I'm sure that all of you like cricket. But there are also many of you who don't know much about the game. Cricket is the national game of England and Australia. It is also played in many other countries. The countries that play international cricket are India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, West Indies, Australia and New Zealand. There are also many other countries in the International Cricket Council (I.C.C.). All the countries playing international cricket have Test Status except Bangladesh but all these countries have One-day Status. A World-Cup is played on every 4 years since 1975. The World-Cup winners are West Indies (1975 & 1979), India (1983), Australia (1987 & 1999), Pakistan (1992) and Sri Lanka (1996). So now folks, let's know more about the game.

The beginning of this game is rather obscure. Like all bat and ball games, cricket evolved gradually from various sources. It is related to an early Scottish sport known as 'cat and dog', a thirteenth century pastime known as 'pass-in-pass-out.' But the earliest known source of the game as it is played now is England. According to an expert of Oxford, the game was played in Kent as early as 1300 AD. However, It was not until the seventeenth century that cricket became a generally played game.The original bat was a primitive club used for attack and defense. These bats gave cricket its name. They were just branches taken off trees and slightly curved.

The Hambledon Club was founded in about 1750 and played a significant role in the evolution of the game. It was superceded by The Marylebone Cricket Club (M.C.C) with its headquarters at London, which became the world authority of this sport.

Objective

The object of the game is to make more runs than the opposing team.

How to Start the Game

To start the game, the two captains toss. Whoever wins the toss decides whether his team wants to bat or bowl. There are two teams of 11 players each.

Cricket Terms

Batting: Batting means to hit the ball with your bat. A bat is a long and broad stick. It is made of wood. Its length is 96.5 cm and the widest part is 10.8 cm.

Bowling: Bowling means to throw the ball to the batsman. The ball should weigh neither less than 155.9 grams nor more than 163 grams. Its circumference should be nine inches.
To bowl, first you have to turn your hands around your shoulders and leave it. You have to try to get the batsman out.

Runner: The runner is the player who is at the other end of the pitch opposite the batsman.
Fielder: The fielder is the person who stops the ball to prevent runs and tries to get the batsman caught out or run out.

Wicket keeper: A wicket keeper stands behind the stumps and gets the ball when the batsman misses it.

Umpire: The man who gives decisions.

Making Runs: To make 1 run the batsman runs to the runner's end while the runner runs to the batsman's. To make 2 runs they rush back to their own ends. Whoever is on the striker's end gets the strike.

Stumps: 3 sticks dug closely. The batsmen and runners stand in front of the stumps. They are at both ends of the pitch.

Pitch: Pitch is a rectangular piece of land in the middle of the field. Batting and bowling is done in this area. Its length is 17.68m and breadth is 1.83m.

Crease: the crease is a line drawn 1 & a half bats in front of the stumps. If you're out of the crease and the ball hits the stumps, you're out.

Getting out: Getting out is to stop batting. There are several ways to get out. They are-
i. Bowled: If you miss the ball or it hits any part of your body and hits the stumps, you're bowled.
ii. Caught: If you hit the ball and a player of the opposing team catches it before it hits the ground, you're caught out.
iii. Run out: If you're trying to take a run or are out of the crease and a player of the opposing team hits the stumps with the ball at your end, you're run out.
iv. Stumped: If you miss the ball and the keeper catches it and hits the stumps while you're out of the crease, you're stumped.
v. Hit wicket: If you hit the stumps with your bat, you're hit wicket out.
vi. Played on: If you hit the ball with your bat and it hits the stumps, you're played on.
vii. Handled ball: If you hit the ball and then touch it with your hand, you're out handled ball.
viii. Leg before wicket (L.B.W.): If you stop the ball with your legs when it was going to hit the stumps, you're out L.B.W.
Boundary: When the ball goes directly to the boundary of the ground, the batsman gets 6 runs. When it goes indirectly, he gets 4 runs.

Extras: When the team scores any run without the batsman running them, it is called an extra. The different extras are: -
i. Bye: If you miss the ball and then run a run, the run is given in the form of a bye. The ball is counted.
ii. Leg Bye: If the ball hits your leg without getting you L.B.W, and you run a run, it is a leg bye. The ball is counted.
iii. No Ball: If the bowler oversteps or throws the ball too high, a run is given to the batsman in the form of a no ball. If the batsman makes runs off a no ball, those runs are also added. The batsman also gets to play another ball. A batsman can only be run out on a no ball.
iv. Wide Ball: If the bowler throws the ball too wide, runs are given to the batsman in the form of a wide ball. The ball is not counted.
Pace: Fast bowling.
Spin: Throwing the ball in such a way that it turns after bouncing. There are 2 kinds of spin- off and leg.
Off-spin: Turning the ball to the right after bouncing.
Leg-spin: Turning the ball to the left after bouncing.
Swing: Turning the ball in the air.
Sides: Bowling from left or right of the stumps. The two sides are over the wicket (left) and around the wicket (right).
Hat-trick: Getting three batsmen out consecutively.

Other Rules

Some Records

Test matches: -

Maximum runs:Allan Border of Australia.
Maximum centuries: Sunil Gavaskar of India (34 centuries)
Highest Individual score: Brian Lara of West Indies (375)
Maximum wickets: Courtney Walsh of West Indies.
Best bowling: Jim Laker of England (10 for 56)

One day: -

Maximum runs: Mohammed Azharuddin of India.
Maximum centuries: Sachin Tendulkar of India (22 centuries)
Highest Individual score: Saeed Anwar of Pakistan (194)
Maximum wickets: Wasim Akram of Pakistan.
Best bowling: Aquib Javed of Pakistan (7 for 37)
Fastest century: Shahid Afridi of Pakistan (37 balls)