Cricket - An Old British Colonial Game

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Introduction:

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Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams consisting of 11 players on each side. The game is played on a grassy field about 150m X 70m in size. A boundary is marked to set the limits of the playing area. The size of a field is not the same everywhere. The center of the field consists of two wickets, 20m apart, each with 3 stumps placed close together so that the ball does not pass through them. Each stump has a groove on the top in which the bails are placed. The bottom of the stump is pointed so that it can be firmly placed into the ground.

There are two umpires in a match. One stands behind the bowler's wicket, and the other about 15 yards away, at the square leg position, from the batsman.

The object of this game is similar to baseball, only the rules are different. The bowler has to throw the ball with a circular motion of the arm i.e. without bending the elbow, and hit the wicket with the ball. The batsman has to protect the wicket, hit the ball with his bat and score runs.

The game begins with all 11 players of the defending team taking their positions somewhere in the field. One player from the other team, a batsman, stands at each wicket. One faces the bowler and the other stands at the other wicket from which the bowler throws (bowls) the ball. When the batsman hits the ball he may run to the other wicket where his partner is standing and his partner may run to the other wicket from which the ball was hit -- this is one complete run. The batsmen run for a run when they think they can reach their opposite ends without getting run out. Depending on the situation, that is to say if the fielder has got the ball in his hands or not, the batsmen can run up to only four times back and forth between the wickets and score 4 runs. Other ways of scoring faster is to hit the ball hard enough to cross the boundary for 4 or 6 runs. A batsman can get out if he is bowled, caught, stumped, lbw, or runout. After each over the bowling ends are changed and the fielding is also reversed. When a batsman is out another batsman from the same team comes to play. A team has a limit of playing all their 11 players, but a batsman always has to have a partner at the other end. Therefore, after 10 players are out the eleventh player does not have a partner and the innings is officially over. Then the other team bats and tries to chase the target set by its opponent.

The Preamble, The Spirit of Cricket

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Cricket is a game that owes much of its unique appeal to the fact that it should be played not only within its Laws but also within the Spirit of the Game. Any action which is seen to abuse this spirit causes injury to the game itself. The major responsibility for ensuring the spirit of fair play rests with the captains.

1. There are two Laws which place the responsibility for the team's conduct firmly on the captain.

Responsibility of captains

The captains are responsible at all times for ensuring that play is conducted within the Spirit of the Game as well as within the Laws.

Player's conduct

In the event of a player failing to comply with instructions by an umpire, or criticising by word or action the decisions of an umpire, or showing dissent, or generally behaving in a manner which might bring the game into disrepute, the umpire concerned shall in the first place report the matter to the other umpire and to the player's captain, and instruct the latter to take action.

2. Fair and unfair play

According to the Laws the umpires are the sole judges of fair and unfair play.

The umpires may intervene at any time and it is the responsibility of the captain to take action where required.

3. The umpires are authorised to intervene in cases of:

* Time wasting

* Damaging the pitch

* Dangerous or unfair bowling

* Tampering with the ball

* Any other action that they consider to be unfair

4. The Spirit of the Game involves RESPECT for:

* Your opponents

* Your own captain and team

* The role of the umpires

* The game's traditional values

5. It is against the Spirit of the Game:

? To dispute an umpire's decision by word, action or gesture

? To direct abusive language towards an opponent or umpire

? To indulge in cheating or any sharp practice, for instance:

a) to appeal knowing that the batsman is not out

b) to advance towards an umpire in an aggressive manner when appealing

c) to seek to distract an opponent either verbally or by harassment with persistent clapping or unnecessary noise under the guise of enthusiasm and motivation of one's own side

6. Violence

There is no place for any act of violence on the field of play.

7. Players

Captains and umpires together set the tone for the conduct of a cricket match. Every player is expected to make an important contribution to this.

The players, umpires and scorers in a game of cricket may be of either gender and the Laws apply equally to both. The use, throughout the text, of pronouns indicating the male gender is purely for brevity. Except where specifically stated otherwise, every provision of the Laws is to be read as applying to women and girls equally as to men and boys

The Laws of Cricket, 2000 Code

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Preface

The game of Cricket has been governed by a series of Codes of Law for over 250 years. These Codes have been subject to additions and alterations recommended by the governing authorities of the time.

