From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
.^ How and why the world's top cricketers signed with Kerry Packer & played their first season of 1977-78.
^ Ken Vowles is the coach for the Strike Team and is pleased with the lead in preparation of the players despite Darwin being out of grade cricket season.
.^ SPORTING LIFE Cricket Book 1950-51 England v.
.^ This year the first game of the National Championships will be held on Sunday 29 November where they will take on Victoria and NSW in T/20 matches.
^ INTERNATIONAL UNDER 19 SERIES - AUSTRALIA v SRI LANKA The Austalian Under 19 men's team will be playing a 5 match One Day Series against the Sri Lankan Under 19 men's team in Darwin.
Today, the game's governing body, the
International Cricket Council (ICC), has
104 member countries.
[1] .^ The NT team chased down 337 on the second day of round six of the Australian Country Cricket Championships in Albury Wodonga.
[2][3][4]
The rules of the game are known as the
Laws of Cricket.
[5] These are maintained by the ICC and the
Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which holds the copyright. A cricket match is played on a
cricket field at the centre of which is a
pitch.
.^ The NT team is set for a run chase after Day 1 of their two day match against South Australia at the Under 19 National Cricket Championships.
^ The Northern Territory representative team challenged the Australian Capital Territory in the final two day match of the national Under 19 Championships.
.^ With hints to young cricketers on batting, bowling and fielding.
^ A squad from these sessions will be selected to try out for the Darwin team to play Alice Springs in the 2009 G&K AKERS DESERT ROSE CUP (DRC).
^ The Northern Territory Strike Team has pulled off one of the most momentous run chases in its history of senior men’s cricket.
When the batting team has used all its available
overs or has no remaining batsmen, the roles become reversed and it is now the fielding team’s turn to bat and try to outscore the opposition.
There are several variations in the length of a game of cricket.
.^ The first day’s play was a complete wash out, the second day was interrupted and luckily a full game was snuck in on the third day.
^ Day 3 of the National Under 19 Cricket Championships saw the NT side take on undefeated Western Australia in a 50 over match.
^ Day 1 of the Australian U19 National Cricket Championships proved to be a challenge for the Northern Territory team as they were drawn to play both Victoria and NSW in the Twenty20 format.
Depending on the form of the match being played, there are different rules that govern how a game is won, lost, drawn or tied.
Objectives
.^ Each club plays each other throughout the minor rounds with the top two teams playing off in the Casuarina Club Charity Cup Final on Sunday 7 June 2009.
^ Day 3 of the National Under 19 Cricket Championships saw the NT side take on undefeated Western Australia in a 50 over match.
^ VICTORIAN CLUB LOOKING FOR NT PLAYER Mt Beauty United Cricket Club are looking for an NT player to play in their 2009/2010 season (our off season).
The ground is
grassy and is prepared by groundsmen whose jobs include fertilising, mowing, rolling and levelling the surface. Field diameters of 137–150 metres (150–164 yd) are usual.
[8] The 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.
.^ The Northern Territory Strike Team has pulled off one of the most momentous run chases in its history of senior men’s cricket.
The objective of each team is to score more
runs than the other team and to completely
dismiss the other team. In one form of cricket, winning the game is achieved by scoring the most runs, even if the opposition has not been completely dismissed.
.^ After winning the toss, NT couldn’t have had a worse start as skipper Arnout Faveere was dismissed on the first ball of the match.
.^ After winning the toss, NT elected to bat first and started slowly with Craig Jensen the first wicket to fall at 15 runs (6 overs).
^ Each club plays each other throughout the minor rounds with the top two teams playing off in the Casuarina Club Charity Cup Final on Sunday 7 June 2009.
^ Captain Arnout Faveere won the toss and sent the ACT side into bat.
[7] .^ After winning the toss the NT sent in the East Asia Pacific side on what looked to be a wicket that may play some demons early.
[10]
The key action takes place in a specially prepared area of the field (generally in the centre) that is called the
pitch. At either end of the pitch, 22 yards (20 m) apart, are placed the
wickets.
.^ With hints to young cricketers on batting, bowling and fielding.
A 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.
[11] .^ Batsmen who have scored three or more Centuries in successive Matches.
[12].^ With hints to young cricketers on batting, bowling and fielding.
^ Complete "Score Board" all test matches, Batting and Bowling averages eac h Match and Series.
[14]
In professional matches, there are 15 people on the field while a match is in play. Two of these are the
umpires who regulate all on-field activity. Two are the batsmen, one of whom is the striker as he is facing the bowling; the other is called the non-striker. The roles of the batsmen are interchangeable as runs are scored and
overs are completed. The fielding side has all 11 players on the field together.
[7] One of them is the
bowler, another is the
wicketkeeper and the other nine are called fielders. The wicketkeeper (or keeper) is nearly always a specialist but any of the fielders can be called upon to bowl.
Pitch, wickets and creases
The
pitch is 22 yards (20 m) or one
chain[15] in length between the wickets and is 10 feet (3.0 m) wide. It is a flat surface and has very short grass that tends to be worn away as the game progresses. The "condition" 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.
Each
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 28.5 inches (720 mm) and the combined width of the three stumps is 9 inches (230 mm).
Aerial view of the
MCG displaying the stadium, ground and pitch
Four lines, known as creases, are painted onto the pitch around the wicket areas to define the batsman's "safe territory" and to determine the limit of the bowler's approach. These are called the "popping" (or batting) crease, the bowling crease and two "return" creases.
A
wicket consists of three
stumps that are hammered into the ground, and topped with two
bails.
The stumps are placed in line on the bowling creases and so these must be 22 yards (20 m) apart. A bowling crease is 8 feet 8 inches (2.64 m) long with the middle stump placed dead centre. The popping crease has the same length, is parallel to the bowling crease and is 4 feet (1.2 m) in front of the wicket. The return creases are perpendicular to the other two; they are adjoined to the ends of the popping crease and are drawn through the ends of the bowling crease to a length of at least 8 feet (2.4 m).
