Explain cricket?

[Pat Farrell]

I see the thread on Twenty20, and BBC has some coverage as well. Since we seem to have many smart folks here, can anyone explain, in a few sentences the rules of Cricket?

I'm an American, we play baseball, which is sort of almost similar, but not really. From what I see, cricket takes days and has many rules, none of which make sense to me.

The basics, please.
And for an advanced qustion, what is a Century?

[Guy Allard]

Pat - I'm a Yank also, so Redcoats or others need to chime in.

In the mean time I suggest:

Cricket on Wikipedia

I suppose the first question: is the Wikipedia article accurate?

Guy

[Pat Farrell]

I worked at a company that had a large group of engineers in Bangalore, and so folks often made te trip. Cricket balls were occasionally brought back as trip trinkets.

I, like a fool, tried playing catch with the cricket ball. Man, are they hard. They are more like a billard ball that a baseball. I have no idea how you could catch one barehanded.

[Paul Clapham]

Originally posted by Pat Farrell:
I, like a fool, tried playing catch with the cricket ball. Man, are they hard. They are more like a billard ball that a baseball. I have no idea how you could catch one barehanded.

I've done that. When my son was in Grade 8, they had a parents versus students cricket game. One of the boys turned and hit the ball straight at me, so I caught it. The boys were terribly impressed (and so was I, to tell you the truth). But professional-level cricket, that's different. You could get seriously hurt by the ball there.

[Rahul Bhattacharjee]

Originally posted by Guy Allard:
Cricket on Wikipedia

I just saw this and must say that it coves a lot of information (accurate) about cricket.

[Paul Sturrock]

That is a good Wikipedia article. And it contains a good link for the Yanks: Comparison between cricket and baseball.
[ September 27, 2007: Message edited by: Paul Sturrock ]

[Mani Ram]

Originally posted by Pat Farrell:
Explain cricket

You have two sides, one out in the field and one in.
Each man that's in the side that's in goes out,
and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out.

When they are all out, the side that's out comes in
and the side thats been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out.

Sometimes you get men still in and not out.

When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out,
and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in.

There are two men called umpires who stay all out all the time
and they decide when the men who are in are out.

When both sides have been in and all the men have been out,
and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in,
including those who are not out, that is the end of the game!

Of course, some things change depending on the format of the game (Test cricket, One day cricket, Twenty20).

Clear now?

[Harsha Jay]

Test cricket is like a long boring movie which has no ending.... the game itself lasts for 5 days

Thank heaven for Twenty20!

[Arvind Mahendra]

One piece of advise to anyone wanting to try cricket. Dont try it without a cup!!
Come to think of it don't try anything in India without a cup.
[ September 27, 2007: Message edited by: Chunnard Singh ]

[vjy chin]

Test cricket is like a long boring movie which has no ending.... the game itself lasts for 5 days

I would have to disagree with you. I feel Test cricket is more interesting that one day or 20-20. This is the form where the bowlers, batsmen, and all the players think a bit, use more ideas etc...

But I know many people would disagree with me though.

[Harsha Jay]

But I know many people would disagree with me though.

I disagree, because I haven't played since college and havent got a chance to play in gaithersburg.

-Harsha

[Merlin Jacob]

Mani Ram

You have two sides, one out in the field and one in.
Each man that's in the side that's in goes out,
and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out.

When they are all out, the side that's out comes in
and the side thats been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out.

Sometimes you get men still in and not out.

When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out,
and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in.
There are two men called umpires who stay all out all the time
and they decide when the men who are in are out.

When both sides have been in and all the men have been out,
and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in,
including those who are not out, that is the end of the game!

Mani Ram, are you trying to explain Cricket or just joking???

[Jim Yingst]

An explanation of Cricket: What is cricket - the teatowel factor

[Pat Farrell]

Originally posted by Merlin Jacob:


Mani Ram, are you trying to explain Cricket or just joking???

He has to be joking, I could do nearly that well, and I know nothing about cricket other than what is shown as side plots in BBC mysteries such as Inspector Morse or Tommy Linley.

Its a strange twist that Linley played a crooked cricket player in a Morse episode and played the cop finding crooked cricket players in his own.

[Arvind Mahendra]

Originally posted by Mani Ram:


You have two sides, one out in the field and one in.
Each man that's in the side that's in goes out,
and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out.

