Cricket for Beginners: How the Game Works

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Text to type: This simple guide explains cricket for beginners. A cricket match has two teams. Each team has eleven players. One team bats. The other team fields. The main action happens on the pitch. It is a long area in the centre. There is one wicket at each end of the pitch. A wicket has three wooden sticks. These sticks are called stumps. Two small wooden pieces sit on top. They are called bails. The wickets are important targets in the game.

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Text to type: The batter uses a bat. The batter tries to hit the ball and score runs. Two batters are on the pitch. They stand at opposite ends. The bowler bowls the ball toward the batter and wicket. The bowler tries to stop runs or get the batter out. The wicketkeeper stands behind the wicket. This player catches or stops the ball. The other players are fielders. They stand around the field. They catch the ball, stop it, and throw it back.

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Text to type: Runs are the points in cricket. For one run, the two batters run and safely change ends. A batter can also score a boundary. The edge of the field is the boundary. A ball that reaches it after touching the ground scores four runs. A ball that goes over it without touching the ground scores six runs. Here is an example. Team Blue scores one run, then four, then six. The total is eleven. The scoreboard can show “Team Blue 11/0.” This means eleven runs and no batters out.

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Text to type: The bowler does not bowl forever. Cricket divides the bowling into short groups. One group is called an over. An over has six valid balls. A valid ball is a delivery that counts in the game. The bowler bowls the first valid ball. Then the second ball counts. This continues until the sixth valid ball. The over is then complete. Overs help players count the game. For example, three complete overs contain eighteen valid balls.

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Text to type: When a batter is out, that batter’s turn ends. Another batter usually comes to the pitch. There are several ways to get a batter out. Here are three common ways. Bowled: The bowler’s ball hits and breaks the wicket. Caught: The batter hits the ball. A fielder catches it before it touches the ground. Run out: A batter is outside the safe area near the wicket. A fielder uses the ball to break that wicket fairly.

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Text to type: Cricket has three main international formats. An innings is one team’s turn to bat. A Test match can last five days. Each team can have two innings. Test cricket is the longest format. An ODI is a One Day International. Each team has 50 overs. A T20 International has 20 overs for each team. It usually takes about three hours. It is the shortest of these three formats. The basic ideas stay the same. Teams bat, bowl, field, score runs, and get batters out.

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