When bowling the ball, the bowler's back foot in his "delivery stride" must land within the two return creases while his front foot must land on or behind the popping crease. If the bowler breaks this rule, the umpire calls "No ball".
The 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 Dismissals below) if the wicket is broken while he is "out of his ground".
Pitches vary in consistency, and thus in the amount of bounce, spin, and seam movement available to the bowler. Hard pitches are usually good to bat on because of high but even bounce. Dry pitches tend to deteriorate for batting as cracks often appear, and when this happens to the spinners can play a major role. Damp pitches, or pitches covered in grass (termed "green" pitches), allow good fast bowlers to extract extra bounce. Such pitches tend to offer help to fast bowlers throughout the match, but become better for batting as the game goes on.
Bat and ball
The 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 "on strike" at the other end.
The
bat is made of wood (usually
White Willow) and has the shape of a blade topped by a cylindrical handle. The blade must not be more than 4.25 inches (108 mm) wide and the total length of the bat not more than 38 inches (970 mm).
The
ball is a hard leather-seamed
spheroid with a circumference of 9 inches (230 mm). The hardness of the ball, which can be delivered at speeds of more than 90 miles per hour (140 km/h), is a matter for concern and batsmen wear protective clothing including
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). Some batsmen wear additional padding inside their shirts and trousers such as thigh pads, arm pads, rib protectors and shoulder pads.
Umpires and scorers
The game on the field is regulated by two
umpires, one of whom stands behind the wicket at the bowler's end, the other in a position called "square leg", a position 15-20 metres to the side of the "on strike" batsman. When the bowler delivers the ball, the umpire at the wicket is between the bowler and the non-striker. The 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.
Off 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.
.^ David Boon is one of only two Australians to have played in more than 100 cricket Tests.
These matches also have a
match referee whose job is to ensure that play is within the
Laws of cricket and the spirit of the game.
Off the field, the match details including runs and dismissals are recorded by two official
scorers, one representing each team. The scorers are directed by the hand signals of an umpire. For 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 recalls the records, the runs, the wickets and the catches, but he also recalls the pain caused by the fatal car crash that killed his closest friend.
^ Complete "Score Board" all test matches, Batting and Bowling averages eac h Match and Series.
In practice, they accumulate much additional data such as bowling analyses and run rates.
Innings
The innings (ending with 's' in both singular and plural form) is the term used for the collective performance of the batting side.
[16] In theory, all eleven members of the batting side take a turn to bat but, for various reasons, an "innings" can end before they all do so.
.^ David Boon is one of only two Australians to have played in more than 100 cricket Tests.
The term "innings" is also sometimes used to describe an individual batsman's contribution ("he played a fine innings").
The main aim of the bowler, supported by his fielders, is to dismiss the batsman. A batsman when dismissed is said to be "out" and that means he must leave the field of play and be replaced by the next batsman on his team. When ten batsmen have been dismissed (i.e., are out), then the whole team is dismissed and the innings is over. The last batsman, the one who has not been dismissed, is not allowed to continue alone as there must always be two batsmen "in". This batsman is termed "not out".
An innings can end early for three reasons: because the batting side's captain has chosen to "declare" 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. In each of these cases the team's innings ends with two "not out" batsmen, unless the innings is declared closed at the fall of a wicket and the next batsman has not joined in the play.
In limited overs cricket, there might be two batsmen still "not out" when the last of the allotted overs has been bowled.
Overs
Main article:
Over (cricket)The bowler bowls the ball in sets of six deliveries (or "balls") and each set of six balls is called an
over. This name came about because the umpire calls "Over!" when six balls have been bowled. At this point, another bowler is deployed at the other end, and the fielding side changes ends while the batsmen do not. A bowler cannot bowl two successive overs, although a bowler can bowl unchanged at the same end for several overs. The batsmen do not change ends and so the one who was non-striker is now the striker and vice-versa. The umpires also change positions so that the one who was at square leg now stands behind the wicket at the non-striker's end and
vice-versa.
Team structure
A team consists of eleven players. Depending on his or her primary skills, a player may be classified as a specialist
batsman or
bowler. A well-balanced team usually has five or six specialist batsmen and four or five specialist bowlers. Teams nearly always include a specialist
wicket-keeper because of the importance of this fielding position. Each team is headed by a
captain who is responsible for making tactical decisions such as determining the batting order, the placement of fielders and the rotation of bowlers.
.^ Body-Line in the Tests, how it appeared and the case for and against from an Australian who was both a player and eye-witness.
^ Complete "Score Board" all test matches, Batting and Bowling averages eac h Match and Series.
.^ South Africa's wicket keeper, batsman on test cricket today.
.^ Complete "Score Board" all test matches, Batting and Bowling averages eac h Match and Series.
Bowling
The bowler reaches his delivery stride by means of a "run-up", although some bowlers with a very slow delivery take no more than a couple of steps before bowling. A fast bowler needs momentum and takes quite a long run-up, running very fast as he does so.
The fastest bowlers can deliver the ball at a speed of over 90 miles per hour (140 km/h) and they sometimes rely on sheer speed to try and defeat the batsman, who is forced to react very quickly. Other fast bowlers rely on a mixture of speed and guile. Some fast bowlers make use of the seam of the ball so that it "curves" or "swings" in flight. This 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 "caught behind" by the wicketkeeper or a slip fielder.
At the other end of the bowling scale is the "spinner" who bowls at a relatively slow pace and relies entirely on guile to deceive the batsman. A spinner will often "buy his wicket" by "tossing one up" (in a slower, higher
parabolic path) to lure the batsman into making a poor shot. The batsman has to be very wary of such deliveries as they are often "flighted" or spun so that the ball will not behave quite as he expects and he could be "trapped" into getting himself out.
