Foo - The fascinating sport that is Cricket.

OK, So I'm watching FSW Report on Fox Soccer Channel, and there showing cricket highlights. Now I have watched countless highlights, and I never really cared, but for some reason it just looks so appealing to know, and I guess sub-conciously I've always wanted to know, WHAT ARE THE RULES OF CRICKET? I would like to know like why they play one match for several days, what a test is, and how long are normal games, and how many games are in a season? What are the regulations and rules of cricket? What does it take to win a match? IDK, just give me the simplest information on this wondrous sport.


Thanks much,
scarp

Cricket is pretty much our national sport in Australia. There are a couple of different forms of the game. "Test" matches are played between countries over five days. Each team has 11 players and a 12th man as a back up. Each side gets to bat twice. Each batsman bats once in an innings until they are all out then the other side gets to bat. The side that scores the most runs is the winner, although in test matches there can be a lot of draws. A batsman can be out when the ball is bowled and strikes his wicket, when he hits it and a fielder catches it on the full, he attempts to run to the other end and a fielder hits a wicket he is running to with a ball or a coupe of more obscure ways.

There is also a limited overs form of the game (an over is when the ball is bowled six times) Each side bats for 50 0vers and the side scoring the most wins. IMHO this is the most exciting form of the game.

Thats an enritrely simplified view of the game but might give you an idea.

P.S Runs are scored when a batsmen hits the ball and runs to the other end of the pitch. If he makes it without the wicket he is running to being hit it scores as a run. He can run as many times as he is able until a fielder can hit the wicket. 4 runs are scored when the ball is hit to the fence. If the ball is hit over the fence it scores 6 runs.

How many innings?

2 each team for a test match. 1 each for a one day game (limited overs)

Baseball is derived from Cricket. Cricket was a very popular sport in parts of the US before baseball was invented.

Without an understanding of Cricket you can never really 'get' the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy books.


PS. England has the Ashes.

I had just started learning the rules cricket (I had finally figured out the scoring) and that explination was really helpful. Thanks.

PS. England has the Ashes.

Shut up. Some things just aren't discussed.

Silly people - cricket has no rules. :p The matches last for however long the chaps feel like carrying on (with obligatory breaks for tea, crumpets, cutting the grass and pressing the unis). I guess that if one finds watching baseball to be exciting, cricket, bowling, tennis, curling and NASCAR might all have some hope of maintaining some television ratings.

Yawn - wake me up when the tea comes around.

Say, you know what's more boring than a cricket match?


No?


Me either... :D

Say, you know what's more boring than a cricket match?

American 'Football'... 5 seconds of play followed by 45 minutes of touching each others tackle, ass and stroking of egos. They wear bloody pads too, watch Rugby League or Australian Rules, just as hard hits minus the pads.

My favorite part is the "pitch report." Before the match, a commentator goes out to the pitch and gets on his hands and knees to examine and describe the grass in front of the wicket.

Oh, and they stop for tea! What a civilized sport...

American 'Football'... 5 seconds of play followed by 45 minutes of touching each others tackle, ass and stroking of egos. They wear bloody pads too, watch Rugby League or Australian Rules, just as hard hits minus the pads.

It's amazing how boring a lot of American sports are without commercial breaks, instant replays, graphics/features and such. Baseball and American football can seem extremely slow in real life when the only thing that you can watch is the players on the field.

The 360º field in cricket is great.....no foul balls. Every time the bat hits the ball, the ball's in play.

Baseball is derived from Cricket. Cricket was a very popular sport in parts of the US before baseball was invented.
Cricket's still popular in parts of Brooklyn and Queens amongst Pakistani and Jamaican immigrants.



Without an understanding of Cricket you can never really 'get' the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy books.
Ahhh...now I get it. The real mystery joke to Americans was the Ford Prefect. Who knew it was a car?

Say, you know what's more boring than a cricket match?


No?


Me either... :D

Baseball is way more boring then cricket

Baseball is way more boring then cricket

I don't mean to bash anybody's passion. If you enjoy cricket, that's great. As far as baseball being boring, I offer no argument. My sports are hockey and football (yes, the kind with the helmets and pads). Although, I used to watch Aussie football years ago, when ESPN aired it. Sadly, they don't seem to offer it anymore. Fun to watch, don't think I'd like to play it.

