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What?, You've Never Heard Of The Game Of Cricket.!
by Jeremy Rearden
http://www.focuscricket.com
If you have been countries to outside of North America you
may have noticed a major sport in places such as England and
Wales, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and
the Caribbean that is known as "Cricket". Cricket is
extremely popular in many countries of the world and is
considered to be one of the most popular spectator's sports
in the regions it is played in.
The game of cricket appears very similar to baseball at
first glance though there is significant difference between
the two. They are both Bat and Ball games and can confuse an
untrained eye that is unfamiliar with the sport.
There are many things common to both these games. Just as is
the case in baseball, the game is divided into halves called
'innings'. As is the case in baseball, during the 'inning'
one team bats while the other team 'fields' and 'bowls'.
In cricket, the team who bats first sets a target score
that the other team must try to match. The team that is
bowling (or playing the field) tries to limit the number of
points or "runs" that the opposing team scores. Unlike
baseball, when a team is at bat they always have two
batters (or batsmen) on the field. The innings is not over
until 10 batsmen are declared out. When there are 10 outs,
this is referred to as "taking their wickets" and results
in the inning ending.
The result of the game is declared by counting the runs made
by the teams. If the team batting second is unable to make
the desired runs then it said that this team 'lost by (the
number of runs) that is the difference in their scores'. In
case the team batting second scores the required amount of
runs then it is said 'won by (the amount of) runs'. The game
can also result in a draw or a tie.
The differences between a baseball bat and a cricket bat are
very obvious. While the cricket bat is made up of a long
handle and a flat surface, more like a paddle, the baseball
bat is round and essentially tube shaped. Though the batting
in cricket is very similar to batting in baseball, it is not
the same. The same holds good for bowling and pitching.
When the batsman hits the ball in cricket it's called
a stroke (or shot). Occasionally, the batsmen will hit the
ball with the side of the bat (hit with the edge of the
bat) as opposed to hitting it with the flat surface. Using
this method of hitting is called a "snick". Batting order
is may be changed prior to the beginning of the game (in
order to get a strategic advantage) but after the game
starts the batting order is set.
Cricket has become a recreationally compelling game both for
the players and the spectators because of this subtle
difference in strategy. These subtle differences do make a
different experience in both playing and watching the game.
If you have an opportunity, you should see if you can find
a cricket match, especially if you are visiting one of the
countries in which it is a popular pastime. Cricket is
great fun once you decipher the jargon, rules and
nomenclature of the sport. With a little bit of a primer
on the sport, you can enjoy the game as much as others who
love the game.
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