Feeling inspired after the recent ICC T20 World Cup? Cricket sure looks fun! But what even is this sport, and how do you play it? Compared to something like football, the rules can certainly seem confusing and the terminologies used during the game. Well, fret not because we will discuss everything cricket in this article today! Let's get into it with the following:
What is Cricket?
Cricket is an 11-man sport played on a circular field. There are two innings in which both teams alternate between batting and bowling. The team that is bowling has to prevent the other team from scoring runs (points) and boundaries by either making it difficult for them to hit the bowl or trying to get a wicket, which means the batsman goes off. Each team gets ten wickets total, and there can only be two batsmen on the field at a time.
All 11 players are on the pitch for the team that is bowling. One player is the bowler, which is rotated between the selected bowlers as the team captain sees fit, while the rest are fielders; scattered around the pitch to prevent boundaries and runs. For a detailed list of the rules, you can look at this guide to get a more detailed idea.
How Can You Get Started With it?
There are four essentials to playing cricket:
- A cricket bat
- A ball
- Wickets or stumps
- A pitch to play in
Unlike a baseball bat, a cricket bat is flat on one side and curved on the other, with only the flat side being used exclusively to hit the ball. The bats vary in weight, so when you're starting, it should be helpful to opt for a lighter one and change it if you feel the need later on. Note that the bat's weight is entirely a personal preference depending on the batsman.
Moving on, we have the cricket ball, which is unlike any other ball in other sports. The ball is either white or red in colour and is made of leather. The ball tends to be really heavy and is quite hard, which puts new players at risk of injury if it makes contact with the body. Generally, new players and even seasoned ones that play casually tend to use a tennis ball instead of a proper cricket ball. This is because a tennis ball is much softer and lighter and offers a similar experience to the leather alternative. You may see the tennis ball is wrapped in electrical tape to make its flight faster, making for faster bowling and harder shots.
Lastly, the wickets and the pitch that you'll be playing in are, in my opinion, not as essential as the first two parts of the equipment. Like street football, street cricket is usually played in any open space where the players can comfortably bowl, and the wickets are made using bricks or rocks lying nearby. However, if you can get a proper pitch with proper wickets, that should certainly make for a better experience.