Since its formation in 1787, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has been recognised as the sole authority for drawing up the Code and for all subsequent amendments. The Club also holds the World copyright.

The basic Laws of Cricket have stood remarkably well the test of well over 250 years of playing the game. It is thought the real reason for this is that cricketers have traditionally been prepared to play in the Spirit of the Game as well as in accordance with the Laws.

Now in 2000, MCC has revised and re-written the Laws for the new Millennium. In this Code, the major innovation is the introduction of the Spirit of Cricket as a Preamble to the Laws.

Whereas in the past it was assumed that the implicit Spirit of the Game was understood and accepted by all those involved, now MCC feels it right to put into words some clear guidelines, which will help to maintain the unique character and enjoyment of the game.

The other aims have been to dispense with the Notes, to incorporate all the points into the Laws and to remove, where possible, any ambiguities, so that captains, players and umpires can continue to enjoy the game at whatever level they may be playing.

MCC has consulted widely with all the Full Member Countries of the International Cricket Council, the Governing Body of the game. There has been close consultation with the Association of Cricket Umpires and Scorers. The Club has also brought in umpires and players from all round the world.

Significant dates in the history of the Laws are as follows:

? 1700: cricket was recognised as early as this date

? 1744: the earliest known Code was drawn up by certain "Noblemen and Gentlemen" who used the Artillery Ground in London

? 1755: the Laws were revised by "Several Cricket Clubs, particularly the Star and Garter in Pall Mall"

? 1774: a further revision was produced by "a Committee of Noblemen and Gentlemen of Kent, Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, Middlesex and London at the Star and Garter"

? 1786: a further revision was undertaken by a similar body of Noblemen and Gentlemen of Kent, Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, Middlesex and London

? 1788: the first MCC Code of Laws was adopted on 30th May

? 1835: a new Code of Laws was approved by the MCC Committee on 19th May

? 1884: after consultation with cricket clubs worldwide, important alterations were incorporated in a new version approved at an MCC Special General Meeting on 21st April

? 1947: a new Code of Laws was approved at an MCC Special General Meeting on 7th May. The main changes were aimed at achieving clarification and better arrangement of the Laws and their interpretations. This did not, however, exclude certain definite alterations which were designed to provide greater latitude in the conduct of the game as required by the widely differing conditions in which Cricket was played

? 1979: after five editions of the 1947 Code, a further revision was begun in 1974 with the aim being to remove certain anomalies, consolidate various Amendments and Notes, and to achieve greater clarity and simplicity. The new Code of Laws was approved at an MCC Special General Meeting on 21st November

? 1992: a second edition of the 1980 Code was produced, incorporating all the amendments which were approved during the intervening 12 years.

Many queries on the Laws, which apply equally to women's cricket as to men's, are sent to MCC for decision every year. MCC, as the accepted Guardian of the Laws, which can only be changed by the vote of two-thirds of the Members at a Special General Meeting of the Club, has always been prepared to answer the queries and to give interpretations on certain conditions, which will be readily understood.

? (a) In the case of league or competition cricket, the enquiry must come from the committee responsible for organising the league or competition. In other cases, enquiries should be initiated by a representative officer of a club, or of an umpires' association on behalf of his or her committee, or by a master or mistress in charge of school cricket.

? (b) The incident on which a ruling is required must not be merely invented for disputation but must have actually occurred in play.

? (c) The enquiry must not be connected in any way with a bet or wager.

ROGER KNIGHT

Secretary & Chief Executive, MCC

Lord's Cricket Ground

London NW8 8QN

16th February 2000

Defintions And Explanations Of Words Or Phrases

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The Ball

The ball is hard, made of cork and string, and covered with leather. The leather covering is joined in two hemispheres. The seam is thus like an equator, and the stitching is raised slightly. The circumference is between 22.4 and 22.9 cms (8.81 to 9.00 inches), and the ball weighs between 156 and 163 grams (5.5 to 5.75 ounces). Traditionally the ball is dyed red, with the stitching left white.

