This article is uploaded with the intentions of promoting cricket within non cricket playing nations, as a service to the game and the ICC
Rules of Cricket
Rules of Cricket
The "Laws" or "Les Rules de Criquet" are simple, and are summarised by the International Crocheting Club (ICC) as follows:
- Each game requires 2 teams, who get to hit their balls (when they are called the 'batsmen' and not 'batters' as in Baseball, or 'batty' as in Northern Englishmen) or to bowl (not pitch or throw or chuck) their balls then chase after them ('fielding').
- One round of hitting the balls is called an innings (from the Latin "an outing, or picnic", plural innit, as in: "This game is a bit of a picnic, innit?").
- A game comprises 2 innings (innit) or sometimes 4, but more often now there is less and the game can last between 3 hours (called 20-20) or one day (25-25 or 50-50) or 5 days (Torture or Test cricket), depending on how long the teams can be bothered playing or until the spectators go home.
- Each team has 12 players each although only 11 play and the 12th man is called the "12th man" and he gets the drinks. One team fields and bowls, aiming for the batsman's bails, while the batsmen try to hit their balls as far as possible without the other team grabbing their balls and hitting the wicket (then declared a "sticky wicket").
- When the batsman who's in is out, then he goes off and the next man comes on until he's out. The object of the game for the batsman therefore is to make sure he doesn't go out. The end of an innings is declared when 10 batsmen are out, even though there are 11 playing not counting the 12th man. So there is a batsman still in although his team is out, but he has to go off. When the batsmen are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in out.
- There are two additional fat men called umpires who stay all out all day and give the batsmen who are in out. But a batsman is not out unless the fielders appeal first to the umpires by giving them ritualistic gifts or sly winks and nudges. If the fielders are sleeping or have wandered off somewhere then the batsman is not given out and stays in. But if the umpires don't like something, such as player interfering with another player behind the sight screen, then the umpires can declare that it's simply not cricket which means it's cricket but shouldn't be.
- An over is when the bowler has 6 or sometimes 8 balls. If he has had no balls then he may have more than the normal number of balls. An innings may be over after 40 overs, or 25, or 20, or sometimes a lot less if there's been a "follow-on", if you follow.
- When both sides have been in and all the men have been out, including those who are not out, and both sides have been out twice or maybe once or less if someone declared or it rained, then that is the end of the game!
- An additional tactic involves the majority of players trying not to bat by standing around fielding. The batsmen may also refuse to hit their balls, preferring to "block" continually. This tactic was made famous by "Blocker Lawry", who was sadly disembowelled by an angry and bored crowd. If the game is delayed long enough, such as more than 5 days, a "draw" is declared. If one team has more wins than draws they win, although this method risks rioting by the spectators.
- If the bowler hits an off-stump leg-bye then a sticky wicket is called and the game breaks for tea; however, should an elbow on-side be called, unless it's caused by a spin-twist shot or a slippy duck, then the innings may be declared over or the over innings. In the case of the deep-wide short-fine leg being run out by the slip's backward point boundary man, the batting team are forced to substitute their 12th man for a golden duck and a cup of Dilmah Tea.
- The game may end very suddenly if all of the batsmen have a duck or the bowlers bowl 10 wicket maiden overs.
- The alternative way to win is to play until there is any change in weather, or it gets too dark, or hot, or cold, or it's lunch or dinner, or the umpires get bored and take their balls home, or anything happens that simply isn't cricket.
However, despite the apparent simplicity of these rules, there remain a number of uncivilised nations in Northern Europe and North America and North Africa who are yet to embrace the civilising effects of the game of cricket.
(To be continued..)
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