Cricket is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 11 players each. The game is divided into innings, where one team bats to score runs while the other team bowls and fields to restrict runs and dismiss the batters
Basic Gameplay
- The match starts with a coin toss to decide which team bats first
- The batting team sends two batters to the pitch, one at each end of the 22-yard pitch. The batter facing the bowler is called the striker, and the other is the non-striker
- The bowler from the fielding team bowls the ball towards the striker, aiming to hit the wicket (three vertical stumps) or get the batter out in other ways
- The striker tries to hit the ball with a flat bat to score runs and defend the wicket
- Runs are scored by the two batters running between the wickets after hitting the ball or by hitting the ball to the boundary (4 runs if it touches the ground before crossing the boundary, 6 runs if it clears the boundary without touching the ground)
Ways to Score Runs
- Running between the wickets after hitting the ball.
- Hitting the ball to the boundary for 4 or 6 runs without running
Ways to Get Out
- Bowled: The ball hits the wicket.
- Caught: A fielder catches the ball before it hits the ground.
- Run out: A fielder hits the wicket with the ball while the batters are running.
- LBW (Leg Before Wicket): The ball hits the batter’s leg in front of the wicket, preventing the ball from hitting the stumps
Roles and Positions
- The bowler delivers the ball to the batter.
- The wicket-keeper stands behind the wicket to catch balls the batter misses.
- Fielders are spread around the field to catch the ball or prevent runs
Match Formats
- Matches can be played in various formats, including Test matches (up to 5 days), One Day Internationals (50 overs per team), and Twenty20 (20 overs per team)
In summary, cricket involves batting to score runs and bowling/fielding to dismiss batters and limit runs. The team with the most runs at the end of the match wins