Aussie football is great - and they have the coolest referees.

I love ice hockey. I don't understand it but the fights are great. We play hockey here in Australia but its on grass. Not as much fun to watch or play. Rugby League is the best form of football in my opinion. Lots of action and few stoppages.

PS. England has the Ashes.

which is the way it should be.

oh, and:

"Cricket Made Easy" at the University of Alabama. (http://bama.ua.edu/~cricket/learncricket.htm)

that's right. 'Bama. Roll Tide.

which is the way it should be.

So the liking of the poms goes further than just the Jag fixation eh jhota?

They did good this year, can't really fault them.

The rules of cricket made easy (or not)

You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that's in the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out. When they are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side thats been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out.

When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who stay all out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game!

Aussie football is great - and they have the coolest referees.

LOL. When the ref throws the ball in from the out of bounds it looks ridiculous. They should let the players throw it in like football.

Ahhh...now I get it. The real mystery joke to Americans was the Ford Prefect. Who knew it was a car?

I'm pretty sure that's explained in the first few pages.

LOL. When the ref throws the ball in from the out of bounds it looks ridiculous. They should let the players throw it in like football.

They are umpires, not referees. Maggot is also acceptable :D

They are umpires, not referees. Maggot is also acceptable :D

They also don't wear boots, they wear white sneakers. Not a good look.


PS. There's only one Tony Lockett!

LOL. When the ref throws the ball in from the out of bounds it looks ridiculous. They should let the players throw it in like football.

The chaps who stand back by the goals wearing the white coats, and indicating when a kick is good. They are the coolest. Very calm, looking rather disinterested, and making the smooth hand signals.

The chaps who stand back by the goals wearing the white coats, and indicating when a kick is good. They are the coolest. Very calm, looking rather disinterested, and making the smooth hand signals.


I wasn't even thinking about those guys. They look a bit like a white coated bookie.

So the liking of the poms goes further than just the Jag fixation eh jhota?

They did good this year, can't really fault them.

it's not their fault they were born English. not everyone has the fortune to be born a Scot... :D

anyway, the poor blighters hadn't won in what, eighteen years?

while i admire you Australians (among other things, your national character is much closer to the US than that of the English), in cricket my loyalty lies with England.

I'm pretty sure that's explained in the first few pages.
Not in an as-direct manner as you would think. Ford introduced himself to a car. I never got the connection, but then again, I might have been pretty thick when I was 13.

it's not their fault they were born English. not everyone has the fortune to be born a Scot... :D

anyway, the poor blighters hadn't won in what, eighteen years?

while i admire you Australians (among other things, your national character is much closer to the US than that of the English), in cricket my loyalty lies with England.
If I remember correctly, when it comes to cricket, the rivalry between Australia and England is as intense as the rivalry between good and evil, except with cucumber sandwiches and tea. When New Zealand or South Africa comes to town, the level of hate goes down a notch.

well, yes. the only other rivalry near as intense (in cricket, anyway) would be India/Pakistan.

for any US residents unable to follow the programme, think:

Texas/Texas A&M, Carolina/Clemson, Army/Navy, Yankees/Red Sox, Redskins/Cowboys, or Tar Heels/Blue Devils. that's the level of intensity. vehement hate. but more polite.

It's worse than that. Aussies hate Poms. Getting beaten by the Poms at anything is a disaster. The recent Ashes loss is simply not discussed. We pretend it never happened it is so embarrassing and shameful. It is a disaster of Biblical proportions!

Imagine how the English hate getting beaten by the French, or worse Germany, multiply it by two and you get somewhere near the sense of loss!!

It's worse than that. Aussies hate Poms. Getting beaten by the Poms at anything is a disaster. The recent Ashes loss is simply not discussed. We pretend it never happened it is so embarrassing and shameful. It is a disaster of Biblical proportions!

Imagine how the English hate getting beaten by the French, or worse Germany, multiply it by two and you get somewhere near the sense of loss!!
When I was in Australia years ago, they were running commercials for the Australian-England rugby matchup. One of the lines was something along the lines of, "Come out and watch us destroy those bastards!".