The Bat

The blade is made of willow, flat on one side, humped on the other for strength, attached to a sturdy cane handle. The blade has a maximum width of 108 millimetres (4.25 inches) and the whole bat has a maximum length of 965 millimetres (38 inches).

Stumps

Three wooden posts, 25 millimetres (1 inch) in diameter and 813 millimetres (32 inches) high. They have spikes extending from their bottom end and are hammered into the ground in an evenly spaced row, with the outside edges of the outermost stumps 22.86 cms (9 inches) apart - close enough together that a cricket ball cannot pass between them.

Bails

The bails are two wooden crosspieces which sit in grooves on the top of adjacent pairs of stumps. Each bail is 11.1 cms in length.

Wicket: Consists of three stumps stuck into the ground in such a manner so that the ball does not pass between them.

Pitch: The area between the two wickets where the batsman bats and the bowler bowls is the pitch.

Crease: The area marked in white around the wicket. This is the area from which the bowler has to throw the ball without extending his foot beyond the white line. This is the same area, only opposite the bowler, from which the batsman bats. If he is out of the white line he could be dismissed once the wicketkeeper has the ball.

Over: Six balls bowled by a bowler completes an over. After the completion of an over a new over begins from the other end by a new bowler.

Maiden Over: When there are no runs scored in an over except legbye & byes, it is known as a maiden over.

Four: When a ball is hit by the batsman along the ground and it passes the boundary, the batsman scores 4 runs.

Six: When a ball is hit directly over the boundary, the batsman gets 6 runs.

Overthrow: When a batsman runs for a run and the fielder tries to hit the wicket, misses and the ball goes far enough for the batsman to take another run. The run taken after the throw from the fielder is known as an overthrow.

No ball: When the bowler's foot steps way over the white line the umpire shouts out "no ball." The batsman cannot be out on this ball. One run is given to the batting side and an extra delivery is bowled after the no ball.

Wide: If a ball is way out of the reach of the batsman it is declared a wide. One run and an extra delivery is penalized.

Byes: When a ball passes the wicket untouched by the batsman and the batsman runs for a run, it is known as a bye.

Leg byes: A ball when hit on the batsman's pad and the batsman runs for a run, it is known as a leg bye.

Bowled: A batsman is declared out when the ball bowled by the bowler hits the wicket.

Caught: A batsman is out when a fielder catches the ball hit by a batsman before it touches the ground.

LBW: Short for Leg Before Wicket. A batsman is declared out when the ball hits the batsman's leg pad and it seemed like the ball was going straight on to the wicket.

Runout: A batsman is declared run out when the fielder hits the wicket before the batsman touches the white line of the crease while running for a run.

Stumped: A batsman is out when while hitting a shot he is outside the crease and the wicketkeeper touches the wicket with the ball in hand.

The Toss is the toss for choice of innings.

Before the toss is at any time before the toss on the day the match is expected to start or, in the case of a one day match, on the day that match is due to take place.

Before the match is at any time before the toss, not restricted to the day on which the toss is to take place.

During the match is at any time after the toss until the conclusion of the match, whether play is in progress or not.

Implements of the game are the bat, the ball, the stumps and bails.

The field of play is the area contained within the boundary edge.

The square is a specially prepared area of the field of play within which the match pitch is situated.

Inside edge is the edge on the same side as the nearer wicket.

Behind in relation to stumps and creases, is on the side further from the stumps and creases at the other end of the pitch. Conversely, in front of is on the side nearer to the stumps and creases at the other end of the pitch.

A batsman's ground - at each end of the pitch, the whole area of the field of play behind the popping crease is the ground at that end for a batsman.

In front of the line of the striker's wicket is in the area of the field of play in front of the imaginary line joining the fronts of the stumps at one end; this line to be considered extended in both directions to the boundary.

Behind the wicket is in the area of the field of play behind the imaginary line joining the backs of the stumps at one end; this line to be considered extended in both directions to the boundary.

