Batsman How to play cricket! Two batsmen, at opposite ends of the The game of cricket is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams, pitch, use a flat bat of willow wood to usually of 11 players each. It is thought to be the second-most popular sport hit the ball. Only one batsman is on the planet, behind football (soccer). It has been played for hundreds of thrown to — the other waits for the years, the modern form originating in England and spread across the British ball to put in play so he Commonwealth. It is wildly popular in England, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, can score runs. The Australia and New Zealand, among others. Here is a quick look at the game: batsman tries to prevent a pitch from hitting the wicket The playing field and if possible, hit A large, oval, grassy space with a diameter between 450 and 500 feet. the ball into the field. Once a hit American Football is in play, the Football batsmen run (Soccer) to the Cricket Third Man opposite crease — Fielders Outfield past each Point Gully Slips Traditional Fine leg other — positions scoring Cover Wicket keeper runs. They Pitch can do Infield this as many times Mid-off Bowler as possible Mid-wicket before the Mid-on Long off fielding team throws the ball Bails back to the Wicket pitch. Wickets are three Long on stumps hammered into the ground at each end of the pitch. The vertical ‘stumps’, hold two Bowling small ‘bails’ on A bowler’s primary mission is to get the top. The bowler batsman out. He throws a small ball towards 28” Crease attempts to knock the batsman, bouncing it once before it the bails off by arrives. Skilled bowlers can release the ball striking the wicket with so much spin it jumps off the ground in and the batsman a different direction, fooling tried to stop the the batsman. ball from hitting the wicket. Pitch Crease Stumps The ball What a wind-up! 66 feet The cricket ball is similar A cricket bowler starts with a run... Wicket to a baseball: a core of cork, wound tightly with string and covered in leather with a slightly raised sewn seam. The ball is traditionally dyed red. White cricket balls have been Run up Stride Mid-bound Back foot contact Front foot contact Release Follow though used at night under floodlights. Scoring runs, getting outs A ball is bowled, If the batsman hits ...he runs to the other crease, scoring a run. The fielders bouncing the ball in play... will get the ball back to their wicket keeper who will try to once in knock off a bail before the batsman gets back to the crease. front of the batter. An out is recorded if the ball hits a wicket, knocking loose a bail..