.^ Profiles of the 20 batsman who have scored a hundred 100s-from Grace to Zaheer.
All bowlers are classified according to their looks or style. The
classifications, as with much cricket terminology, can be very confusing. Hence, a bowler could be classified as LF, meaning he is a left arm fast bowler; or as LBG, meaning he is a right arm spin bowler who bowls deliveries that are called a "
leg break" and a "
Googly".
During the bowling action the elbow may be held at any angle and may bend further, but may not straighten out. If the elbow straightens illegally then the square-leg umpire may call
no-ball: this is known as "throwing" or "chucking", and can be difficult to detect. The current laws allow a bowler to straighten his arm 15 degrees or less.
Fielding
All eleven players on the fielding side take the field together.
.^ South Africa's wicket keeper, batsman on test cricket today.
Wicket-keeping is normally a specialist occupation and his primary job is to gather deliveries that the batsman does not hit, so that the batsmen cannot run byes. He wears special gloves (he is the only fielder allowed to do so), a box over the groin, and pads to cover his lower legs.
.^ South Africa's wicket keeper, batsman on test cricket today.
He is the only player who can get a batsman out
stumped.
Apart from the one currently bowling, the other nine fielders are tactically deployed by the team captain in
chosen positions around the field. These positions are not fixed but they are known by specific and sometimes colourful names such as "slip", "third man", "silly mid on" and "long leg". There are always many unprotected areas.
The 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 "setting the field", though usually in consultation with the bowler.
In all forms of cricket, if a fielder gets injured or becomes ill during a match, a
substitute is allowed to field instead of him.
.^ CROWLEY BRIAN A History Of Australian Bowling And Wicket-Keeping 1850-1986 .
The substitute leaves the field when the injured player is fit to return.
Batting
English cricketer
W.G. Grace "taking guard" in 1883. His pads and bat are very similar to those used today. The gloves have evolved somewhat. Many modern players utilise more defensive equipment than was available to Grace, notably helmets and arm guards.
.^ David Boon is one of only two Australians to have played in more than 100 cricket Tests.
One takes station at the striker's end to defend the wicket as above and to score runs if possible. His partner, the non-striker, is at the end where the bowler is operating.
Batsmen come in to bat in a
batting order, decided by the team captain. The first two batsmen – the "openers" – usually face the most hostile bowling from fresh fast bowlers with a new ball. The top batting positions are usually given to the most competent batsmen in the team, and the non-batsmen typically bat last. The pre-announced batting order is not mandatory and when a wicket falls any player who has not yet batted may be sent in next.
If a batsman "retires" (usually due to injury) and cannot return, he is actually "not out" and his retirement does not count as a dismissal, though in effect he has been dismissed because his innings is over. Substitute batsmen are not allowed.
A skilled batsman can use a wide array of "shots" or "strokes" in both defensive and attacking mode. The idea is to hit the ball to best effect with the flat surface of the bat's blade. If the ball touches the side of the bat it is called an "edge". Batsmen do not always seek to hit the ball as hard as possible, and a good player can score runs just by making a deft stroke with a turn of the wrists or by simply "blocking" the ball but directing it away from fielders so that he has time to take a run.
There is a wide variety of shots played in cricket. The batsman's repertoire includes strokes named according to the style of swing and the direction aimed: e.g., "
cut", "drive", "hook", "pull".
Note that a batsman does not have to play a shot and can "leave" the ball to go through to the wicketkeeper, providing he thinks it will not hit his wicket. Equally, he does not have to attempt a run when he hits the ball with his bat. He can deliberately use his leg to block the ball and thereby "pad it away" but this is risky because of the
leg before wicket rule.
In the event of an injured 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. The runner's only task is to run between the wickets instead of the injured batsman. The runner is required to wear and carry exactly the same equipment as the incapacitated batsman. It is possible for both batsmen to have runners.
Runs
Main article:
Run (cricket)
The directions in which a
right-handed batsman intends to send the ball when playing various cricketing shots. The diagram for a
left-handed batsman is a
mirror image of this one.
The primary concern of the batsman on strike (i.e., the "striker") is to prevent the ball hitting the wicket and secondarily to score
runs by hitting the ball with his bat so that he and his partner have time to run from one end of the pitch to the other before the fielding side can return the ball. To register a run, both runners must touch the ground behind the crease with either their bats or their bodies (the batsmen carry their bats as they run). Each completed run increments the score.
.^ David Boon is one of only two Australians to have played in more than 100 cricket Tests.
To compensate for this, hits that reach the boundary of the field are automatically awarded four runs if the ball touches the ground
en route to the boundary or six runs if the ball clears the boundary on the full. The batsmen do not need to run if the ball reaches or crosses the boundary.
Hits for five are unusual and generally rely on the help of "overthrows" by a fielder returning the ball. If an odd number of runs is scored by the striker, the two batsmen have changed ends and the one who was non-striker is now the striker. Only the striker can score individual runs but all runs are added to the team's total.
The decision to attempt a run is ideally made by the batsman who has the better view of the ball's progress, and this is communicated by calling: "yes", "no" and "wait" are often heard.
Running is a calculated risk because if a fielder breaks the wicket with the ball while the nearest batsman is out of his ground (i.e., he does not have part of his body or bat in contact with the ground behind the popping crease), the batsman is
run out.
A team's score is reported in terms of the number of runs scored and the number of batsmen that have been dismissed. For example, if five batsmen are out and the team has scored 224 runs, they are said to have scored 224 for the loss of 5 wickets (commonly shortened to "224 for five" and written 224/5 or, in Australia, "five for 224" and 5/224).
