Cricket

Cricket is a bat-and-ball sport in which two teams of eleven players each face each other. It is played on a grass field, more or less oval (elliptical). In the center of the field there is a rectangular piece of land known as the pitch.

Originating in its organized form in England, cricket is popular mainly in the countries of the British Commonwealth of Nations. In the countries of the Indian subcontinent, it is the sport of the masses.

History of Cricket

Cricket is one of many games in the "stick ball" which basically involve hitting a ball with a hand implement; others include baseball (which shares many similarities with cricket, both belonging to the more specific category of stick-and-ball games), golf, hockey, tennis, squash, badminton, and table tennis. In the case of cricket, a key difference is the existence of a solid goal structure, the wicket (originally, it is believed, a 'wicket gate' through which sheep were herded), that the batter must defend. Cricket historian Harry Altham identified three "clusters" of 'stick ball' games: the 'group hockey', in which the ball is moved back and forth between two objectives (the goals); the "group of golf", in which the ball is propelled towards an undefended target (the hole); and the "cricket pool", in which "the ball goes to and away from a mark (the wicket).

Cricket is generally believed to have originated as a child's game in the south east counties of England, sometime during the medieval period. There is also evidence of a similar sport, called creag, which was practiced by Prince Edward of Nawenden in 1300. Although there are claims of earlier dates, the earliest definitive reference to cricket being played comes from evidence presented in a court case at Guildford on Monday 17th January 1597 (Julian calendar; equivalent to January 30, 1598 in the Gregorian calendar). The case concerned ownership of a certain parcel of land and the court heard testimony from a 59-year-old coroner, John Derrick, who testified that:

"Being a student at Guldeford hee free school and several of his colleagues ran and played there in Creckett and other games."

Given Derrick's age, it was about half a century earlier when he was at school, so it's certain that cricket was played c. 1550 by children in Surrey The view that it was originally child's play is bolstered by Randle Cotgrave's 1611 English-French dictionary in which he defined the noun 'crosse'; as "the crooked stick with which children play cricket" and the verb form "crosser", "like to play cricket".

A possible origin for the sport's name is the Old English word "cryce" (or "cricc") meaning crutch or cane. In Samuel Johnson's Dictionary he derived cricket from 'cryce, Saxon, a stick'. In Old French the word "críquet" it seems to have meant some kind of club or club. Given the strong medieval trade connections between south-east England and the county of Flanders when the latter belonged to the duchy of Burgundy (in use in Flanders at the time) "krick&# 3. 4; (-e), meaning a stick (thief). Another possible source is the Middle Dutch word " krickstoel " meaning a low stool long used for kneeling in church and resembling the long low wicket with two stumps used in early cricket. According to Heiner Gillmeister, a European language expert at the University of Bonn, "cricket" is derived from the Middle Dutch phrase for hockey, met de (krik ket) sen (meaning "with the pursuit of the stick"). Gillmeister has suggested that not only the name, but also the sport itself may be of Flemish origin.

Another frequent claim has been the flamenco influence. Paul Campbell, a professor in the Department of English and Drama at the Australian National University in Canberra, discovered a poem dating from 1533, attributed to John Skelton, a well-known poet and playwright of the time, which is the earliest known reference to the game of cricket. In it, Skelton refers to the Flemings as the kings of crekettes, the curved sticks used by shepherds and weavers to strike a ball.

By 1550 it was already being played in some schools and later, in the 17th century, cricket spread throughout the southern England where organized matches were played with 11 players per side. By the end of the 18th century it was already the national sport from the country. With the creation of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) the rules were set and the game was supervised until 1959. Later some changes were made and the first World Cup was held in 1975. Today it is an extremely popular game in the countries that play it. have adopted.^{[citation needed]}

English Cricket in the 18th and 19th Centuries

The game underwent great development in the 18th century to become England's national sport. Its success was supported by the twin needs of patronage and betting. Cricket was prominent in London as early as 1707, and by mid-century large crowds were flocking to matches at the Artillery Ground in Finsbury. The one-stop-shop form of the sport drew large crowds and stakes to match, its popularity peaking in the 1748 season. Balls underwent an evolution around 1760 when ballplayers began throwing the ball rather than rolling it. or brush it towards the batter. This caused a revolution in bat design because, to deal with the bouncing ball, it was necessary to introduce the modern straight bat instead of the old 'hockey stick' shape.

Hambledon Club was founded in the 1760s and, for the next twenty years until the formation of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the opening of Lord's Old Ground in 1787, Hambledon was both the most big game as its focal point. MCC quickly became the premier club for the sport and the custodian of the Laws of Cricket. New laws introduced in the latter part of the 18th century included the three-stump wicket and the leg before wicket (lbw).

