Cricket Rules

Photo credit: Prescott Pym (source)

Cricket is a sport that has been tracked back to the early 16th century and has been a popular ever since. The pinnacle of the international game
comes in the form of the Cricket World Cup. Other major events include the T20 World Cup, Test Series and One Day series. Each country runs
a host of domestic competitions all highly competitive.

Object of the Game

The object of cricket is to score more runs than your opponent. There are three variations of the game (Test, One Day and Twenty 20) and each
give a certain timescale in which the game must be completed.

To score a run you need to hit the ball with a cricket bat made from wood (usually English willow or Kashmir). Whilst one team bats the other
bowls and fields. The aim is to bowl the opposing team out for as few runs as possible or restrict them to as few runs in the allocated time. After a
team has lost all their wickets or the allotted time has expired then the teams will switch roles.

Players & Equipment

Each team consists of 11 players. These eleven players will have varying roles in the team from batsmen, bowlers, fielders and wicket keepers.
Whilst each player may have a specialist role they can take up any role should they wish.

Pitch sizes vary greatly in cricket but are usually played on a circular grass field with a circumference of around 200m. Around the edge of the
field is what’s known as the boundary edge and is basically the line between being in play and out of play.

In the centre of the pitch will be the wicket. The wicket will have two sets of three stumps at either end and they must be 22 yards apart. At each
end of the wicket is known as the crease and a line is drawn about 2 yards across the wicket from the stumps. The bowler will bowl the cricket
ball from one end whilst the batsmen will try and hit the ball from the other end.

Batsmen can wear a host of padding including leg guards, gloves, thigh guards, inner thigh guards, a box, a helmet and a chest guard. All players
will wear spiked shoes and will all be wearing white clothing (the only exception is in shorter games where the players may wear coloured
clothing).

The cricket ball is made of cork and will be either red (test match) or white (one day games).

Scoring

A run occurs when a batsmen hits the ball with their bat and the two batsmen at the wicket mange to successfully run to the other end. The
batsmen can run as many times as they like before being given out. If the ball crosses the boundary rope after it has bounced at least once from
leaving the bat then 4 runs are given. If the ball goes over the boundary rope without bouncing then 6 runs are awarded to the batting team.

Runs can also be scored when the bowler bowls a wide delivery (a ball that is too far away from the stumps), a no ball (where the bowler
oversteps the front line on the wicket), a bye (where no one touches the ball but the two batsmen run anyway) and a leg bye (where the ball hits
the batsmen’s leg or body and a run is taken).

Winning the Game

One team will bat first and one team will field first. The batting team will try and score as many runs as possible in the allotted time whilst the
bowling team will try and contain them by fielding the ball. The teams then swap and the second team batting will try and outscore the runs their
opponents scored first. If they fail they lose, if they succeed they win.

Rules of Cricket

 Each team is made up of 11 players.

 The bowler must bowl 6 legal deliveries to constitute an over.
 A game must have two umpires stood at either end of the wicket. The umpires then must count the number of balls in the over, make
decisions on whether the batsmen is out after an appeal and also check that the bowler has bowled a legal delivery.
 A batsmen can be given out by either being bowled ( the ball hitting their stumps), caught (fielder catches the ball without it bouncing),
Leg Before Wicket (the ball hits the batsmen’s pads impeding its line into the stumps), stumped (the wicket keeper strikes the stumps
with their gloves whilst the batsmen is outside of their crease with ball in hand), hit wicket (the batsmen hits their own wicket), Handled
ball ( the batsmen handles the cricket ball on purpose), timed out (the player fails to reach the crease within 30 seconds of the
previous batsmen leaving the field), hit ball twice (batsmen hits the cricket ball twice with their bat) and obstruction ( the batsmen
purposely prevents the fielder from getting the ball).
 Test cricket is played over 5 days where each team has two innings (or two chances to bat).
 The scores are then cumulative and the team with the most runs after each innings is the winner.
 One Day cricket in played with 50 overs. Each team has 50 overs to bat and bowl before swapping and doing the previous discipline.
The team with the most runs at the end of the game wins.
 International games will have a further two umpires known as the third and fourth umpire. These are in place to review any decisions
that the on field umpires are unable to make.
 The fielding team must have one designated wicket keeper who is the only person allow to wear pads and gloves on the field. The
wicket keeper stands behind the opposite end to the bowler to catch the ball.

