Striking & Fielding

What is cricket?

» A cricket match is usually played between 2 teams of 11 players, with each team nominating a captain before the start of the match. However, cricket can also be played in numerous modified formats, including Super 8s, beach cricket, pairs cricket and even street cricket.

» The match is usually played on a grass oval with a pitch in the centre. Two wickets are set up at either end of the pitch.

» Each team has a turn at batting while the other team fields and tries to get the batters out.

» Each turn a team has at batting/fielding is called an inning.

» The aim of the batting team is to accumulate a score by making runs.

» Batters try to hit a ball that is bowled towards them from the other end of the pitch.

» Batters play in pairs. A run is scored when both batters safely run from one end of the pitch to the other.

» Batters can continue running back and forth while their batted ball is being fielded to score as many runs as they can.

» Depending on how many runs are made each time a ball is hit (an odd or even amount), either batter A or batter B may face the bowler.

» A batter can make a score without running by hitting a ball that reaches the boundary which counts for 4 runs (if it rolls or bounces) or 6 runs (if it is on the full).

Introduction to CRICKET

» The batting team can also accumulate runs from bowlers’ and fielders’ mistakes, e.g. bowling a ‘no ball’ or bowling or throwing the ball wide of the stumps.

» The aim of the fielding side is to get the batters out, and this can happen in a number of ways. The main ways batters can get out are:

» bowled out if a bowler bowls a ball that hits the wicket (or stumps)

» caught out if they hit a ball into the air and it is caught by a fielder or the wicketkeeper

» out LBW (leg before wicket) when a bowled ball hits their legs (or leg pads) in front of the stumps, and

» run out if the batter or non-striker fails to safely reach the other end of the pitch (called crossing the crease) before a ball retrieved by a fielder or the wicketkeeper hits the wicket at the same end (or if the wickets have bails, they must be removed).

» Stumped when the wicketkeeper collects the ball and knocks off the bails before the batter gets their bat or any part of their body grounded behind the batting crease.

» The winning team is the one that scores the most runs.

» Cricket is a game that owes much of its unique appeal to the fact that it should be played not only within its rules but also within the spirit of the game.

» Any action that is seen to abuse this spirit causes injury to the game itself – ‘It’s just not cricket’, as the saying goes. The major responsibility for ensuring the spirit of fair play rests with the captains.