Beginner’s Guide to Cricket Gameplay

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Cricket is one of the most fun sports out there. Like all sports, there are a set of rules that you must learn to play cricket. Whether you are considering starting to play cricket or just curious to know how it is played, you are in the right place. In this article, we discuss how cricket is played. So, let’s delve into the basics.

Things you will need to play cricket

For you to play cricket, you must have the following pieces of equipment:

·       Cricket balls

·       Cricket bats

·       Stumps

·       A pitch

The formations of the teams

Cricket is generally a team sport with an equal number of players on either side. The teams usually consist of 11 players each. These teams consist of batsmen and bowlers. At the start of the game, a coin is tossed and the team that wins the toss gets the chance to choose bat or bowl.

How to score cricket

When playing cricket, the batsman and the bowler will stand opposite each other on a strip in the center of the pitch. The bowler will bowl the cricket ball to the batsman who needs to hit it. The batsman needs to hit the ball as fast as he or she can. If the batsman hits the cricket ball, they will try and run to the other side of the batting stripwhere the bowler is. This is referred to as a ‘run’ and the batsman will score one point for every ‘run’ they do before the ball is brought back to the pitch. A batsman can score in two other ways. One, if they hit the ball all the way to the edge of the pitch [also known as the boundary], they score four points. Secondly, if they hit the ball over the edge of the field without touching the ground, they score six points. 

Dismissal in cricket                                            

The methods of dismissal in cricket include:

Bowled: the ball hits the stumps when the bowler delivers it and the bails are dislodged, the batsman will be out.

Caught: batsman hits the ball with a cricket batsUSA and the ball is caught by a fielder before it touches the ground

Run out: the batsman will be out if the fielder hits the stumps and the batsman is not able to complete the run. There is usually an area marked around the stumps known as ‘the crease’. The run isn’t complete until the batsman is inside this area.

Stumped: this is almost the same as a run out. However, the only difference is that it occurs when the wicketkeeper puts down a wicket when a batsman has stepped out of his/her grounds.

Different types of a cricket match

One Day: the match only takes place over one single day. Each team plays one inning each that comprises 50 overs, or until every player is out. The team with higher runs wins.

Twenty20: this is probably the most accessible cricket match. It is also almost similar to a one day match. The only difference is that each team only plays 20 overs and not 50. The team with more runs wins.

Test Ticket: it is played over five days. This match is made up of four innings, two for each team. The team with the most runs over all the four innings wins the match.