NationStates Jolt Archive

Does anyone else on NS General either follow or play cricket? I do both, and will confess I am possibly the most abysmal batsmen in England (Ian Bell the exception). I played my first innings on saturday, first duck of the season:)

I love cricket, although my abilities only extend as far as the occassional knock about in the park. It's a pain it's on Sky now, although Blowers and Boycott on the radio make up for that a little.

I love cricket, although my abilities only extend as far as the occassional knock about in the park. It's a pain it's on Sky now, although Blowers and Boycott on the radio make up for that a little.

Yep, I both play and watch. I'm quite a good bowler and fielder, but I'm utter crap batting-wise.

We dont like cricket,
oh no,
We love it!

Does anyone else on NS General either follow or play cricket? I do both, and will confess I am possibly the most abysmal batsmen in England (Ian Bell the exception). I played my first innings on saturday, first duck of the season:)

Chris/others, could you please explain the game?

How does a team score... what is a wicket... when is a team finished batting (like in baseball, they're through when there are three outs)... what does it mean when a team scores 284 for 9 (for instance)?

etc.

thanks!

I play cricket. I used to fancy myself as a batsman, but in reality, I was shit. Now I mainly consign myself to steady off-spin (doesn't turn an inch, but batsman get out dying of boredom).

Cricket is detailed here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket

It is incomprehensible to Americans, so I would not suggest you attempt to try.

I am not a huge fan myself, though it seems to be the second biggest sport in the world. This may seem an overstatement, but it is huge in India, Pakistan, Bangledesh, West Indies and Sri Lanka, furthermore it is big in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and England.

Chris/others, could you please explain the game?

How does a team score... what is a wicket... when is a team finished batting (like in baseball, they're through when there are three outs)... what does it mean when a team scores 284 for 9 (for instance)?

etc.

thanks!

Go on then, the team batting try to score runs. However, once the tenth preson is out they can score no more. 284 for nine is short for 284 runs scored for 9 wickets lost [batsmen out].

Chris/others, could you please explain the game?

How does a team score... what is a wicket... when is a team finished batting (like in baseball, they're through when there are three outs)... what does it mean when a team scores 284 for 9 (for instance)?

etc.

thanks!
There's a lot on wiki to get your head round. Here's the basics:
Two teams, eleven men per team. The aim is to score more runs than the opposing team over two innings. An innings is 10 wickets.

The fielding team's aim is to get the batting team out (sorry if this is patronising). The bowlers deliver the ball, in a vaguely similar way to a pitcher, although (generally) the ball is made to bounce on the way to the batsman.

A wicket is one of three things - the three stumps with the two bails on top; the patch of grass where the stumps are placed at either end; and an 'out' - if a bowler takes 3 wickets in a match, that means he has got 3 opposing batsmen out.

The batting team is out when they have lost 10 wickets. There's also declarations, but that's more complicated.

Runs are scored by running between the wickets. Once the bowler has bowled a ball, the batsmen hit it (duh...sorry). They then run between the wickets, while the fielding team aims to get the ball back to one of the wickets (the stumps) as quickly as possible. If the ball is hit to the boundary rope, but hits the ground on the way, 4 runs are scored, and if it doesn't hit the ground on the way, 6 runs are scored.

There are several different ways of being 'out':
Bowled - from the bowler, the ball strikes the stumps, dislodging one or both bails.
LBW (Leg Before Wicket) - this is a bit complicated. If the ball bounces in line with the two wickets at either end, then hits the batsman's leg below the knee, while the batsman is not attempting to play a stroke (hit the ball), the batsman is given out.
Caught - when the batsman hits the ball and it's caught before touching the ground.
Run out - if, when running between the wickets, the ball is returned to either wicket and the bails are dislodged by the ball, when the batsman has not reached the 'crease' (the line in front of the stumps...I think it's about a foot in front), that batsman is out, regardless of who played the original stroke.

Those are the most common ways of taking wickets. There's also striking or stepping on your own wicket (when you as the batsman dislodge the bails yourself) and a few others.

Your example, 284 for 9, means that the batting team has scored 284 runs in one innings, and have had 9 wickets taken (so they only have one left in that innings). It's not a great score.

A team's score for the two innings is combined, and the team with the highest score wins. If the team that bats last wins, the result is expressed in terms of the number of wickets they have left (so if they reach the target number of runs with 4 wickets left, they will be said to have won by 4 wickets). If the team fielding last wins, the result is expressed in terms of runs - so if the team batting last falls short of the target by x runs, then the fielding team will have won by x runs).

