If you're not from a Commonwealth country - meaning you weren't once part of the British Empire - then you can be forgiven for not knowing what cricket is, even though it's the world's second most popular sport.
Cricket is followed by 2.5 billion fans and players around the world, and New Zealand is a serious cricketing nation. When you're in the office, on site or in a bar, you've got to have a little bit of cricketing banter, whether you're a man or a woman.
This article is really for the person who arrives in New Zealand and hears or sees a cricket match and wonders what the heck is going on, especially when they're playing for 5 days . 5 days for a sports match?! What's going on?
This article covers the very basics - good luck!
Introduction to cricket
Cricket is played by two teams of 11, with one side taking a turn to bat a ball and score runs, while the other team will bowl and field the ball to restrict the opposition from scoring. The main objective in cricket is to score as many runs as possible against the opponent. Before the match begins, the captain of both teams will toss a coin, with the winner of the toss being able to decide which team bats and fields first.
Each cricket match consists of periods known as innings, and the number of innings that each team has will be determined before the match, usually one or two. During an inning, one team bats the ball while the other attempts to field. Both teams take turns alternating between batting and fielding.
The match takes place on an oval cricket field, which consists of a rectangular pitch in the center. A boundary marks the perimeter of the field, and can take the form of a fence, ropes or lines. Additionally, a wooden target known as the wicket is placed on both ends of the rectangular pitch, approximately 20 meters apart. The wicket is made out of three stumps, supporting two bails that sit on the stumps.
Lines also mark the pitch, with a line called the bowling crease placed in line to the wicket. Another line, known as the popping or batting crease, is located around 1.2 meters in front of the wicket. These creases determine the area in which the bowler and batter can operate.
While the game is in progress, all 11 members of the fielding team have to be on the field, but only two members of the batting team are allowed to be on the playing ground. A player is selected from the fielding team and he is known as the bowler, while the rest of the 10 players are known as fielders. The bowler will then attempt to hit the wicket with the ball, while one of the fielders – specifically known as the wicket keeper – crouches behind the wicket to catch the ball if it misses.
The batsman from the opposition team will attempt to hit the bowled ball before it hits the wicket. The rest of the fielders are required to chase the ball once the batsman has hit it. The role of the batsman is to prevent the wicket from getting hit by the ball, by batting the ball away. Additionally, in order to score a run, both batsman have to run from their respective wickets to the other as many times as possible after a ball has been hit.
Forms of cricket
Cricket is unique as a sport with 3 different formats of the game at the very highest level:
Test Cricket,
One Day International Cricket
Twenty20 International Cricket
These matches are played under the rules and regulations approved by the International Cricket Council, which also provides match officials for them.
Test cricket is the traditional form of the game, which has been played since 1877 and now settled in a five-day format which comprises two innings each. It is considered the pinnacle form because it tests teams over a longer period of time. Teams need to exhibit endurance, technique and temperament in different conditions to do well in this format.
One Day Internationals, also known as ODIs, are a pacier format which started in 1971 but gained in popularity from the 1980s. These are one-innings matches of 50 overs per side, in which teams with a blend of technique, speed and skill are expected to do well. The ICC’s pinnacle event, the ICC Cricket World Cup, is contested every four years in this format.
The 50-over format has developed in more recent years with the ICC also organising the Champions Trophy for the top eight ranked teams, the ICC Women’s World Cup every four years and the ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup every two years.
Twenty20 Internationals are the newest, shortest and fastest form of the game. This format of 20 overs per side has brought in new audiences since its advent in 2005 and also triggered new skill sets and innovations. A Twenty20 International match is usually competed in three hours and with huge hitting, skillful bowling and amazing fielding it has been hugely popular with fans right around the world.
The ICC World Twenty20 is the premier international T20 tournament which started in 2007, and it has been hosted a further five times since then with the advent of the ICC Women's World Twenty20 being hosted alongside the men's event since 2009.
Here are some highlights of a match between Bangladesh and New Zealand from a Twenty20 (or T20) match that may help you understand how it's played.
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