Behind the wicket-keeper is behind the wicket at the striker's end, as defined above, but in line with both sets of stumps, and further from the stumps than the wicket-keeper.

Umpire - where the word 'umpire' is used on its own, it always means 'the umpire at the bowler's end', though this full description is sometimes used for emphasis or clarity. Otherwise, the phrases the umpire concerned, the umpire at the striker's end, either umpire indicate which umpire is intended.

Umpires together agree applies to decisions which the umpires are to make jointly, independently of the players.

Fielder is any one of those 11 or fewer players currently on the field of play who together compose the fielding side. This definition includes not only both the bowler and the wicket-keeper but also any legitimate substitute fielding instead of a nominated player. It excludes any nominated player absent from the field of play, or who has been absent from the field of play and who has not obtained the umpire's permission to return.

A player going briefly outside the boundary in the course of discharging his duties as a fielder is not absent from the field of play nor, for the purposes of Law 2.5 (Fielder absent or leaving the field), is he to be regarded as having left the field of play.

Delivery swing is the motion of the bowler's arm during which normally he releases the ball for a delivery.

Delivery stride is the stride during which the delivery swing is made, whether the ball is released or not. It starts when the bowler's back foot lands for that stride and ends when the front foot lands in the same stride.

The ball is struck/strikes the ball unless specifically defined otherwise, mean 'the ball is struck by the bat'/'strikes the ball with the bat'.

Rebounds directly/strikes directly and similar phrases mean without contact with any fielder but do not exclude contact with the ground.

External protective equipment is any visible item of apparel worn for protection against external blows.

For a batsman, items permitted are a helmet, external leg guards (batting pads), batting gloves and, if visible, fore-arm guards.

For a fielder, only a helmet is permitted, except in the case of a wicket-keeper, for whom wicket-keeping pads and gloves are also permitted.

Clothing - anything that a player is wearing that is not classed as external protective equipment, including such items as spectacles or jewelry, is classed as clothing, even though he may be wearing some items of apparel, which are not visible, for protection. A bat being carried by a batsman does not come within this definition of clothing.

The bat - the following are to be considered as part of the bat

- the whole of the bat itself.

- the whole of a glove (or gloves) worn on a hand (or hands) holding the bat.

- the hand (or hands) holding the bat, if the batsman is not wearing a glove on that hand or on those hands.

Equipment - a batsman's equipment is his bat, as defined above, together with any external protective equipment that he is wearing.

A fielder's equipment is any external protective equipment that he is wearing.

Person - a player's person is his physical person (flesh and blood) together with any clothing or legitimate external protective equipment that he is wearing except, in the case of a batsman, his bat.

A hand, whether gloved or not, that is not holding the bat is part of the batsman's person.

No item of clothing or equipment is part of the player's person unless it is attached to him.

For a batsman, a glove being held but not worn is part of his person.

For a fielder, an item of clothing or equipment he is holding in his hand or hands is not part of his person

Cricket match Types:

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There are two different types of cricket matches:

Test Match: The first Test match was played between Australia and England in Melbourne in 1877. Australia won that match. South Africa played its first Test match in England in 1907 and it also took over Australia. During this period a number of Test playing nations arrived -- West Indies in 1928, New Zealand in 1930, India in 1932, Pakistan in 1952, Sri Lanka in 1982, and Zimbabwe in 1992.

A Test Match is a test of a player's skill and talent of this game. It is played for five straight days, each day for about 6-7 hours. In a Test match each team is limited to two innings. Each day a quota of 90 overs are to be bowled unless bad light or weather causes the play to cease. The side batting first will try to score as many runs as possible to give the opposing side a target to chase. The side bowling first tries to get the other side out quickly so that they can not only achieve the target but also build up a lead for the second innings. The captain of a team may decide to declare his team if he feels they have set a good enough target for the opposition. Most of the Test matches end up in a draw because some teams play for all five days, some play for about 3 days which makes it hard to finish the other innings, and some matches are affected by weather conditions like bad light or rain.