All-Rounder: A batsman who has the ability to bat and bowls both. Can also refer to a
batsman/wicket-keeper.
Around-the-wicket: When a bowler bowls with the wicket on the other side of the body to
the bowling arm.
All Out: When a batting side has no more player to bat, the state is called 'all-out', or end of
the innings.
Appeal: A call by a player to an umpire for a decision on any playing matter. Usually it is
'How's that' by the fielding side, asking umpire to declare a batsman 'out'.
Away-Swinger: A bowling delivery which moves in the air from leg to off, for left-handed
batsman it moves from off to leg.
Arm Bowl: Type of bowling by an off-spinner which has little or no spin. Such bowl when
bowled by leg-spinner is called 'zooter'
Back Foot: Batsman's footwork when he has placed his center of gravity onto the back foot
to play a shot, usually a defensive shot on a rising delivery.
Bails: Two small wooden cylinder-like pieces balanced at the top of three vertical dowels or
stumps.
Ball Tampering: Illegally altering the condition of the ball by fielding side. Altered
condition may give the fielding side an unfair advantage as the ball can swing more and late.
Bat carry: If one of the openers stays at the crease, while all other batsmen are out; it is said
that he 'carried the bat'.
Batsman: A player who plays with the help of bat different shots when the ball has been
bowled, usually in order to make runs.
Bowler: A player throwing the red, leather ball at the batsman to play, aiming to get him out.
Box: A protector worn by batsman to protect his part of body below the naval (genitals), type
of guard, like chest guard or thigh guard.
Beamer: A bowling delivery aimed directly at the body or head of the batsman.
Beaten: When a batsman failed to strike or play the ball, he is said to have been 'beaten' by
the bowler's skillful delivery.
Bouncer: A bowling delivery by a fast bowler which is pitched short and rising towards the
batsman's head, or at least chest high. Also called short-pitched delivery.
Boundary: Outer limit of playing area, like bowing ring, soccer ground etc.
Break: A slow bowler's delivery which spins to either side after hitting the pitch surface.
Bye: A run not scored by the bat, usually refers when wicket keeper failed to stop the
bowling delivery, which allows a batsman to make run/runs, whether bowl connected the bat
or not.
Century: When a batsman scored 100 runs in one innings.
Chinaman: Kind of leg-break delivery, when bowled by a left handed bowler.
Call: When both batsmen communicate, in order to refuse or confirm, for making run or runs,
usually by shouting "yes", "no", "wait".
Chop: Kind of shot played by a batsman, a form of late cut.
Chucker: Illegal delivery by a bowler when he throws to bowl instead of round-arm bowling
according to law.
Creeper: A ball runs along the ground, also known as 'shooter' or 'sneaker'.
Cut: kind of shot by a batsman.
Cover drive: A batting stroke directed towards the cover area.
Deep: When fielder fields near the boundary e.g. Deep Mid-on, Deep Cover, Deep Third
Man etc.
Duck: When a batsman out without scoring any run.
Duck (Golden): Golden duck is referred when batsman out on zero on the very first delivery.
Declaration: When a captain decides to close of an innings when he still has wickets in hand
i.e. batsmen still remaining to bat.
Delivery: Act of bowling.
Doosra: When an right handed off spinner bowls a delivery turning like a leg break, turning
from off to leg side.
Drive: A stroke by batsman like 'cover-drive', 'on-drive'....
Edge: Outermost perimeter of the bat. Also refer to a bowler's bowl when only just struck by
the edge of the bat.
Extras: Runs added to a team's total which are not created by the bat/batsman e.g. bys, leg-
byes, no-ball, wide-ball etc.
Field: Playing area, also refer to a fielder or positioning of the fielders.
Fine Leg: Field position whether short-leg or long-leg.
Full Toss: Bowler's ball which doesn't hit the pitch before reaching the batsman.
Finger Spin: A method which helps slow bowler to spin the ball with the help of
finger/fingers.
Flight: Kind of slow ball which has loop in the air, dropped sharply onto the pitch in order to
deceive the batsman.
Full Blooded: Batting stroke played with full physical power.
Good Length: In terms of length this bowling delivery pitches in such a position that a
batsman faces difficulty to play stroke. Usually he plays it defensively.
Googly: Leg break bowling to right-arm batsman, it appear that the ball will spin leg to off or
middle to off, but instead it will spin in opposite directions to deceive the batsman.
Grubber: A delivery after pitching the surface go very low.
Half Volley: A bowling delivery which pitches very near the bat that batsman has to strike
the ball immediately.
Hook: A batting stroke when played on side off the short pitched delivery.
Howzat: "How's That?" An appeal by the fielding side to the umpire asking for dismissal of a
batsman.
Innings: Time period for batting by a team or individual.
King Pair: A batsman is out on first ball for zero in both innings in a test match, he begged
King Pair.
Late Cut: With a horizontal bat a wristy stroke played outside the off-stump in slip area.
Long Leg: Fielding position, near the boundary, behind the wicket.
LBW: Leg Before Wicket. Method of dismissal credited to the bowler. When Batsman failed
to play the delivery and ball struck on his leg which is just in front of the wicket. It is up to
umpire judgment to give the batsman out or not under certain cricket law.
Leg Break: On pitching a ball turns from leg to off.
Leg Cutter: A fast leg-break bowled by the seam bowler.
Long Leg: Fielding position near the boundary on the leg-side. A very deep fine-leg.
Long-Off, Long-On: Fielding positions near the boundary on either side of the sightscreen at
the bowler's end.
Maiden Over: An over in which no run is scored by the batsman.
Night Watchman: When a wicket falls shortly before close of play, a low-order batsman
sent in to play out time, in order to prevent a better batsman risking his wicket.
No Ball: An illegal delivery under certain law. And bowler has to bowl extra. A run is added
to the score.
Off-Break: When a ball turns from off to leg.
Off-Cutter: Fast off-break bowling cutting the fingers across the seam of the ball.
Off-Drive: Drive on the front foot which hits the ball between cover and mid-off.
On-Drive: Drive which hits the ball between mid-wicket and mid-on.
Pitch: A specially prepared area, 5 feet width and 22 yards long, between the two sets of
stumps.
Point: A close fielding position square with the wicket on the off-side.
Pull: A force-full stroke sending the ball between mid-on and mid-wicket.Z
Reverse Sweep: When a right handed or left handed batsmen plays a sweep shot towards the
other side by changing the stance from a left handed to right handed and vice versa. This
relatively improvisation by the batsmen to play opposite to the set field position alowing the
batsmen to score runs where there are no fielders.
Run: Unit of scoring.
Run-out: A method of dismissal not credited to the bowler. When a batsman running for a
run and failed to reach the stumps in time, meanwhile a fielder, by throwing the ball, hit the
stumps.
Seam: The stitching around the circumference of the ball that fasten together its leather
segments.
Seamer: A bowler (medium or fast) who use the seam to deviate the ball when it pitches.
Shooter: A ball does not rise off the ground after pitching.
Short-Leg: A close fielding positions on the leg side, it could be forward short-leg, backward
or square.
Slip: Fielding position on the off-side near the wicket-keeper.
Square-Cut: A batsman's stroke which dispatches the ball just backward of point.
Stumps: Three wooden sticks when surmounted by the bails.
Sweep: Another stroke played off the front foot from the crouch position on the leg side.
Tail: Lower order of players in the team of 11, who are not selected for their specialized
batting skill.
Test Match: A contest of two innings per side in 5 days between the two full members of the
ICC (International Cricket Conference)
Tie: Match ended-up with equal runs scored by both sides and with the team batting last
having completed its innings.
Top Spin: Leg-break bowling when ball gain pace after bouncing but not to deviate literally.
Track: Substitute word for the cricket pitch.
Twelfth Man: An emergency fielder.
UDRS: Umpire Decision Review System. Link covers Hawk Eye, Snickometer and hotspot
technology.
Wicket: Three wooden stumps having bails on top. Wickets are pitched opposite and parallel
to each other, 22 yards apart. The term is also used to describe the pitch.
Wicket-Maiden: An over in which no runs scored by the batsman but at least one wicket
falls.
Wide: A ball high over or wide of the wicket and it must signaled by the umpire as "wide"
and as a penalty, a run is added to the score.
Yorker: A ball pitched just near the bat or batsman's toes, batsman has to stop it very quickly
otherwise ball passes underneath the bat to hit the wickets.

