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Cricket
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Cricket is very popular in many parts of the world including England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan and the West Indies yet is not quite so well known in the United States. Cricket originated in Europe over 1000 years ago. Cricket is played with two teams of eleven players each. It is played on an oval shaped field with a very flat area in the middle which is called the pitch. A cricket bat is quite different from a baseball bat; it is similar in length yet has a paddle type flattening on one side and a square shaped bottom. A cricket ball is made of cork and covered with leather. At each end of the pitch, 66 feet apart, is a wicket made of three upright sticks called stumps spaced a ball width apart. Two small sticks (called bails) are placed on the top of the stumps.
The game is played with teams alternately batting and fielding as in baseball but an innings lasts much longer and each team has only two in the entire match. The batting team sends out two batsmen who stand at each end of the pitch. A bowler from the fielding team runs up until he is level with one of the wickets then delivers the ball overarm towards the far wicket with object of knocking off the bails. The batsman at that end stands in front of the wicket and protects it by trying to hit the ball. If he succeeds the two batsmen run between the wickets until the fielding team can recover the ball. Each crossing of the pitch scores a run. The fielding team can get either batsman out by knocking down the wicket he is running to with the ball before he gets there. If a batsman hits the ball right to the edge of the field it is called a boundary. If the ball touches the ground on the way it scores four runs. If the ball stays in the air all the way it scores six runs but if the ball is caught in the air by one of the fielders the batsmen is out. When one of the batsmen is out another takes his place until ten of them are out. Then it is the other team’s turn to bat. The team that scores the most runs wins.
The length of a game can vary from a few hours up to five days in the case of a game between countries. A game between countries is known as a Test Match. The official rules of cricket are called the Laws of Cricket and are governed by the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) at Lord’s cricket ground in London, England. A simplified version of the game can easily be played in your backyard, Local Park or at the beach.
Number of Players: 2 or more
Equipment: ball (a tennis ball or other similar sized ball), bat (flattened on one side with a handle) and wicket (3 stumps and a piece to rest across the top – this can be improvised with sticks).
Object of the Game: To hit the ball and score runs before the wicket is knocked down.
To Play: One person is chosen to be the bowler first and another the batter. The batter stands in front of the wicket and hits the ball thrown overhand (or underhand) by the bowler. If successful the batter runs (with their bat) to the opposite wicket (or designated spot). If they make it before their wicket is knocked over they score a run. If the batter accidently knocks their own wicket over they are out. Another person then gets a chance to bat. The winner is the person who scores the most runs.
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