Cricket Sports Information
Cricket is an outdoor team sport similar to baseball. It is played between two teams and is believed to have originated in England in the 16th century. Cricket, which is the national sport of England, is surpassed in worldwide popularity only by soccer and basketball. It is a sport that has gained world-wide popularity and is played in more than 120 countries.
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History of the Game
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The exact origin of the game of cricket is not known. In 1646, the first recorded cricket match took place in Kent, England. In England during the 1700's, the game was popular and widely documented. In 1744, the first rules, or "Laws of Cricket" were written and by the 1760's the first cricket club was formed. The modern game began to take shape in the 1770's and today it is governed by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Equipment
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A cricket ball is made of layers of cork and wool, covered in red or white leather, and is no larger than nine inches in circumference. The cricket bat, which is used to hit the ball, is flat with a rubber-gripped handle. The wicket-keeper, ("catcher") is the only fielder allowed to wear gloves, which are made of leather and worn on each hand.
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Playing Area
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The cricket ground--a large, circular, grassy area--is the playing field. The pitch, which is a strip of grass, is the center of the ground. Three wooden poles called stumps (collectively called a wicket) are set in the ground at each end of the pitch. Two small pieces of wood called bails are found on top of the stumps. The popping crease is a long white line found in front of and parallel to the wicket. Two other white lines called the return creases run between the two wickets.
Hitting the Ball
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The batter stands in front of one wicket and tries to score runs by hitting balls that the bowler ("pitcher") throws. The batter has a partner who stands at the opposite wicket and if the batter hits the ball and chooses to run, they both run to their opposite wickets. Once they're both beyond the popping crease, a run is scored. Depending on how far the ball is hit, the batter and his partner may have time to run back and forth from wicket to wicket, scoring another run each time. If the batter hits the ball out of the ground, (a "home run" in baseball) his team scores six points. If a ground ball is hit out of the playing area, the team scores four points.
Getting Put Out
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The batter continues to hit until he is put out. One way to be put out is if the bowler throws the ball past the batter, hits the wicket and knocks off at least one bail. Another way is when a batter blocks the ball with his body or when the ball is hit in the air and caught by a fielder. Finally, while the batters are running, a fielder can get the ball, throw it, hit the wicket and knock off at least one bail before the batter crosses the popping crease. Ten of 11 batters have to be put out before switching sides. The team with the most runs wins.
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