A primer on Cricket

For my Friends - Rochelle, Preeti, Rose, Carla, Reeham and Rasha

Friends cricket is played between two teams comprising of eleven players each. The teams have to make runs when the opposition bowls that is decided by the toss- as to who shold bowl or bat first. The team batting first sends its two batsman to the crease to face the bowling. The team bowling has all its player on the field.

The game has two set of three wickets (stumps) each – the one end is occupied by the batsman and the bowler bowls from the other end. The distance between two pair of wickets is 22 yards.

The batting team has to play the ball with the bat and score runs. One run is equal to the amoun of distance between two wickets, i.e 22 yards. The fielding side has to grab the ball and throw it back to the wicket-keeper ( standing behind the stumps at the batting end), the batsman must each cross and reach within the crease of their repective opposite stumps before the fielder is able to shatter the stumps- in case they fal to do so they are considered as run out. The other ways a batsman gets out is by way of being clean bowled – the batsman fails to play the ball and the ball hits the stump at the batsman’s end. The batsman is also considered out if a fielder holds a catch before the ball touches ground. The other ways of getting the batsman out are leg before wicket and stumping by wicket keeper. So much for that should be enough.

The runs are scored also in boundaries. A Four means the batsman hits a ball and it crosses te boundary line before being fielded. A ball that goes over the boundary line without a bounce inside the boundary qualifies for a Six.

In Twenty20 cricket each side has to play for 20 overs. An over comprises of a bowler sending down six deliveries (that is bowls at batsman) without being a wide or a no ball. The bowling end changes after every over. The batsman at the other end now faces the fresh over. The number of runs a team scores in allotted overs or before getting out becomes the target for the fielding first and they need to make atleast one run ore than the team that batted first.

A game of cricket requires good batting, bowling and fielding skills. Fielding assumes lot more importance in the game of Twenty20 as it is difficult to get the whole team out in the allotted 20 overs. When a batsman gets out the new batsman comes to crease to replace him and when 10 batsman get out the team is declared as all out.

The two umpires are always on the field, one occupies his position at the bowling stumps and the other stands at square leg. He side to the left of batsman is considered as Off-side and the one on right is called On-side. The fielding side has to place its fielders in such a way as to avoid runs being stopped. There ae restriction on intial overs as to how many players can field inside the inner circle- After the restriction is over ( in terms of number of overs) fielders can spread to the boundaries.

There are two types of bowlers – the pace bowlers who bowl at some great speed and try to beat the batsman by their sheer pace – and spinners who though they bowl slow try to generate spin to earn the wicket for their teams.

I hope I was able to keep it non-technical as well as explanatory enough to make you understand the game of cricket in its shortest version.. which as assumed far greater popularity in terms of entertainment and thrill.

Virender Shwag is currently the most dangerous batsman in the IPL, if he stays for longer time at the crease – the opposition are likely to concede more runs to him.. and eventually lose the game.. the best bowler among pacers is Dale Steyn and Harbhajan Singh is the best amongst spinners. A player who can contribute both as a bowler and a batsman is termed an All-rounder Andrew Flintoff is the best all rounder in the tournament.

A team must not allow more than four overs per bowler so they should generally have more than five players who can bowl.

Umpires are also sometimes assisted by third umpires in decisions regarding a run out situation of a batsman or finding whether the ball went for a four or a six( in some cases).

I hope the next time you are watching a cricket game you would understand it slightly better.

Have great time with IPL 2 where eight teams comprising of players from all over the world are playing for their teams rather than for their country. Players from India are larger in proportion and there is restriction on including only four overseas players in a team.

I am supporting Delhi Daredevils for swashbuckling Sehwag and his opening partner Gambhir who are in great form.

We will discuss the other two formats the one day International and test cricket some other day

Abhaya India 22 April 2009 7:25 PM IST

In another half an hour the game beteen Deccan Chargers and Bangalore Royal Challengers is about to begin in Cape Town inSouth Africa - The captain for Deccan Chargers is Adam Gilchrist and for Bangalore Kevin Pietersen is going to ead the side. The captain decides the bowling changes and field placements and the batting order during the game. Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the captain of India in Twenty20 as well as the other two formats as well.