Additional runs can be gained by the batting team as
extras (called "sundries" in Australia) due to errors made by the fielding side. This is achieved in four ways:
- No ball – a penalty of one extra that is conceded by the bowler if he breaks the rules of bowling either by (a) using an inappropriate arm action; (b) overstepping the popping crease; (c) having a foot outside the return crease. In addition, the bowler has to re-bowl the ball. In limited overs matches, a no ball is called if the bowling team's field setting fails to comply with the restrictions. In shorter formats of the game (20–20, ODI) the free hit rule has been introduced. The ball following a front foot no-ball will be a free-hit for the batsman, whereby he is safe from losing his wicket except for being run-out.
- Wide – a penalty of one extra that is conceded by the bowler if he bowls so that the ball is out of the batsman's reach; as with a no ball, a wide must be re-bowled
- Bye – extra(s) awarded if the batsman misses the ball and it goes past the wicketkeeper to give the batsmen time to run in the conventional way (note that one mark of a good wicketkeeper is one who restricts the tally of byes to a minimum)
- Leg bye – extra(s) awarded if the ball hits the batsman's body, but not his bat, while attempting a legitimate shot, and it goes away from the fielders to give the batsmen time to run in the conventional way.
.^ Complete "Score Board" all test matches, Batting and Bowling averages eac h Match and Series.
The batsmen have to run (i.e., unless the ball goes to the boundary for four) to claim byes and leg byes but these only count towards the team total, not to the striker's individual total for which runs must be scored off the bat.
Dismissals
There are ten ways in which a batsman can be dismissed and some are so unusual that only a few instances of them exist in the whole history of the game. The most common forms of dismissal are "bowled", "caught", "leg before wicket" (lbw), "run out", and "stumped". The unusual methods are "hit wicket", "hit the ball twice", "obstructed the field", "handled the ball" and "timed out".
Before the umpire will award a dismissal and declare the batsman to be out, a member of the fielding side (generally the bowler) must "appeal". This is invariably done by asking (or shouting) the term "Howzat?" which means, simply enough, "How is that?" If the umpire agrees with the appeal, he will raise a forefinger and say "Out!". Otherwise he will shake his head and say "Not out". Appeals are particularly loud when the circumstances of the claimed dismissal are unclear, as is always the case with lbw and often with run outs and stumpings.
- Bowled: the bowler has hit the wicket with the ball and the wicket has "broken" with at least one bail being dislodged (note that if the ball hits the wicket without dislodging a bail it is not out).[17]
- Caught: the batsman has hit the ball with his bat, or with his hand which was holding the bat, and the ball has been caught before it has touched the ground by a member of the fielding side.[18]
- Leg before wicket (lbw): first and foremost, the ball must, in the opinion of the on-field umpire, be going on to hit the stumps if the ball had not hit the pad of the batsman first. If the batsman plays an attempted shot to the delivery, then the ball must hit the batsman's pad in line with the stumps and be going on to hit the stumps for the batsman to be given out. If the batsman does not attempt to play a shot, then the ball does not have to hit the pad in line with the stumps but it still must be going on to hit the stumps. If the ball pitches outside the leg stump, then the batsman cannot be given out under any circumstances.[19]
- Run out: a member of the fielding side has broken or "put down" the wicket with the ball while a batsman was out of his ground; this usually occurs by means of an accurate throw to the wicket while the batsmen are attempting a run.[20]
- Stumped is similar except that it is done by the wicketkeeper after the batsman has missed the bowled ball and has stepped out of his ground, and is not attempting a run.[21]
- Hit wicket: a batsman is out hit wicket, if he dislodges one or both bails with his bat, person, clothing or equipment in the act of receiving a ball, or in setting off for a run having just received a ball.[22]
- Hit the ball twice is very unusual and was introduced as a safety measure to counter dangerous play and protect the fielders. The batsman may legally play the ball a second time only to stop the ball hitting the wicket after he has already played it.[23]
- Obstructed the field: another unusual dismissal which tends to involve a batsman deliberately getting in the way of a fielder.[24]
- Handled the ball: a batsman must not deliberately touch the ball with his hand, for example to protect his wicket (note that the bowled ball often hits the batsman's hand while it is holding the bat but this is not out; though he can of course be caught off his hand).[25]
- Timed out usually means that the next batsman did not arrive at the wicket within three minutes of the previous one being dismissed.[26]
In the vast majority of cases, it is the striker who is out when a dismissal occurs. If the non-striker is dismissed it is usually by being run out, but he could also be dismissed for obstructing the field, handling the ball or being timed out.
A batsman may leave the field without being dismissed. If injured or taken ill the batsman may temporarily retire, and be replaced by the next batsman. This is recorded as
retired hurt or
retired ill. The retiring batsman is not out, and may resume the innings later. An unimpaired batsman may retire, and this is treated as being dismissed
retired out; no player is credited with the dismissal. Batsmen cannot be out
bowled,
caught,
leg before wicket,
stumped or
hit wicket off a
no ball. They cannot be out
bowled,
caught,
leg before wicket, or
hit the ball twice off a
wide. Some of these modes of dismissal can occur without the bowler bowling a delivery. The batsman who is not on strike may be
run out by the bowler if he leaves his crease before the bowler bowls, and a batsman can be out
obstructing the field or
retired out at any time.
Timed out is, by its nature, a dismissal without a delivery. With all other modes of dismissal, only one batsman can be dismissed per ball bowled.
Innings closed
An innings is closed when:
- Ten of the eleven batsmen are out (have been dismissed); in this case, the team is said to be "all out"
- The team has only one batsman left who can bat, one or more of the remaining players being unavailable owing to injury, illness or absence; again, the team is said to be "all out"
- The team batting last reaches the score required to win the match
- The predetermined number of overs has been bowled (in a one-day match only, most commonly 50 overs; or 20 in Twenty20)
- A captain declares his team's innings closed while at least two of his batsmen are not out (this does not apply in one-day limited over matches)
Results
.^ Complete "Score Board" all test matches, Batting and Bowling averages eac h Match and Series.