The 19th century saw underarm balls surpassed by first roundarm and then overarm balls. Both developments were controversial. The organization of the game at the county level led to the creation of county clubs, beginning with Sussex in 1839. In December 1889, the eight main county clubs formed the official County Championship, which started in 1890.

The most famous player of the 19th century was W.G. Grace, who began his long and influential career in 1865. It was especially during Grace's career that the distinction between amateurs and professionals was blurred by the existence of players like him who were nominally amateur but, in terms of their financial gain, professional. de facto. Grace himself was said to have received more money for playing cricket than any other professional.

The last two decades before World War I have been called the 'Golden Age of Cricket'. It is a nostalgic name fueled by the collective sense of loss resulting from the war, but the period produced some great players and memorable matches, especially as organized competition at county and Test level developed.

Game dynamics

The trinitense batter Brian Lara, from the selection of West Indies in a match against the selection of India (2002).

The batting team is the one that scores the runs. Batsmen play in pairs, one at one end of the cricket ground (pitch) from where the ball is batted (striker end) and the other from where the ball is bowled (non-striker end). The batsman currently at the striker end must hit the ball as far as possible to give both players time to run to the other end, before the ball is returned to either player. the ends. The act of reaching both batters to the other end produces a run. If the ball is batted far enough further runs can be scored going back and forth to the other end until the ball comes back. The batter who ends up in the striker end is the one to face the next ball.

The pitching team attempts to not only restrict the number of runs, but also to eliminate the opposing team's batters. The ball is thrown from the non-striker end by the bowler, who will try to hit the wicket, defended by the batsman, made up of three vertical sticks (the stumps ) on which two crossbar sticks (the bails) are placed. Whether the batter hits the ball or not, the ball is picked up by a fielder and returned to the pitcher. A set of six pitches constitutes an over. Once a bowler finishes an over, another bowler takes over and bowls another over from the other end of the pitch; batters remain on the side they were on. Each time a batter is out, a new batter is partnered with the batter who has not been out.

The inning ends when the maximum number of legal pitches is reached, or if another pairing is not possible (usually when ten batters out of eleven are out). One of the batters is not out. Once the inning is over, the roles are reversed and the team that was bowling becomes the batsman. After the team with the fewest points completes all of its innings, that team loses.

Ways to get out

Them dances placed on top of three stumps

The wicket and the ball. Usually there is a receiver behind the wicket to capture the ball.

1. Throwing with the ball any of the two transvestites (they dances) placed on the three sticks (the stumps) located in turn behind the batter. It usually suffices to hit the sticks so that the transvestites fall.
2. Taking the ball before it falls to the ground once it has been batted by the batter.
   • It is necessary to be in the field and not touch the edge of the field when the ball is captured.
3. Shooting down with the ball the sticks, and therefore the crossbodies, when the batter is in full race and the ball has been picked up by a field player. This mode is called run out.
4. Related to run out: If the batting has not kept at least one foot on its base (safe area, which is behind the batting creation) and by failing the coup the player of the opposing team normally placed behind the batter (wicket-keeper), pick up the ball and knock down the sticks. This mode is called stumped.
5. If the shooter places his body between the ball and the sticks, preventing them from being shot down by that. This action is called "leg before wicket" (lbw).

Uncommon forms:

1. If the shooter loses balance and stumbles with his wicket (hit wicket).
2. If the batter uses the hands to play the ball on purpose and without the permission of the opposition (handling the ball).
3. If the new batter takes more than three minutes to be ready to receive its first release, counting from the time the previous batter was removed (timed out).
4. If the batter obstructs the trajectory of the ball to avoid being out. ("obstructing the field").
5. If the shooter hits the ball twice to get cum. (Hit the ball twice).

Types of encounters

A cricket match may consist of one or two innings per team.

One-innings matches are played on a single day and are limited to a certain number of overs. One-Day Internationals are currently limited to 50 overs per team. This match system is the one used to play the world cup (Cricket World Cup) and is called "One day International" (ODI). Domestic competitions vary between 40 and 50, while a new modality of 20 overs is being introduced with great success in domestic competitions. ODIs can be played under floodlights and teams can wear colours; the ball is white.

Two-innings matches are played over several days: three or four for "first class" (national leagues such as the County Championship in England or the State Championship in New Zealand) and five for an international match (Test Match). If after this time the four innings have not been completed, the match ends in a draw. Six hours are played each day divided into three two-hour sessions (approximately 30 overs per session), with a 40-minute break for lunch (Lunch) and another 20 minutes for snack (Tea). Each team alternately plays two innings, unless the team batting second fails to get within 200 runs of their opponent (150 in four-day matches), in which case the opposing captain may force them to bat both innings. followed (follow on). The teams wear white, the ball is garnet red; In addition, they are not disputed under artificial light.

The countries declared with sufficient category to play test matches by the International Cricket Council are: England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Ireland, Scotland, Antilles (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago), India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Zimbabwe.