Erm...I hope that's useful, and not too patronising. I was assuming you know nothing about cricket. Best way to pick up rules is by watching it, to be honest, the same as most other sports.

I play cricket. I used to fancy myself as a batsman, but in reality, I was shit. Now I mainly consign myself to steady off-spin (doesn't turn an inch, but batsman get out dying of boredom).
Heh. :p I'm a medium-fast bowler, but my accuracy is utter crap. Approximately every fourth ball is a wide. So I don't play, except with friends in the park. I'm not too bad batting.

;) Heh. :p I'm a medium-fast bowler, but my accuracy is utter crap. Approximately every fourth ball is a wide. So I don't play, except with friends in the park. I'm not too bad batting.

Oh, I can bowl. I can actually bowl passable right hand off spin, however, I tend to get bored and bat and try to hit the ball into the next pitch.

;)

Oh, I can bowl. I can actually bowl passable right hand off spin, however, I tend to get bored and bat and try to hit the ball into the next pitch.
Never a good idea. Sloggers never got anywhere in cricket. Just a little tip.

Does anyone else on NS General either follow or play cricket? I do both, and will confess I am possibly the most abysmal batsmen in England (Ian Bell the exception). I played my first innings on saturday, first duck of the season:)

So move to Brazil and instantly become one of the best in the country! :D

So move to Brazil and instantly become one of the best in the country! :D
Does Brazil have a cricket association?

Edit: I have the internet, I can search. Yes it does.

Sounds too much like baseball to me. Which would make it boring. Now, dartboard Cricket, that kicks ass.

I love cricket. I play for my school's Firsts where I usually open the batting or sometimes 3-4. Sometimes I bowl some 'right-arm lucky' heh.

Atm I'm hoping the rain continues at Centurion so NZ can hold on for a draw against South Africa. Fuckin' top order batsmen these days.. Terrible huh :p.

Does Brazil have a cricket association?

Edit: I have the internet, I can search. Yes it does.

The streets around here look like the West Indies. Lots of kids playing 'Taco', which is the local name for street cricket. However it is seen as a childhood game in general and not as a sport, which is a shame as a good five day test match on the Brazilian coast watching the cricket and the birds, drinking beer, would fit right into the culture in Bahia.

(You have to order a meal three hours before you want to eat there - a little exaggeration perhaps, but only a little)

I'm crap at cricket, but good at getting people out on technicalities.

Like the timed out, thats a good one. (Batter takes more than three minutes to take up position).

The guide I V Stalin posted is pretty good, but that only works for test cricket. There's also one day cricket and 20/20 with differing rules. But every true fan knows the only proper way to play is test matches. And I'm not just saying that because they are the only matches England win.

The streets around here look like the West Indies. Lots of kids playing 'Taco', which is the local name for street cricket. However it is seen as a childhood game in general and not as a sport, which is a shame as a good five day test match on the Brazilian coast watching the cricket and the birds, drinking beer, would fit right into the culture in Bahia.

(You have to order a meal three hours before you want to eat there - a little exaggeration perhaps, but only a little)
I would love to play some cricket in the West Indies. Seems a fantastic place to play.
Really looking forward to the World Cup there.. Hope they are up to scratch though.

thanks very much, I V Stalin and DEV0106A

if my team bats first, and we go 399 for 10 (with me batting a century. hehe) on the first day and 406 for 10 on the second... we'd have 805 for 20?

and my opponent, who batted last, went 415 for 10 in their first inning and 391 for 8 in their second inning...

would the total score be stated:

Team A beat Team B 806-for-18 to 805 for 20?

They won by 2 wickets (too)

thanks very much, I V Stalin and DEV0106A

if my team bats first, and we go 399 for 10 (with me batting a century. hehe) on the first day and 406 for 10 on the second... we'd have 805 for 20?

and my opponent, who batted last, went 415 for 10 in their first inning and 391 for 8 in their second inning...

would the total score be stated:

Team A beat Team B 806-for-18 to 805 for 20?

They won by 2 wickets (too)
No, it would be:

Team A 399 and 406
Team B 415 and 391-8

Team B win by two wickets
(Or the other way round, couldn't work out who was team A and B)

No, it would be:

Team A 399 and 406
Team B 415 and 391-8

Team B win by two wickets
(Or the other way round, couldn't work out who was team A and B)

okay, i see

so you only mention the wickets if the winning team batted last

I have seen highlights on Fox Sports World... and have heard of Andrew Flintoff (hope that's right).

okay, i see

so you only mention the wickets if the winning team batted last

I have seen highlights on Fox Sports World... and have heard of Andrew Flintoff (hope that's right).
Andrew 'Freddy' Flintoff is awesome. Such a great character for cricket to have. Fantastic to watch.