If the team that bats last scores enough runs to win, it is said to have "won by
n wickets", where
n is the number of wickets left to fall. For instance a team that passes its opponents' score having only lost six wickets would have won "by four wickets".
In a two-innings-a-side match, one team's combined first and second innings total may be less than the other side's first innings total. The team with the greater score is then said to have won by an innings and n runs, and does not need to bat again: n is the difference between the two teams' aggregate scores.
If the team batting last is all out, and both sides have scored the same number of runs, then the match is a
tie; this result is quite rare in matches of two innings a side. In the traditional form of the game, if the time allotted for the match expires before either side can win, then the game is declared a
draw.
If the match has only a single innings per side, then a maximum number of deliveries for each innings is often imposed. Such a match is called a "limited overs" or "one-day" match, and the side scoring more runs wins regardless of the number of wickets lost, so that a draw cannot occur. If this kind of match is temporarily interrupted by bad weather, then a complex mathematical formula, known as the
Duckworth-Lewis method after its developers, is often used to recalculate a new target score. A one-day match can also be declared a "no-result" if fewer than a previously agreed number of overs have been bowled by either team, in circumstances that make normal resumption of play impossible; for example, wet weather.
Weather
.^ The story of the younger of the twins who have played a major part in Australia's dominance of cricket during the last 15 years.
But, even so, the weather is a major factor in all cricket matches.
A scheduled game of cricket cannot be played in wet weather. Dampness affects the bounce of the ball on the wicket and is a risk to all players involved in the game. Many grounds have facilities to cover the cricket pitch (or the wicket). Covers can be in the form of sheets being laid over the wicket to elevated covers on wheels (using the same concept as an umbrella) to even hover covers which form an airtight seal around the wicket. However, most grounds do not have the facilities to cover the outfield. This means that in the event of heavy bouts of bad weather, games may be cancelled, abandoned or suspended due to an unsafe outfield.
Another factor in cricket is the amount of light available. At grounds without floodlights (or in game formats which disallow the use of floodlights), umpires can stop play in the event of bad light as it becomes too difficult for the batsmen to be able to see the ball coming at them, (and in extreme cases, members of the fielding team).
On the other hand, in instances of good light, batsmen can utilize sight-screens which enable batsmen to have a white background against which they can pick out the red ball with greater ease.
The umpires always have the final decision on weather related issues.
Types of matches
Cricket is a multi-faceted sport which, in very broad terms, can be divided into
major cricket and minor cricket based on playing standards. A more pertinent division, particularly in terms of major cricket, is between matches in which the teams have two innings apiece and those in which they have a single innings each.
.^ Sobers first class cricket career began with his debut for Barbados against India in 1953 and continued unblemished until he retired in 1974.
^ This work traces his career, from his early days in Tasmania, through his tough initiation in Test cricket, to the time when he was acknowledged as one of the true greats.
^ David Boon is one of only two Australians to have played in more than 100 cricket Tests.
).
Typically, two-innings matches have at least six hours of
playing time each day. Limited overs matches often last six hours or more. There are usually formal intervals on each day for lunch and tea with brief informal breaks for drinks. There is also a short interval between innings. Historically, a form of cricket known as
single wicket has been extremely successful and many of these contests in the 18th and 19th centuries qualify as major cricket matches. In 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 while his innings lasts. Single wicket has rarely been played since limited overs cricket began.
Test cricket
Main article:
Test cricket.^ Sobers first class cricket career began with his debut for Barbados against India in 1953 and continued unblemished until he retired in 1974.
A Test match is an international fixture between teams representing those countries that are Full Members of the ICC.
.^ Biography of Australian test cricketer.
^ A diary of the test matches Australia v.
^ A personal, day-by-day account of the Test series England-Australia.
.^ Pakistan, New Zealand centenary test.
^ Includes West Indies Tour, South African Tour of Aust.
^ Australia, West Indies tests.
.^ David Boon is one of only two Australians to have played in more than 100 cricket Tests.
[27]
Welsh players are eligible to play for England, which is in effect an England and Wales team. The West Indies team comprises players from numerous states in the Caribbean, most notably Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, the Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands.
Test matches between two teams are usually played in a group of matches called a "series". Matches last up to five days and a series normally consists of three to five matches. Test matches that are not finished within the allotted time are drawn.
.^ A personal, day-by-day account of the Test series England-Australia.
^ ASHES The Centenary Series 1882-1982.
^ The story of the most closely fought Ashes series ever, from the Australians arrival in the UK to David Gowers finest career moments.
.^ Australia verses West Indies.
^ Australia, West Indies tests.
^ The West Indies tour of Australia 1968-69.
Limited overs
An
ODI match between India and Australia in January 2004. The men wearing black trousers are the
umpires. Teams in limited overs games, such as ODIs and T20s, wear multi-coloured uniforms and use white
cricket balls.
.^ Sobers first class cricket career began with his debut for Barbados against India in 1953 and continued unblemished until he retired in 1974.
^ England Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
In 1969, a national league competition was established.
.^ The story of the younger of the twins who have played a major part in Australia's dominance of cricket during the last 15 years.
^ England & World Series Cricket in Australia 1978-79.
^ How and why the world's top cricketers signed with Kerry Packer & played their first season of 1977-78.
Limited overs cricket has seen various innovations including the use of multi-coloured kit and floodlit matches using a white ball.
A "one day match", named so because each match is scheduled for completion in a single day, is the most common form of limited overs cricket played on an international level. In practice, matches sometimes continue on a second day if they have been interrupted or postponed by bad weather. The main objective of a limited overs match is to produce a definite result and so a conventional draw is not possible, but matches can be undecided if the scores are tied or if bad weather prevents a result.
