Cricket Tutorials - Because Honestly, Some Of Us Don’t Get It!
When it’s cricket season, the entire country is just glued to the T.V. and honestly, I’m not sure I get the game. Okay, I understand parts of it, but I really think I need to brush up on my cricket basics. If you’re in the same boat, care to join me?
Types Of Matches
Yeah, that’s right! Apparently, there are types of matches. Until today, they all looked the same to me. Anyway, let’s check them out.
Test Match: This one’s the longest; it goes up to five days. Both teams will go through their batting lineup twice for a total of four innings. A test match will feature 90 overs.
One day match: Sticks to its name, it lasts for a day. Each team bats once with 50 overs each.
Twenty 20: This one’s short and sweet. Each team plays for 20 overs, so matches can end within three to four hours if there’s no interruption.
The Game
The captains from both teams gather around the umpire for the toss. The umpire flips a coin and whoever wins the toss gets to bat first.
Then, there are the fielders, bowlers, and wicket keepers. The fielders take their positions: the wicket-keeper behind the stumps (or wicket) of the batsman, the opening bowler at the other end of the cricket pitch, and the rest of the fielders in positions assigned by the captain.
What Are These Cricket Terminologies?
I know right! When someone asks me “kitne over baaki hai?” I just stare at them or pretend I didn’t hear them. I’ve heard these words and I’ve seen it on the bottom of the T.V too, but now it’s time to know what they actually mean.
Over: Each over has 6 balls. Yep. It’s that simple!
Innings: This is basically each team taking turns to bat. A test match has four innings with each team coming up to bat twice and in other matches, each team gets to bat only once.
Wicket: Wicket is nothing but the three stumps behind the batsman. He bats in front of the wicket to protect it. The goal is to prevent the ball from hitting the wicket. If it does hit the wicket, then you’re out and you’re replaced by the next batsman.
Dismissal: Matlab batting khatam! This refers to the end of a batman's batting period. The goal for the fielding team is to dismiss 10 players to end the innings.
Types of dismissal - yeh “out” kaise hote hai?
Bowled: A batsman is out if a bowler hits the wicket. It can be either a direct hit or indirect ( if the ball touches the bat and then the wicket)
Caught: This was the only one I knew when I used to play gully cricket (I was the kacha nimbu) Basically the bowler or fielder needs to catch the ball.
Leg before wicket: If the ball hits your body, you’re out! It’s the umpire who takes a call on this. This does not apply if the delivery hits the bat.
Run out: This happens when the batsmen are running between wickets. If the fielder puts down a wicket while the ball is in play, the batsman closest to the wicket is out. Isiliye, tez bhaago!
Stumped: This can only be done by the wicket-keeper. He can put down a wicket when a batsman has stepped out of his crease.
Image Credits: EssentiallySports.com
Now that we know the basics of Cricket, we’re all ready to watch the next game, aren’t we?
So, bring out your chakna, pour yourself some Royal Challenge Sports drink and enjoy the game!
