The game of cricket is a little more than just a sport. It represents a unique culture in countries like Australia and England.
A good game of cricket can be a great chance to hang with friends and family over a nice barbeque and some beverages. However, to some people, cricket may seem complex and hard to understand. If you are struggling to understand, CricFacts is the ultimate resource for fans of international Cricket. Like most other sports, it’s quite simple once you’ve understood how it’s played.
If you’re new to cricket, here’s a simple guide for you. By the end of it, you should have a basic understanding of the game. And if you’re looking for tickets to The Ashes, this article could shed light on everything you need to know about cricket.
What Is Cricket?
Cricket is essentially about batting and bowling. It’s a field game played between two teams of 11 players each. On the cricket field is a pitch of about 22 yards with three stamps known as a wicket at each end. Each wicket has two bails balanced on top of the stamps to be protected by the batting team.
In cricket, a player known as a bowler will throw a ball with the aim of hitting the wicket, while the opponent protects the wicket by hitting the ball (in what’s known as ‘batting’). Of course, it’s not just as simple as that.
There are rules to be followed and terms that are used to describe the scoring and refereeing (umpiring). Some of those are discussed below.
How The Game Is Played
The team that’s protecting its wicket is called the batting team. On the other hand, the team trying to hit the wicket is called the fielding team. Before a game starts, a coin is tossed to determine which team bats or fields first.
Batting
The batting team sends two of their players into the field at a time. The striking batsman will face the bowler while the other batsman will be at the other end of the pitch. The bowler will deliver to the striker to get them out of the game.
When the batsman fails to protect his stamps, or if he hits a ball that’s caught before it lands, he gets out and makes way for another batsman in the batting order. If all the ten striking batsmen are out, the opposing team takes their turn to bat.
The aim of the batting team is not only to protect the wicket but also to score as many points as possible. Each point is known as a ‘run’.
Each batting player is stationed in front of a wicket. When the bowler bowls towards the batsman, he has to hit the ball as far away as possible to make runs. A run is made when the two batsmen run across the pitch to switch wickets.
Bowling
A bowler is a player who delivers the ball to the batsman. This is known as bowling. The main aim of the bowler is to get the batsman out or to prevent him from hitting the ball. The rest of the fielding team are scattered in strategic positions to stop runs from being scored or to get the batsmen out.
A bowler throws the ball with the aim of hitting the stamps. A wicket is taken when the batsman fails to protect the stamps. The fielding team aims to take as many wickets as possible. A wicket can also be taken when a fielder catches the ball that was hit into the air by the batsman. They, however, have to catch the ball before it touches the ground.
Fielding
If a batsman hits the ball, the fielders have to stop it from going far. If a batsman is caught outside his batting area (also known as a crease), he is bowled out. Therefore, he has to hit the ball as far away as possible. Behind the batsman is a fielder known as the wicket-keeper. His role is to stop any ball that the batsman misses.
Overs
An over is when a bowler has delivered six balls. After each over, a different bowler comes and delivers his own over. At the same time, the batsmen swap sides to change the striker. A bowler cannot deliver two consecutive overs, and once they begin an over, they have to finish it.
Scoring
In a nutshell, the team that bats first has to score as many runs as possible. When on the field, they also have to prevent the other team from reaching a score. The game is overseen by three referees, known as umpires. One umpire is in the field with the players, while the other two watch from camera-monitored screens and the sidelines.
Types Of Matches
At the professional level, there are three main types of cricket matches:
- Test match: This is made up of four innings and can last up to five days. Both teams are allowed to go through their batsmen twice in one match. A test match will typically consist of 90 overs.
- One-day match: This is a match that will last one day, and it typically has a 50-over limit for each team.
- Twenty20: Each team only has 20 overs to bat. A match can end within three hours.
About The Ashes
A test cricket tournament is played between England and Australia every two years. This is known as ‘The Ashes’. Therefore, the Ashes 22 series highlights five test cricket matches between England and Australia to win The Ashes Cup.
As a big sporting event, the series will be played at five venues in Australia from December 8, 2021, to January 18, 2022.
Conclusion
Now that you know a thing or two about cricket, The Ashes will be a great place to enjoy the wonderful game. Go on and grab your tickets. You won’t regret it.