Never a good idea. Sloggers never got anywhere in cricket. Just a little tip.

I know, its just that being a tailender who is, to quote the divine Boycott, a "walking wicket", is no fun. At least trying to drive an leggy back up the wicket is amusing to watch.

okay, i see

so you only mention the wickets if the winning team batted last
True, or if there's a declaration.

I know, its just that being a tailender who is, to quote the divine Boycott, a "walking wicket", is no fun. At least trying to drive an leggy back up the wicket is amusing to watch.
A guy in my 2nd 11 team last year was a fantastic slogger. We opened the batting a few times together. He would make 50 while I was still on single figues. I mean, sure, sometimes he got pathetic scores, but when he got his eye in.. Excellent. They're not all bad.

I know, its just that being a tailender who is, to quote the divine Boycott, a "walking wicket", is no fun. At least trying to drive an leggy back up the wicket is amusing to watch.
As a tail-ender, you need to combine the talents of Hoggard and Harmison. Hoggard could block for his country (wait...he already does :p ) while Harmison manages to have pretty damn good shot selection, and can slog for his country (and does).

I'm crap at cricket, but good at getting people out on technicalities.

Like the timed out, thats a good one. (Batter takes more than three minutes to take up position).

The guide I V Stalin posted is pretty good, but that only works for test cricket. There's also one day cricket and 20/20 with differing rules. But every true fan knows the only proper way to play is test matches. And I'm not just saying that because they are the only matches England win.
I figured he'd want the rules for tests.

Here's a quick guide to one day cricket and 20/20:
Basic rules are the same, ie. how to score, ways to get out, etc.
In one-day cricket, each team only gets one innings, and the innings is limited to 50 overs (6 balls in an over). The idea is to score as many runs as possible in those overs. Run rates are generally higher (in test cricket an average run rate might be around 3 runs per over, whereas in one day it's likely to be twice as much).

20/20 is the same concept, but limited to 20 overs a side. These matches only take around 3 hours (4 if you include a break for lunch) so they're more spectator friendly. Run rates can reach as much as 8 or 9 per over.


In my first guide, I forgot about extras. These are extra runs awarded to the batting team for infringements or mis-fielding by the fielding team:
No ball - if the bowler has all of his front foot beyond the crease line of the wicket he is bowling from when he lets go of the ball, a no ball is declared. One extra run is scored for the batting team, but they can also score runs in the normal way of such a ball (so if there's a no ball, but the batsman hits it for four, the batting team has scored 5 runs from that ball). A wicket cannot be taken from a no ball.

Wide - this is when the ball is bowled sufficiently wide of the wicket to be judged unplayable. One extra run is awarded.

Byes - these are scored when the ball is bowled and is unplayed by the batsman, but due to a misfield (the wicket keeper or other fielders behind the wicket fail to stop it) the ball travels far enough for the batting team to run between the wickets. The batsmen have to run for the runs to be scored. If the ball reaches the boundary, four byes are awarded.

Leg byes - identical to byes, but the ball comes off the batsman's leg on the way past.

Wide - this is when the ball is bowled sufficiently wide of the wicket to be judged unplayable. One extra run is awarded.

Unplayable? Don't know 'bout that. In an ODI anything down leg-side is judged to be a wide, which in my opinion is very stupid, but yea. As a batter I don't mind that.

Unplayable? Don't know 'bout that. In an ODI anything down leg-side is judged to be a wide, which in my opinion is very stupid, but yea. As a batter I don't mind that.
Really? I didn't know that. Ok, not unplayable, but...well...I was hoping I was drawing a picture of quite how wide it has to be. I've seen some where you could get a bus between the wicket and where the ball went past. Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration.

I watched the highlights of a cricket game on BBC America. I had no idea what they were saying.

I'm a big fan of cricket and I listen to Test Match Special on the radio frequently. I take some exception to the the Blessed chris' comment about Ian Bell (being a fellow Warwickshireman), he's a good batsman when he's on form and his fielding's always been competent.

As for playing, I'm a reasonable medium-pace bowler, though I struggle to get swing on my deliveries, which is a pain since I can't bowl spin. Batting is limited to drives, slog shots and the occasional pull shot, whilst my sweeping is a hazard to surrounding fieldiers. All in all, I need improvement on the playing aspect of the game.

And for any Warwickshire fans out there, what do you make of Ian Knight's retriement? Do you think Heath Streak will be a good replacement?

