People have been playing cricket for centuries. Although it’s most popular in countries like India, Pakistan, and South Africa, it’s loved worldwide. It’s a game steeped in tradition and history, so if you want to learn how to play cricket in 2024, you must embed yourself in these practices. Innovation has taken place throughout the years and changed how the game is played. If you’re a beginner and want to refine your skills, this is what you should know about cricket.
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How to Play Cricket in 2024
Objectives
The first thing you need to understand when learning how to play cricket is the point of the game. The team with the most runs wins the game. When a batsman hits the ball, runs to the other end of the pitch and touches the ball with a crease or their body, they score a run.
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Teams and Roles
Every team has 11 players consisting of batsmen, bowlers, wicketkeepers, and fielders. The game is divided into innings. In the first inning, the first team bats and another bowls and in the second innings, the roles reverse.
A wicket keeper wears gloves and stands behind the stamps that the opposition bats. This position is important because he or she helps catch balls and sway a bowler’s approach on the kind of ball they should use.
Bowlers are players that bowl (deliver the ball to a batter). They can be divided into spinners and pacers. Pacers use the speed and movement of the ball to beat batters. They tend to use newer balls but can also use older ones.
Spinners bowl slower and aim to deliver balls with a ‘spin’ providing different angles on the ball movement. They divide themselves into leg spinners and off-spinners.
Batters specialize in batting and scoring runs. Batters used in the opening round are called “team openers”. Those who do both are all-rounders. A player who bats and bowls is called a batting all-rounder. A player who bowls but can also score runs is a bowling all-rounder.
The rules don’t specify how many players should fill each position. Teams decide depending on strategy, availability and approach.
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Cricket Formats
There are three formats of cricket, each with its duration and rules.
- One Day International (ODI)
- Twenty 20 (T20)
- Test match
An ODI match takes about 7 to 8 hours, each team having 300 deliveries, divided into 50 overs, to score the most runs.
A T20 match takes about 3 to 4 hours, with each team having 20 overs (120 balls). Fans love this format because it’s quicker and generates more excitement.
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A test match takes about five days and is the game’s oldest format. Each day, a minimum of 90 overs is played.
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Equipment and Playing the Game
Like any other sport, cricket has specific equipment it uses. They include bats, balls and protective gear (helmet, gloves, pads and box).
This is what it entails: When batting, hold the bat with both hands, stand with your feet and shoulders apart, slightly bent knees and look at the ball. When bowling, focus on the speed of the ball. Go for accuracy and variation.
Fielding has three aspects to it; catching, throwing, and positioning. A catcher should know how to anticipate balls coming from different angles and height. A player in this position would also know how to deliver a strong ball. Also, master different fielding positions with their roles and responsibilities.
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The Cricket Field and Pitch
Cricket is played on an oval pitch and is divided into different sections. Every player on a team takes a specific position. When learning how to play cricket, it’s important to understand how it works. Here’s a video with all the details.
Scoring System
The most important details to know when looking at the scoreboard are the runs, the number of outs or wickets, and the number of overs.
The higher the number of runs, the better the scores. If all 10 players are out, their batting innings end and the number of overs bowled. A score might look like this: 129-5 (25 overs). This means, 129 runs made, 5 players are out and 25 overs are completed.
If you’re learning how to play cricket, be patient. It might look complicated at first, but as you get used to the terminologies, players’ functions and how the field works, you will begin to understand the game. Join a club, watch games, read articles and keep practising.
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