One-day Internationals (ODIs): One-day internationals began in 1971 because of the long boring days of Test matches. One-day matches are exciting because it is faster and a result is always achieved within one day at the end of the match. One-dayers have become a threat to Test matches because of its fast scoring and exciting aspects. The first one-day international match was played between Australia and England at Melbourne on 5 January, 1971. This was a new revolution in cricket, which attracted 46,000 spectators and produced $33,000.

A one-day match is a limited over match. Today one-dayers consist of each side batting for 50 overs. At some point in time it used to be 60 overs. The match goes on for about 8 hours. The team batting first sets a target for the opposing team which will bat on completion of the 50 overs after a half hour to 45 minutes lunch break. Each bowler is allowed to bowl a maximum of 10 overs. If all the 10 players of a team get out before the allotted 50 overs, lunch break is taken and the opposing team bats to chase the target. The team bowling second tries to get all 10 players of the opposing team out before they score one run more than the score the bowling team is defending. Another way that a team can win is by controlling the run rate, meaning that the team bowling second can win by bowling all 50 overs and not letting the opposition score the set target, by controlling the flow of runs, within the 50 overs.

Ten Ways of Getting Out

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Caught: If a fielder catches the ball on the full after the batsman has hit it with his bat.

Bowled: If the batsman misses the ball and it hits and breaks the wicket directly from the bowler's delivery. He is also out bowled if the ball breaks the wicket after deflecting from his bat or body.

Leg Before Wicket: If the batsman misses the ball with his bat, but intercepts it with part of his body when it would otherwise have hit the wicket, and provided several other conditions (too tedious to worry about here) are satisfied.

Stumped: If a batsman misses the ball and in attempting to play it steps outside his crease, he is out stumped if the wicket-keeper gathers the ball and breaks the wicket with it before the batsman can ground part of his body or his bat behind his crease.

Run Out: If a batsman is attempting to take a run, or to return to his crease after an aborted run, and a fielder breaks that batsman's wicket with the ball while he is out of the crease.

Hit Wicket: If, in attempting to hit a ball or taking off for a first run, the batsman touches and breaks the wicket, he is out.

Handle The Ball: If a batsman touches the ball with a hand not currently holding the bat, without the permission of the fielding side.

Obstructing The Field: If a batsman deliberately interferes with the efforts of fielders to gather the ball or effect a run out.

Hit The Ball Twice: If a batsman hits a delivery with his bat and then deliberately hits the ball again for any reason other than to defend his wicket from being broken by the ball.

Timed Out: If a new batsman takes longer than two minutes, from the time the previous wicket falls, to appear on the field. These methods of getting out are listed in approximate order of how commonly they occur. The first five are reasonably common, the last five quite rare. The last three methods are almost never invoked. If a batsman is out caught, bowled, LBW, stumped, or hit wicket, then the bowler is credited with taking the wicket. No single person is credited with taking a wicket if it falls by any other method.

Umpire's Signals:

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Umpires gesture to the scorers, players and spectators on the following events:

Out

When a batsman is out, the umpire making the decision raises one hand above his head, with the index finger extended.

Not Out

This is a trick question! There is no formal signal to indicate that a batsman is not out. The umpire can either shake his head `no' or not signal at all.

Four runs

A four scored by the ball reaching the boundary is signalled by an arm extended horizontally and waved briefly back and forth in a horizontal arc.

Six runs

A six is signalled by raising both arms straight over the head.

No Ball

A no ball is signalled by holding an arm out horizontally.

Wide

A wide is signalled by holding both arms out horizontally.

Byes

Runs scored as byes are signalled by raising one arm over the head, palm open.

Leg Byes

Leg byes are signalled by raising one leg and tapping the knee with one hand.

Dead Ball

If the umpire has to signal dead ball to prevent the players from assuming that the ball is still alive, he waves both arms across each other in front of his abdomen.

One Short

One short is signalled by touching the tip of one hand to the same shoulder.

TV Replay

If an umpire wishes the third umpire to make a decision based on a TV replay, he signals by drawing a large square shape in the air with both hands, spreading them out high in the air in front of him, bringing them down, and then together again.

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