It should be noted that such meetings usually bring together a large number of fans of this sport, approaching figures of more than 50,000 spectators.

Clothes and equipment

English cricket player WG Grace on guard in 1883. Their pads and bat are very similar to those used today. The gloves have evolved something. Many modern players use more defensive equipment than Grace had available, especially helmets and arm protectors.

The wicketkeeper (a specialized fielder behind the batsman) and batsmen wear protective gear due to the hardness of the ball, which can be thrown at speeds of over 90 mph and presents a significant health and safety risk. Protective clothing includes padding (designed to protect the knees and shins), batting gloves or goalie gloves for the hands, a safety helmet for the head, and a box for male players inside the pants (to protect the area crotch). Some hitters use additional padding inside their shirts and pants, such as thighs, arms, ribs, and shoulder pads. The only fielders allowed to wear protective gear are those in close proximity to the batter (ie, to the side or in front of him), but may not wear gloves or external leg guards.

Subject to certain variations, field clothing generally includes a collared shirt with short or long sleeves; long pants; woolen pullover (if necessary); cricket cap (for the field) or a hard hat; and spiked shoes or boots to increase traction. The kit is traditionally all white and this is still the case in Test and first-class cricket, but in limited overs cricket, the team's colors are worn instead.

The bat

A player holding the bat to protect the wicket (c. 1897)

The evolution of the cricket bat (from left to right, from c. 1720 to 1938) at the Lord's Cricket Ground museum.

Typically made of white willow wood (Salix alba), according to the regulations, the bat must be made of wood, except for its handle, which can be made of cane and wood. Its length does not It may exceed 965 mm with a maximum width of 108 mm. Its weight is not stipulated, although it is usually 1.1 to 1.4 kg.

The ball

Spreaded cricket ball

New cricket ball.

A cricket ball is solid and about the same size as a tennis ball. It has a cork core covered by several layers of rope, and on these two hemispherical pieces of tanned leather joined by a strip of the same material, sewn to them by hand. There are balls of two colors, red and white, but the most used in games are red.

This seam, about half a centimeter thick, protrudes a few millimeters from the spherical surface, constituting an "imperfection" called seam in English (seam), which is exploited by fast bowlers. They try to make the ball bounce on that edge, causing a deviation from its trajectory that causes the batter to hit it with the edge of the bat, instead of the center of the bat, thus sending the ball into the hands of a defender, and therefore removing it.

Cricket balls lose speed, hardness and shape with use. The bowler's team will always try to keep one half of him shiny by polishing it with his clothes and letting the other get worn and rough. This situation produces a reverse swing aerodynamic effect, meaning that a pitch that would have been out-swing with a new ball can unexpectedly become in-swing. with one already spent, catching batter lbw.

However, interfering with the condition of the ball is considered very foul play. Players cannot use any artificial method to accentuate its roughness, other than natural wear, or use chemicals to keep the other side polished and shiny, although it is allowed to use natural substances such as saliva or sweat.

The statutory lifespan of a cricket ball is 80 overs, after which the team currently bowling has the option of requesting a new one.

Types of bowling

Fast bowlers are able to consistently achieve throwing speeds of up to 150 km/h, requiring a run of 20 to 30 metres. The weather influences the bowling of swing, and at a slightly slower speed, 130 to 140 km/h, on a clear day, the ball would go straight. However, if the day is cloudy it begins to swing, that is, it describes an unexpected arc that the bowler tries to make it go towards the wicket (in-swing) (thus removing the batter by lbw on missing or bowling) or outward, achieving a similar seamer effect.

Slow spinners (spinners) have a very different action: their run is only 2 or 3 m and they throw the ball at a speed of between 80 and 100 km/h. They base their action, not on speed, but on the effect given to the ball, either with the fingers or with the wrist.

World Cup

The Cricket World Cup is the sport's most important national team tournament. It has been held every 4 years since 1975 and the Australian team is the one that has won it the most times, in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2015.

The 2011 Cricket World Cup—held from February 19 to April 2, 2011 in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh—was won by India, who met Sri Lanka in the final for 80 runs, with a score of 274/6 (50 overs) for Sri Lanka and 277/4 (48.2 overs) for India. The match was played at the Wankhede Stadium in Bombay.

In 2003 a new match format called Twenty20 came out. The first Twenty20 World Cup was won by India.

National Leagues

The major first-class domestic leagues are England's County Championship, Australia's Sheffield Shield and India's Ranji Trophy, which have been played since 1890, 1892 and 1934 respectively.

The national List A cricket leagues of England and Australia began in 1963 and 1969 respectively. The Deodhar Trophy of India began in 1973.

In the 2000s, national cricket leagues in a reduced format of 20 overs (Twenty20) began to become popular. The English league has been played since 2003, the Australian Big Bash League since 2005, and the Indian Premier League since 2008.