.^ This work traces his career, from his early days in Tasmania, through his tough initiation in Test cricket, to the time when he was acknowledged as one of the true greats.
^ David Boon is one of only two Australians to have played in more than 100 cricket Tests.
^ How and why the world's top cricketers signed with Kerry Packer & played their first season of 1977-78.
The
next World Cup will hosted by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in 2011.
Twenty20 is a new variant of limited overs itself with the purpose being to complete the match within about three hours, usually in an evening session. The original idea, when the concept was introduced in England in 2003, was to provide workers with an evening entertainment. It has been commercially successful and has been adopted internationally. The
inaugural Twenty20 World Championship was held in 2007 and won by India.
2009's Twenty20 World Championship was staged in England and won by Pakistan. The next Twenty20 World Championship will be held in the West Indies. After the inaugural
ICC World Twenty20 many domestic Twenty20 leagues were born. First of them was
Indian Cricket League which is considered as rebel league since it is unauthorized by
BCCI and led to form an official league called the
Indian Premier League. Both these leagues are cash rich and attracted players and audience around the globe. Recently
Twenty20 Champions League was formed as a tournament for domestic clubs of various countries.
National championships
.^ Sobers first class cricket career began with his debut for Barbados against India in 1953 and continued unblemished until he retired in 1974.
^ The first full study of the relationship between cricket and the visual arts.
First-class cricket in England is played for the most part by the 18 county clubs which contest the
County Championship. The concept of a
champion county has existed since the 18th century but the official competition was not established until 1890. The most successful club has been
Yorkshire County Cricket Club with 30 official titles.
Australia established its national first-class championship in 1892–93 when the
Sheffield Shield was introduced. In Australia, the first-class teams represent the various states.
New South Wales has won the most titles with 45 to 2008.
National championship trophies to be established elsewhere included the
Ranji Trophy (India),
Plunket Shield (New Zealand),
Currie Cup (South Africa) and
Shell Shield (West Indies). Some of these competitions have been updated and renamed in recent years.
Domestic limited overs competitions began with England's
Gillette Cup knockout in 1963. Countries usually stage seasonal limited overs competitions in both knockout and league format. In recent years, national Twenty20 competitions have been introduced, usually in knockout form though some incorporate mini-leagues.
Other types of cricket
.^ How and why the world's top cricketers signed with Kerry Packer & played their first season of 1977-78.
In these variants, the rules are often changed to make the game playable with limited resources or to render it more convenient and enjoyable for the participants.
Indoor cricket is played in a netted, indoor arena, and is quite formal but most of the outdoor variants are very informal.
Children playing cricket on a makeshift pitch in a park. It is common in many countries for people to play cricket on such pitches and makeshift grounds.
Families and teenagers play
backyard cricket in suburban yards or driveways, and the cities of India and Pakistan play host to countless games of "Gully Cricket" or "tapeball" in their long narrow streets. Sometimes the rules are improvised: e.g. it may be agreed that fielders can catch the ball with one hand after one bounce and claim a wicket; or if only a few people are available then everyone may field while the players take it in turns to bat and bowl. Tennis balls and homemade bats are often used, and a variety of objects may serve as wickets: for example, the batter's legs as in
French cricket, which did not in fact originate in France, and is usually played by small children.
In
Kwik cricket, the bowler does not have to wait for the batsman to be ready before a delivery, leading to a faster, more exhausting game designed to appeal to children, which is often used PE lessons at English schools. Another modification to increase the pace of the game is the "Tip and Run", "Tipity" Run, "Tipsy Run" or "Tippy-Go" rule, in which the batter must run when the ball touches the bat, even if it the contact is unintentional or minor. This rule, seen only in impromptu games, speeds the match up by removing the batsman's right to block the ball.
In Samoa a form of cricket called
Kilikiti is played in which
hockey stick-shaped bats are used. In original English cricket, the hockey stick shape was replaced by the modern straight bat in the 1760s after bowlers began to pitch the ball instead of rolling or skimming it. In
Estonia, teams gather over the winter for the annual
Ice Cricket tournament. The game juxtaposes the normal summer pursuit with harsh, wintry conditions. Rules are otherwise similar to those for the six-a-side game.
History
Early cricket was at some time or another described as "a club striking a ball (like) the ancient games of club-ball, stool-ball, trap-ball, stob-ball".
[28] Cricket can definitely be traced back to Tudor times in early 16th-century England. Written evidence exists of a game known as
creag being played by
Prince Edward, the son of
Edward I (Longshanks), at Newenden, Kent in 1301
[29] and there has been speculation, but no evidence, that this was a form of cricket.
A number of other words have been suggested as sources for the term "cricket". In the earliest definite reference to the sport in 1598,
[30] it is called
creckett. Given the strong medieval trade connections between south-east England and the
County of Flanders when the latter belonged to the
Duchy of Burgundy, the name may have been derived from the
Middle Dutch[31] krick(
-e), meaning a stick (crook); or the
Old English cricc or
cryce meaning a crutch or staff.
[32] In
Old French, the word
criquet seems to have meant a kind of club or stick.
[33] In
Samuel Johnson's
Dictionary, he derived cricket from "
cryce, Saxon, a stick".
[34] Another possible source is the Middle Dutch 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.
[35] According to Heiner Gillmeister, a European language expert of
Bonn University, "cricket" derives from the Middle Dutch phrase for
hockey,
met de (krik ket)sen (i.e., "with the stick chase").
[36] Dr Gillmeister believes that not only the name but the sport itself is of Flemish origin.
[37]In 1598,
[30] a court case referred to a sport called
creckett being played by boys at the
Royal Grammar School, Guildford around 1550. This is the sport's earliest definite mention. It is believed that it was originally a children's game but references around 1610,
[38] indicate that adults had started playing it and the earliest reference to inter-parish or
village cricket occurs soon afterwards. In 1624, a player called
Jasper Vinall was killed when he was struck on the head during a match between two parish teams in Sussex.