True, or if there's a declaration.

would there be a declaration if, say, Team A has batted twice and has 987 runs...

Team B got 85 runs in their first inning... and are 6 wickets into their second inning and have only 45 runs in their second inning... so with 4 wickets left, they're down 857 runs... lol

is that one reason for a declaration -- incredible odds (near impossibility) against the team batting in their second inning(s) to come back and win?

I could see something like that happening if England played the USA. hehe

is that one reason for a declaration -- incredible odds (near impossibility) against the team batting in their second inning(s) to come back and win?


No. If i understand your hypothetical, the only choice would be to try and bat to the bitter end and force a draw. One does not just give up.

@OP, I played cricket for my highschool (Piddly little twenty over shit), and I used to play for a Pub team (Piddly little 30 over shit, and we sucked).

I always fancied myself as a legspinner, which entailed me being hit all over the place.

would there be a declaration if, say, Team A has batted twice and has 987 runs...

Team B got 85 runs in their first inning... and are 6 wickets into their second inning and have only 45 runs in their second inning... so with 4 wickets left, they're down 857 runs... lol

is that one reason for a declaration -- incredible odds (near impossibility) against the team batting in their second inning(s) to come back and win?

I could see something like that happening if England played the USA. hehe
Here's an example of when a declaration may occur:
Team A score 420 in their first innings.
Team B are bowled out for 260.
Team A reach 300 for 6 in their second innings, on the fourth day of the match (tests are 5 days long).
They would then be likely to declare, as they have a lead of 460. If they think they can bowl out Team B for less than this they'll declare, as they'll have over a day in which to do it.

Batsmen............. R .. B 4s 6s SR
JN Gillespie (rhb) 171 382 24 2 44.76 striker



:eek:

Here's an example of when a declaration may occur:
Team A score 420 in their first innings.
Team B are bowled out for 260.
Team A reach 300 for 6 in their second innings, on the fourth day of the match (tests are 5 days long).
They would then be likely to declare, as they have a lead of 460. If they think they can bowl out Team B for less than this they'll declare, as they'll have over a day in which to do it.
If team A fail to bowl team b out, the game will be a draw
for a successful result both teams must have two innings. within the 5 days

I love my cricket, I really do.

I play during the summer as well, solid opening bowler, #9 slogger. Back yard and beach cricket are great too.

Batsmen............. R .. B 4s 6s SR
JN Gillespie (rhb) 171 382 24 2 44.76 striker

:eek:


Wow, he's got his strike rate up above 30. It was looking a bit low when he bought up his hundred. Mr Walking forward defence should be batting at 5 rather than shitty clarke.

Does anyone else on NS General either follow or play cricket? I do both, and will confess I am possibly the most abysmal batsmen in England (Ian Bell the exception). I played my first innings on saturday, first duck of the season:)

I used to be an ardent fan until the whole match fixing thing blew up....after that I lost my interest in cricket and took to basketball and tennis....

I used to play for my college team...I am still a pretty decent opening bat and can wicketkeep decently too...there is a team at San Jose, California where I tried out last week and I was surprised that I still have it in me after all these years...

Oh yeah and Sachin still rulez though Dhoni is becoming my fave now....

Wow, he's got his strike rate up above 30. It was looking a bit low when he bought up his hundred. Mr Walking forward defence should be batting at 5 rather than shitty clarke.
Sad but true. For a "sacrificial lamb" or Nightwatchman, what a sterling effort by our man Dizzy!

Sad but true. For a "sacrificial lamb" or Nightwatchman, what a sterling effort by our man Dizzy!


He's the perfect nightwatchman, really. Bloody good effort to stick his head down and actually bat properly. Most of the fun of being a nightwatchman comes the next morning when you have a free licence.

Gillespie just made 201. :eek:

Now that's a nightwatchman you want in your team.

Well, you'd want him if he could bowl, that is. :p

im scabbing off freiden88 from our regional messages when i say this, but "Gillespie to open batting in the next test"

lucky we didnt keep him dropped for too long

my cricket playing ability is just about limited to scoring about 12 in the backyard at mum's...but i might get 20 if one of the little kids is bowling

We dont like cricket,
oh no,
We love it!
Gospel!


Yes i love the game, shame about the Test in South Africa being over already.-Another win goes begging.:(

Incidently i have another 6 or so of my seasons matches to bore you guys with.:D
The results will amaze.

What a birthday for Gillespie! 201 not out, 8 wickets for the series... bloody fantastic!

I love cricket, can't play it for Bollocks, but I looooooove anything involved with it.

Blessed Chris you should give an indepth run down every week.:)