BTW, what does Poms stand for? I thought it meant Prisoners of Mother England, but that'd refer to Australians, wouldn't it?

It's worse than that. Aussies hate Poms.

oh yeah, because India and Pakistan just love each other. they aren't building nukes for fun, you know. :rolleyes:

oh yeah, because India and Pakistan just love each other. they aren't building nukes for fun, you know. :rolleyes:

Thanks for that. You must have some sort of degree in stating the bleeding obvious.

I was referring to the US rivalries listed, genius. :p

NY and Boston may not have nukes, but we got guns and knives so you know that ***** gets bloody any time the Yanks play the Red Sox.

Getting beaten by the Poms at anything is a disaster. The recent Ashes loss is simply not discussed. We pretend it never happened it is so embarrassing and shameful.
recent Ashes loss? what Ashes loss? :D
but... a few years ago we DID beat england 3-1 in a friendly soccer match :)

I'm pretty sure that's explained in the first few pages.

Nope, never was.

If I remember correctly, when it comes to cricket, the rivalry between Australia and England is as intense as the rivalry between good and evil, except with cucumber sandwiches and tea. When New Zealand or South Africa comes to town, the level of hate goes down a notch.


Unless the South Africans are playing the New Zealanders in Rugby.

Nope, never was.

Maybe because it was self-evident to me but not to an American (which defeats my early assertion). I'll have to look it up. Probably.

Well, anyway. I always figured that if we Yanks took up cricket in earnest, within 5 years we'd dominate all you Commonwealth types.

With a flat bat, all those hockey goalie pads, 360 degrees of fair territory, and you don't have to run unless you think you'll be safe? Shoot, we could get Tony Gwynn out of retirement and they'd never bowl him out.

Well, anyway. I always figured that if we Yanks took up cricket in earnest, within 5 years we'd dominate all you Commonwealth types.

With a flat bat, all those hockey goalie pads, 360 degrees of fair territory, and you don't have to run unless you think you'll be safe? Shoot, we could get Tony Gwynn out of retirement and they'd never bowl him out.

Yes, but unlike baseball the batsman is deliberately targeted. So if you can hit someone on the body or in the head that is a good thing. You don't have a brawl just because someone gets hit in the face such as Mike Gatting vs Malcolm Marshall (the ball hit Gatting's foot and richocheted into his face meaning he required plastic surgery - when Marshall picked up the ball after Gatting had left the field it still had a part of Gatting's nose-bone embedded in it).

Yes, but unlike baseball the batsman is deliberately targeted. So if you can hit someone on the body or in the head that is a good thing.

Ever heard of Sal "The Barber" Maglie? ;)

Ever heard of Sal "The Barber" Maglie? ;)

No.

Ever heard of Sal "The Barber" Maglie? ;)
Or Bob Gibson...

And Drysdale and Marichal from the Giants-Dodgers beanball wars of the 60s. These guys knew how to play a little "chin music."

<< Baseball is derived from Cricket>>

No it's not, it's derived from rounders, a game played by girls and small children.
Basketball is derived from netball, also played by girls.
American football is derived from Rugby and watered down to accommodate the more delicate among us :)

And Drysdale and Marichal from the Giants-Dodgers beanball wars of the 60s. These guys knew how to play a little "chin music."

Was it legal with the laws of the game? How many of them were killed?

<< Baseball is derived from Cricket>>

No it's not, it's derived from rounders, a game played by girls and small children.
Basketball is derived from netball, also played by girls.
American football is derived from Rugby and watered down to accommodate the more delicate among us :)

Cricket, paddleball, trap ball, one old cat, rounders, and town ball all contributed to the evolution of baseball.

I think American football deviated from rugby when the Americans allowed the forward pass.

Netball is still played by Commonwealth countries.

Prohibited by the Official Rules of the Game. But absolutely mandated by the unwritten rules of the game.

Prohibited by the Official Rules of the Game. But absolutely mandated by the unwritten rules of the game.

Why do they have a brawl everytime it happens then?