[39]
The first English touring team on board ship at
Liverpool in 1859
.^ HARTE CHRIS The History Of The South Australian Cricket Association text illustrated with numerous black and white photographs and facsimiles.
^ The personal biography of Leslie Ames, Test Cricketer for England during the famous "Bodyline Tour" of Australia.
By 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
Restoration in 1660. A newspaper report survives of "a great cricket match" with eleven players a side that was played for high stakes in Sussex in 1697 and this is the earliest known reference to a cricket match of such importance.
The game underwent major development in the 18th century and became the national sport of England.
.^ The story of the younger of the twins who have played a major part in Australia's dominance of cricket during the last 15 years.
The
single wicket form of the sport attracted huge crowds and wagers to match. Bowling evolved around 1760 when bowlers began to pitch the ball instead of rolling or skimming it towards the batsman. This 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 "hockey stick" shape. The
Hambledon Club was founded in the 1760s and, for the next 20 years until the formation of
MCC and the opening of
Lord's Old Ground in 1787, Hambledon was both the game's greatest club and its focal point. MCC quickly became the sport's premier club and the custodian of the
Laws of Cricket. New Laws introduced in the latter part of the 18th century included the three stump wicket and leg before wicket (lbw).
Don Bradman had a Test average of 99.94 and an overall first-class average of 95.14, records unmatched by any other player.
[40]
The 19th century saw
underarm bowling replaced by first
roundarm and then
overarm bowling. Both developments were controversial.
.^ Sydney Australia: New South Wales Cricket Association, 1940 or.
^ Sydney Australia: New South Wales Cricket Association, 1949 or.
^ The English tour in Australia and New Zealand.
.^ The first full study of the relationship between cricket and the visual arts.
^ How and why the world's top cricketers signed with Kerry Packer & played their first season of 1977-78.
^ David Boon is one of only two Australians to have played in more than 100 cricket Tests.
In 1859, a team of
England players went on the first overseas tour (to North America) and in 1862, an English team made the first tour of Australia. In 1876–77, an England team took part in the first-ever
Test match at the
Melbourne Cricket Ground against
Australia.
W G Grace started his long career in 1865; his career is often said to have revolutionised the sport.
[41] .^ A personal, day-by-day account of the Test series England-Australia.
^ Publisher: London; The England - Australia 1938 Cricket Tour Programme Company 1938; illus.
^ England & World Series Cricket in Australia 1978-79.
.^ South Africa's wicket keeper, batsman on test cricket today.
^ South Africa tour of England.
^ South Australia in which the Adelaide Oval, and the South Australia cricket association (founded in 1871), have played such important role.
The last two decades before the
First World War have been called the "
Golden Age of cricket". It 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 competition at county and Test level developed.
The inter-war years were dominated by one player: Australia's
Don Bradman, statistically the greatest batsman of all time.
.^ The 1932- 33 Bodyline tour of Australia.
^ Issued during the 1932-33 M.C.C. bodyline tour of Australia.
^ MAILEY ARTHUR Cricket Sketches And Short Stories, By The Australian Googly Bowler 1932-33.
.^ Pakistan, New Zealand centenary test.
^ The legend of Australian and New Zealand cricket.
^ Australia, West Indies tests.
.^ South Africa's wicket keeper, batsman on test cricket today.
Cricket entered a new era in 1963 when English counties introduced the
limited overs variant. As it was sure to produce a result, limited overs cricket was lucrative and the number of matches increased.
.^ Influence of the 2nd Duke of Richmond upon cricket in the first half of the eighteenth century.
^ How and why the world's top cricketers signed with Kerry Packer & played their first season of 1977-78.
^ WIISDEN Book Of One Day International Cricket 1971-1985.
International structure
ICC member nations. The (highest level) Test playing nations are shown in orange; the associate member nations are shown in yellow; the affiliate member nations are shown in purple.
The International Cricket Council (ICC), which has its headquarters in Dubai, is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.
The ICC has
104 members: 10 Full Members that play official Test matches, 34 Associate Members, and 60 Affiliate Members.
[42] The ICC is responsible for the organisation and governance of cricket's major international tournaments, most notably the Cricket World Cup. It also appoints the umpires and referees that officiate at all sanctioned Test matches, One Day International and Twenty20 Internationals. Each nation has a national cricket board which regulates cricket matches played in its country. The cricket board also selects the national squad and organises home and away tours for the national team.
.^ COZIER TONY The West Indies, Fifty Years Of Test Cricket.
^ HARRIS BRUCE West Indies Cricket Challenge 1957 .
^ MANLEY MICHAEL A History Of West Indies Cricket .
Full Members
Full Members are the governing bodies for cricket in a country or associated countries. Full Members may also represent a geographical area.
.^ Lionel Coventry, one full page of 17 facsimile signatures of the test teams, advts.
^ Complete "Score Board" all test matches, Batting and Bowling averages eac h Match and Series.
^ David Boon is one of only two Australians to have played in more than 100 cricket Tests.
Also, all Full Member nations are automatically qualified to play
ODIs and
Twenty20 Internationals.
[43] .^ COZIER TONY The West Indies, Fifty Years Of Test Cricket.
^ HARRIS BRUCE West Indies Cricket Challenge 1957 .
^ MANLEY MICHAEL A History Of West Indies Cricket .
The English Cricket team represents both England and Wales.
AResigned May 1961, readmitted 10 July 1991.
Top Associate/Affiliate Members
.^ South Australia in which the Adelaide Oval, and the South Australia cricket association (founded in 1871), have played such important role.
^ This work traces his career, from his early days in Tasmania, through his tough initiation in Test cricket, to the time when he was acknowledged as one of the true greats.
^ How and why the world's top cricketers signed with Kerry Packer & played their first season of 1977-78.