When they are all out, the side that's out comes in
and the side thats been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out.

Sometimes you get men still in and not out.

When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out,
and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in.

There are two men called umpires who stay all out all the time
and they decide when the men who are in are out.

When both sides have been in and all the men have been out,
and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in,
including those who are not out, that is the end of the game!

Of course, some things change depending on the format of the game (Test cricket, One day cricket, Twenty20).

Clear now?

Imagine if you had to write an algorithm for a Computer game with these requirements in mind.
[ September 27, 2007: Message edited by: Chunnard Singh ]

[Peter Rooke]

And what makes this sport different is to be effective you have to be able to concentrate for a short period of time (when the ball is bowled at you) and keep doing this for a period of time that could last days. Requires a certain amount of endurance and will power – oh and skill…

Sad to say this is another one of those British sports that we invented and now cannot seem to compete in.

[Sri Anand]

Its similar to base ball there would be one person throughing rest 10 gaurding the boundaries there are names for all the positions in the field.

Score: Person hitting the ball is called Batsmen if he makes it to the boundary through grund its 4 if air its 6 Runs/score. Otherwise the batsmen and the runner exchange ends before ball is thrown by the fielder(who is gaurding the fence) to the bowler ( who throws the ball) or Wicket keeper( who gaurds the ball behind the wickets)

How does batsman get out:
there are many ways if ball hits the wicket when bowler throws the ball
If Wickets(3 sticks behind batsman) are brougt down before the Batsmen exchange ends when makeing a score
if ball is caught before it touches the ground

How long they play : there are many forms

One day match : Each team bowls (throws bowl ) for 50 Overs, I each over they throw the ball 6 times

Who Wins : there are 11 players in each team there would be toss at the begining who ever wins the toss either elects to Bat or bowl. Team which scores highest runs in 50 overs wins for a one day

[Pat Farrell]

Originally posted by Raghunandan Mamidala:
when bowler throws the ball
]

How come the bowler doesn't bowl the ball?
Or why isn't he called the thrower?

Granted baseball is equally inconsistant, the pitcher throws the ball, but they also say that the pitcher pitches to the batter.

[Peter Rooke]

"How come the bowler doesn't bowl the ball?" - he does - fast and / or spinning too
Shane Warne
[ September 29, 2007: Message edited by: Peter Rooke ]

[Devesh H Rao]

Originally posted by Pat Farrell:


How come the bowler doesn't bowl the ball?
Or why isn't he called the thrower?

Granted baseball is equally inconsistant, the pitcher throws the ball, but they also say that the pitcher pitches to the batter.

In fact, the bowler does bowl the ball. Throwing is not allowed, Throwing a ball constitutes an illegal delivery.

[Pat Farrell]

Originally posted by Devesh H Rao:


In fact, the bowler does bowl the ball. Throwing is not allowed, Throwing a ball constitutes an illegal delivery.

OK, what's the difference between throwing and legal deliveries?

(just don't ask me to explain baseball's balk rule )

[Paul Clapham]

Baseball pitchers bend their elbows and use that as a lever to accelerate the ball towards the batter. This is illegal in cricket; the bowler must keep his arm straight as he delivers the ball.

[Jim Yingst]

Apparently a bowler is allowed to bowl with the elbow bent, too. What is not allowed is extending the elbow during the action- that's what supposedly makes it "throwing" rather than "bowling". Recently it was demonstrated that in reality, all "bowlers" do indeed extend their elbows at least a bit, because the throwing... err, "bowling" action causes even a supposedly straight elbow to hyperextend. So now the rule is that the elbow joint may not extend more than 15° from whatever angle it starts at. I'm imagining referees with protractors trying to enforce this.

[Devesh H Rao]

Originally posted by Jim Yingst:
Apparently a bowler is allowed to bowl with the elbow bent, too. What is not allowed is extending the elbow during the action- that's what supposedly makes it "throwing" rather than "bowling". Recently it was demonstrated that in reality, all "bowlers" do indeed extend their elbows at least a bit, because the throwing... err, "bowling" action causes even a supposedly straight elbow to hyperextend. So now the rule is that the elbow joint may not extend more than 15° from whatever angle it starts at. I'm imagining referees with protractors trying to enforce this.

The rule lay down the guidelines but the final decision on whether the ball is legal rests with the onfield umpires.