Cricket is a sport that originated back in the early 16th century and has not lost its popularity since then. The pinnacle of the international game is the Cricket World Cup. Other major competitions include the T20 World Cup, the Test series, and one-day matches. Each country has many domestic competitions that are highly competitive. With all this in mind, it is worthwhile to understand what https://cricket-cup.com/ is and what its rules and features are.
The rules under which cricket is played were developed by the famous Marylebone Cricket Club, which has been in existence since 1787. For many years, only this organization had the right to form the rules and manage their implementation. It is important to note that the club also upholds the spirit of the game, according to which there should be no inappropriate behavior of players or various types of foul play in cricket.
For a better understanding of the rules, it is worth presenting them point by point, which will address specific aspects of cricket.
What a Cricket Pitch Looks Like
The pitch, a cricket field, is elliptical in shape and covered with grass. Although its length is not strictly defined, it is usually between 130 and 150 meters. In the center is a strip measuring 3.05×20.12 meters – this is called the “pitch” and is the main area of the game where the action takes place. At both ends of the strip, there are gates (wickets), i.e., three ledgers (posts, usually wooden) driven into the ground, on which two loose crossbars (beams) are placed. The field is divided into two parts by a line connecting the gates.
Teams and Placement of Players on the Cricket Pitch
Two teams of 11 players each take part in the game. They are divided into bowlers and batsmen. One of the players (the wicketkeeper) acts as a catcher.
During the toss, the task of the fielders is to catch the ball that bounced off the batsman so that he could not get another hit. The lead catcher, who is directly behind the batsman, plays an extremely important role. He intercepts the balls that do not bounce. The rest of the players should be in positions where they can catch the ball. The captain decides the formation of the team.
The batter uses a large flat bat. According to strategy, he bounces the ball on offense or defense. After the ball bounces, the player runs to get hurt. If the ball is knocked out of bounds, the team gets 6 wounds (when the ball does not touch the ground) or 4 wounds (when the ball goes out of bounds after bouncing off the ground). The captain decides the order of the batsmen.
The Order of Play in Cricket
Unlike many other sports, a match does not necessarily have to start and end on the same day. In fact, there are both single-day matches and multi-day matches (mostly first-class matches) that last from 3 to 5 days. Each day of play lasts a maximum of six hours.
Such a match is divided into two parts (innings). At the very beginning, the umpire flips a coin to select the team starting the match as the thrower and the batter (in the second inning, there is a substitution). Choosing the side of the coin is the first important task of the captain.
Both parts of the match consist of rounds (overs), the number of which is not fixed. In each round, the teams play six shots (if a shot is incorrect, it is repeated, but the batting team is credited with one extra shot). The batsman tries to get a point by running to the other end of the pitch after the ball bounces. Importantly, there is a second player waiting at the ready, who simultaneously runs in the opposite direction. If they both touch the ground behind the marked line, the team gets a point. After the end, the thrower moves into the field, and there is a change of pitching side – the next player becomes the thrower.
The task of the throwers is to get rid of the throwing players, losing as few points as possible. It should be noted that during the throw, the elbow can be straightened to a maximum of 15 degrees. If the angle is greater than this value, the throw is considered incorrect. Another rule states that the ball thrown by the bowler must not be out of the batsman’s reach.