The top six teams will be awarded
One day international and
Twenty20 International status, which will allow the associate and affiliate teams to be eligible to play the full members and play official ODI cricket.
The associate and affiliate teams who currently hold
ODI and
T20I status:
See also
Notes and references
- ^ CricketArchive – full list of ICC member countries. Retrieved on 25 July 2009.
- ^ "Playing a Sport With Balls and Bats, but No Pitcher". NY Times. April 3, 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/03/nyregion/03cricket.html.
- ^ "The most popular sport you’ve never played". The Monitor. April 21st 2009. http://www.themonitor.ca/article-328152-The-most-popular-sport-youve-never-played-yes-cricket-actually-exists-in-Montreal.html.
- ^ "The world's Top 10 most popular team sports". Sportingo. 16 May 2009. http://www.sportingo.com/all-sports/a11587_worlds-top-most-popular-team-sports.
- ^ MCC – the official Laws of Cricket. Retrieved on 25 July 2009.
- ^ MCC – Laws of Cricket: Law 1. Retrieved on 25 July 2009.
- ^ a b c Eastaway, Rob (2004). What Is a Googly?: The Mysteries of Cricket Explained. Great Britain: Robson Works. pp. 24. ISBN 1 86105 629 X. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=_WI_clv8jMYC&pg=PA22&dq=%22what+is+cricket%22&cd=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false.
- ^ "Dimensions for Cricket". http://www.dsr.wa.gov.au/index.php?id=947. Retrieved 2010-02-16.
- ^ MCC – Laws of Cricket: Law 19
- ^ Dellor, Ralph (2010). Cricket: Steps to Success. pp. XV. ISBN 0 7360 7873 8. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=1fMoM1y9cSgC&pg=PR15&dq=cricket+%22coin+toss%22&cd=3#v=onepage&q=cricket%20%22coin%20toss%22&f=false.
- ^ BBC Sport – how runs are scored. Retrieved on 25 July 2009.
- ^ MCC – Laws of Cricket: Law 23. Retrieved on 25 July 2009.
- ^ BBC Sport – ways of getting out. Retrieved on 25 July 2009.
- ^ BBC Sport – the aim of cricket. Retrieved on 25 July 2009.
- ^ 22 yards is the length of a chain, a suveyor's measure first devised in 1620
- ^ MCC – Laws of Cricket: Law 12. Retrieved on 25 July 2009.
- ^ MCC – Laws of Cricket: Law 30. Retrieved on 25 July 2009.
- ^ MCC – Laws of Cricket: Law 32. Retrieved on 25 July 2009.
- ^ MCC – Laws of Cricket: Law 36. Retrieved on 25 July 2009.
- ^ MCC – Laws of Cricket: Law 38. Retrieved on 25 July 2009.
- ^ MCC – Laws of Cricket: Law 39. Retrieved on 25 July 2009.
- ^ MCC – Laws of Cricket: Law 35. Retrieved on 25 July 2009.
- ^ MCC – Laws of Cricket: Law 34. Retrieved on 25 July 2009.
- ^ MCC – Laws of Cricket: Law 37. Retrieved on 25 July 2009.
- ^ MCC – Laws of Cricket: Law 33. Retrieved on 25 July 2009.
- ^ MCC – Laws of Cricket: Law 31. Retrieved on 25 July 2009.
- ^ BBC Sport – Zimbabwe revokes Test status. Retrieved on 28 December 2008.
- ^ John Major, More Than A Game, HarperCollins, 2007
- ^ John Leach, From Lads to Lord's quotes the precise date of the accounting entry as Thursday 10 March 1300 (Julian date), which is in the Gregorian year of 1301. Retrieved on 31 January 2009.
- ^ a b John Leach, From Lads to Lord's quotes the precise date of the court case in Guildford as Monday, 17 January 1597 (Julian date), which is in the Gregorian year of 1598. Retrieved on 31 January 2009.
- ^ Middle Dutch was the language in use in Flanders at the time.
- ^ Birley, p.3
- ^ Birley, op. cit.
- ^ Altham, p.21
- ^ Bowen, p.33
- ^ David Terry, The Seventeenth Century Game of Cricket: A Reconstruction of the Game. Retrieved on 25 July 2009.
- ^ Gillmeister's theory is summarised in the introduction to the book The Language of Cricket by John Eddowes, ISBN 1857542703.
- ^ H S Altham A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914), George Allen & Unwin, 1962
- ^ Timothy J McCann, Sussex Cricket in the Eighteenth Century, Sussex Record Society, 2004
- ^ CricketArchive profile. Retrieved on 25 July 2009.
- ^ CricInfo profile. Retrieved on 25 July 2009.
- ^ CricketArchive: full list of ICC members. Retrieved on 25 July 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "A brief history ...". Cricinfo. http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci-icc/content/current/story/209608.html. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
- ^ "Cricinfo-Other countries-Teams-Afghanistan". Cricinfo. http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/other/content/team/40.html. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
External links
| Interdependent team sports |
|
| Sport · Governing bodies · Sportspeople · National sport |
|
| Basket codes |
|
|
| Football codes |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Beach · Rugby league ( Masters, Mini, Mod, Nines, Sevens, Tag, Touch, Wheelchair) · Rugby union ( American Flag, Mini, Sevens, Tag, Touch, Tens)
|
|
|
| Handball codes |
|
|
| Safe haven codes |
|
|
| Stick and ball codes |
|
|
| Ball over a net codes |
|
|
| Other codes |
|
|
Top topics
Wikis
Quiz
Facts
Map
Misc
Australia
Bangladesh
England
India
New Zealand
Pakistan
South Africa
Sri Lanka
West Indies
Zimbabwe
Afghanistan
Canada
Kenya
Netherlands
Scotland
Media related to Cricket at Wikimedia Commons
Search