Arjuna awardees
1994 Sachin Tendulkar

1995 Anil Kumble

1996 Javagal Srinath

1997 Ajay Jadeja

1997 Sourav Ganguly

1998 Rahul Dravid

1998 Nayan Mongia

2000 Venkatesh Prasad

2001 VVS Laxman

2002 Virender Sehwag

2003 Harbhajan Singh

2003 Mithali Raj

2005 Anju Jain

2006 Anjum Chopra

2009 Gautam Gambhir

2010 Jhulan Goswami

2011 Zaheer Khan

2012 Yuvraj Singh

2013 Virat Kohli

2014 R Ashwin

2015 Rohit Sharma

 Ball – A red, white or pink ball with a cork base, wrapped in twine covered with leather. The ball should have a circumference of 9.1 in (23 centimetres) unless it is
a children's size.

 Bat – A wooden bat is used. The wood used is from the Kashmir or English willow tree. The bat cannot be more than 38 inches (96.5 cm) long and 4.25 inches
(10.8 cm) wide. Aluminium bats are not allowed. The bat has a long handle and one side has a smooth face.

 Stumps – three upright wooden poles that, together with the bails, form the wicket.

 Bails – two crosspieces made of wood, placed on top of the stumps.

 Sight screen – A screen placed at the boundary known as the sight screen. This is aligned exactly parallel to the width of the pitch and behind both pairs of
wickets.

 Boundary – A rope demarcating the perimeter of the field known as the boundary.