THE GAME OF CRICKET
The Aim
The aim of cricket is to score more runs than the opposition. There are two versions of the game, namely limited time and limited over games. The time based version of the game is played over anything between two and five days, when both teams have two innings. In this version, it is possible to get a draw even if you don’t score as many runs as the opposition. If the team batting last are not bowled out then they can still draw the match if they have not scored as
many runs as their opponents.
In the limited over version of the game, each team bats once, trying to score as many runs as possible in the allotted number of overs. The match is won by the team that scores most runs regardless of the number of wickets lost (should a team loose all its wickets, this is the end of the innings even if there are overs left. The match can only be drawn by each team scoring exactly the same amount of runs. The game is played on a large field, although most of the action takes place on a specially prepared area, known as the pitch or the wicket. At opposite ends of the pitch are the wickets or stumps which the batsmen have to protect.
The Players
Cricket is played between two teams of 11 players. The fielding team have all 11 players on the pitch at the same time. Nine members of the fielding team can be positioned around the pitch at the discretion of the captain, while one serves as the wicketkeeper and the other is the bowler.
The bowler delivers the ball, overarm, with the aim being to get the batsmen out. Two batsmen bat at any one time, standing at opposite ends of the pitch.
The batsman facing the bowler is described as being ‘on strike’. One run is scored each time the batsmen cross and reach the crease at the opposite end from which they started.
Although all 11 players have the opportunity to bat, the team are deemed to be ‘all out’ when ten wickets have fallen as the ‘not out’ batsman is left without a team-mate at the other end of the wicket. A team does not have to be all out for an innings to close. If a captain feels that his team has scored enough runs then he can bring the innings to a close by what is called a declaration.
Teams also have a 12th man who acts as a substitute fielder if one of the first XI are injured. The 12th man is not allowed to bat or bowl though.
The Ball
A cricket ball is made of cork and encased in red leather. The leather is then stitched together around the centre, this area being called the seam. This seam is slightly raised so top bowlers aim to make this area hit the pitch when it bounces and hope that this will make the ball change direction and as such cause problems for the batsman.
With the advent of coloured clothing in one-day matches a white ball is often used.
Senior cricket is played with a ball weigh 156 gram. Under 8, Under 10 and Under 12 cricket is played with a ball weighing 135 gram. From Under 14, the full sized ball is used.
Unfortunately, there are a big variation in the quality of balls available in South Africa. The Easterns Cricket Union has tested a number of balls, and recommend BevCric, Callas, Red Devil, Kookaburra Practise, Duncan Fearney and Platypus balls.
The following balls are not accepted: Bass, Swinger, Match and Vampire.
The Umpires
Two umpires officiate on the game from out on the field of play, but at international level there is also a third umpire on the sidelines and a match referee. One umpire stands behind the stumps at the bowler’s end of the pitch, while the other umpire stands at square leg. The former rules on lbw decisions, no-balls, wides and leg byes, while the latter assists with stumpings and run outs and may help on the question of whether a catch has carried or not if there is uncertainty. The umpires change position at the end of each over.
The batsmen should be given the benefit of any doubt.
A batsman is only given out if done so by an umpire following an appeal from the fielding side or if the batsman voluntarily leaves the crease believing he is out under the Laws of the game. If a batsman stands his ground and no appeal is made by the fielding side then he should not be given out by an umpire, even if he should be out under the Laws of the game.
The umpires indicate no-balls, byes, leg-byes, wides and boundaries to the scorers, who are responsible for keeping a running total of the runs scored.
The third umpire can make use of video evidence to rule on run outs, stumpings, whether a ball has hit the ground before being caught or when it is unclear if the ball has crossed the boundary or not. However, the third umpire can only rule if the decision is referred to him by the umpires out on the pitch.
The match referee rules on disciplinary matters. If a player shows dissent at a decision then the match referee usually takes action in the form of a fine against the player in question.
The Start
The two captains toss a coin for the right to choose whether to bat or bowl first. The captain winning the toss will then take a number of things into consideration such as the pitch and weather conditions and the form of his side.
Play changes end after each over. An over is a series of six legitimate deliveries bowled by one bowler. When an over is completed play switches to the other end and continues like this throughout the game.
Duration
A match will normally be played with each side having one innings on a limited over basis or with both sides batting twice in a game played over a number of days.
Test matches are contested over five days, the duration of other matches can vary between two and four days.
Play in Test matches is usually split into three two hour sessions, although a minimum number of overs to be bowled in a day is also usually agreed between the sides before a series begins. A forty minute lunch break is taken between the first two sessions of a day’s play, with 20 minutes being allowed for tea after the end of the second session. The total length of a day in 5 day cricket is 7 hours.
Limited over cricket involves both sides receiving the same amount of overs to score their runs from, with the winner being the team that scores the most. In many first class competitions each side will receive up to 50 overs, but in junior cricket it is normally greatly reduced. In junior club cricket in South Africa (Under 8 to Under 14), each team is allowed 25 overs in which to score its runs. However, if for example a team is bowled out after 40 overs in a 50 over match, the other team still has the full 50 overs in which to beat their score.
Pitch and Weather Conditions
On a humid overcast day the ball is more likely to deviate in the air or ‘swing’ as it is known. Those sort of conditions are most commonly found in the more temperate climates of South Africa, England and New Zealand.
‘Greener’ wickets with more grass on and a more moist surface are found in such countries and they favour the quicker bowlers as they assist movement off the seam.
The aim for the bowler is to try and keep the seam of the ball in as upright a position as possible so that it gains maximum contact with the wicket when it pitches. The friction of the seam in contact with the wicket generates what is termed ‘movement off the seam’.
Drier pitches, found in India and Pakistan are far more helpful to spin bowlers. The pace of such pitches is far slower, giving a spinning ball more time to grip and ‘turn off the pitch’. On these surfaces the bounce of the ball is often less consistent.
Play will be stopped in the event of rain or bad light which may make batting conditions dangerous.
Pitch Dimensions
The size of the field on which the game is played varies from ground to ground but the pitch is always a rectangular area of 22 yards (20.12m) in length and 10ft (3.05m) in width.
The popping (batting) crease is marked 1.22m in front of the stumps at either end, with the stumps set along what is termed the bowling crease.
The return creases are marked at right angles to the popping and bowling creases and are measured 1.32m either side of the middle stumps.
The two sets of wickets positioned at opposite ends of the pitch stand 71.1cm high and three stumps measure 22.86 cm wide in total.
The stumps are made out of willow and have two bails on top. The wicket is only "broken" if at least one bail is removed. If the ball hits the wicket but without sufficient force to dislodge a bail then the batsman is not out.