leg umpire may

call  no-ballH this is known as 7throwing7 or 7chucking7, and can be difficult to detect.

$he current laws allow a bowler to straighten his arm & degrees or less.

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Fielding

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;ielding positions in cricket for a right-handed  batsman

"ll eleven players on the fielding side take the field together. #ne of them is the wicket-

keeper  aka 7keeper7 who operates behind the wicket being defended by the batsman on

strike. 4icket-keeping is normally a specialist occupation and his primary ob is to

gather deliveries that the batsman does not hit, so that the batsmen cannot run byes. ?e

wears special gloves (he is the only fielder allowed to do so!, a box over the groin, and

 pads to cover his lower legs. #wing to his position directly behind the striker, the

wicket-keeper has a good chance of getting a batsman out caught off a fine edge from

the bat. ?e is the only player who can get a batsman out stumped.

"part from the one currently bowling, the other nine fielders are tactically deployed by

the team captain in chosen positions around the field. $hese positions are not fixed but

they are known by specific and sometimes colourful names such as 7slip7, 7third man7,

7silly mid on7 and 7long leg7. $here are always many unprotected areas.

$he captain is the most important member of the fielding side as he determines all the

tactics including who should bowl (and how!* and he is responsible for 7setting the

field7, though usually in consultation with the bowler.

%n all forms of cricket, if a fielder gets inured or becomes ill during a match, a substitute 

is allowed to field instead of him. $he substitute cannot bowl, act as a captain or keep

wicket. $he substitute leaves the field when the inured player is fit to return.

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Batting

/nglish cricketer 4.6. 6race 7taking guard7 in 11:. ?is pads and bat are very similarto those used today. $he gloves have evolved somewhat. Many modern players utilise

more defensive eEuipment than was available to 6race, notably helmets and arm guards.

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"t any one time, there are two batsmen in the playing area. #ne takes station at the

striker3s end to defend the wicket as above and to score runs if possible. ?is partner, the

non-striker, is at the end where the bowler is operating.

atsmen come in to bat in a batting order , decided by the team captain. $he first two

 batsmen G the 7openers7 G usually face the hostile bowling from fresh fast bowlers with

a new ball. $he top batting positions are usually given to the most competent batsmen in

the team, and the non-batsmen typically bat last. $he pre-announced batting order is not

mandatory and when a wicket falls any player who has not yet batted may be sent in

next.

%f a batsman 7retires7 (usually due to inury! and cannot return, he is actually 7not out7

and his retirement does not count as a dismissal, though in effect he has been dismissed

 because his innings is over. +ubstitute batsmen are not allowed.

" skilled batsman can use a wide array of 7shots7 or 7strokes7 in both defensive and

attacking mode. $he idea is to hit the ball to best effect with the flat surface of the bat3s

 blade. %f the ball touches the side of the bat it is called an 7edge7. atsmen do not always

seek to hit the ball as hard as possible, and a good player can score runs ust by making a

deft stroke with a turn of the wrists or by simply 7blocking7 the ball but directing it awayfrom fielders so that he has time to take a run.

$here is a wide variety of shots played in cricket. $he batsman3s repertoire includes

strokes named according to the style of swing and the direction aimedH e.g., 7cut7,

7drive7, 7hook7, 7pull7.

 8ote that a batsman does not have to play a shot and can 7leave7 the ball to go through

to the wicketkeeper, providing he thinks it will not hit his wicket. /Eually, he does nothave to attempt a run when he hits the ball with his bat. ?e can deliberately use his leg to

 block the ball and thereby 7pad it away7 but this is risky because of the leg before wicket 

rule.

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%n the event of an inured batsman being fit to bat but not to run, the umpires and the

fielding captain may allow another member of the batting side to be a runner . $he

runner3s only task is to run between the wickets instead of the inured batsman. $he

runner is reEuired to wear and carry exactly the same eEuipment as the incapacitated

 batsman. %t is possible for both batsmen to have runners.

Types of matches

)ricket is a multi-faceted sport which, in very broad terms, can be divided into maor

cricket  and minor cricket based on playing standards. " more pertinent division,

 particularly in terms of maor cricket, is between matches in which the teams have two

innings apiece and those in which they have a single innings each. $he former, known as

first-class cricket,  has a duration of three to five days (there have been examples of

7timeless7 matches too!* the latter, known as limited overs cricket because each team

 bowls a limit of typically &0 overs, has a planned duration of one day only (a match can

 be extended if necessary due to bad weather, etc.!.

$ypically, two-innings matches have at least six hours of  playing time each day. imited

overs matches often last six hours or more. $here are usually formal intervals on each

day for lunch and tea with brief informal breaks for drinks. $here is also a short interval between innings. ?istorically, a form of cricket known as single wicket  had been

extremely successful and many of these contests in the 1th and th centuries Eualify as

maor cricket matches. %n this form, although each team may have from one to six

 players, there is only one batsman at a time and he must face every delivery bowled

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while his innings lasts. +ingle wicket has rarely been played since limited overs cricket

 began.

In popular culture

)ricket has had a broad impact on popular culture, both in the )ommonwealth of

 8ations and elsewhere. )ricket has had an influence on the lexicon of these nations,especially the /nglish language, with such phrases as 7that3s not cricket7 (unfair!, 7had a

good innings7, 7sticky wicket7, and 7bowled over7. $here have been many cricket

movies. $he term 7radmanesEue7 from 'on radman3s name has become a generic

term for outstanding excellence, both within cricket and in the wider world. $he amateur

game has also been spread further afield by expatriates from the $est-playing nations. %n

the late th century, a former cricket player, /nglish-born ?enry )hadwick   of

rooklyn,  8ew Lork , was responsible for the 7development of the  box score, tabular

standings, the annual baseball guide, the  batting average,   and most of the common

statistics and tables used to describe baseball.7 $he statistical record is so central to the

game3s 7historical essence7 that )hadwick came to be known as ;ather aseball. $he

@+", a country where baseball is more popular by far, also has a national cricket team.

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