Test Cricket
A guide to that boring game that your flatmate watches
Here is my attempt at explaining the game called Cricket. Cricket is a complex game, but this guide does not aim to explain every little detail. What it does aim to do is to provide something to read whilst the Cricket is being shown on the telly. Hopefully after reading this guide, you will be able to follow the proceedings with the help of the commentators.
This guide seeks to place you in the shoes of the players. This is because that is how I watch the game. I ask myself, 'what would I do if I was him?' Cricket cannot be watched passively – it is to be enjoyed actively, much like reading a book.
You'll notice in reading this that there are words with superscripted numbers scattered throughout. This is to differentiate like words which have different meanings based on context. If your browser is capable, these words are clickable to display their definition. I wouldn't get too concerned with the terminology of the game - definitions are provided as a reference for when you hear them used by the commentators.
Also, commonly heard cricket phrases are written in this style in the first instance of their usage in the text. However, text written in This Style should not be regarded as Cricket terminology. They are example terms used for ease of explanation only.
If your browser is capable, moving your mouse pointer over the word [photo] will display a photograph relevant to its adgacenttext.
A Few Definitions
| Ball1 | A hard spherical red object. It is made of cork, wrapped in twine and covered in leather. [photo]
 A cricket ball floats, apparently. © Getty Images . This image may not be reproduced without specific consent from Getty Images (Click to close) |
|---|
| Bat1 | A wooden object which is used to hit the ball1 with.[photo]
 A tired batsman walks off, bat resting on his shoulder. © AFP (Click to close) |
|---|
| Bat2 | The act of hitting the ball1 with the bat1. |
|---|
| Batsman | The person wielding the bat1. |
|---|
| Stump | A stick of wood, 28 inches in length and thirteen eighths of an inch in diameter. |
|---|
| Wicket1 | An entity, rectangular in shape, vertical in orientation and 28 inches by 9 inches in dimension. It is made up of three stumps planted vertically and parallel to each other in the ground, with two small pieces of wood, known as bails, resting between the stumps. The wicket1 is sometimes referred to as the stumps. [photo]
 The stumps (wicket) can be seen in the foreground. To break the stumps it s required only to topple one of the bails from the tops of the stumps. Original image © Cricinfo Ltd . No part of this photograph may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, or by means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, magnetic tape or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the copyright owner. (Click to close) |
|---|
| Wicket2 | Think of a wicket2 as being a permission slip given to a batsman allowing him/her to bat2. If the wicket2 were to be taken away from a batsman, he/she can no longer bat2. |
|---|
| Pitch1 | The patch of bare earth in the middle of the field of play is known as the pitch1. It is sometimes referred to as the ‘deck’.[photo]
 A pitch can by grassy or dusty or anything in between. This one looks a bit dusty. Original image © Getty Images . This image may not be reproduced without specific consent from Getty Images (Click to close) |
|---|
| Pitch2 | The bounce of the ball1 on the wicket3 is known as the pitch of the ball1. |
|---|
| Bowl | Bowling is the act of making the ball1 travel towards the batsman. [photo]
 A fast-bowler about to deliver the ball. © Getty Images & Cricket Australia . This image may not be reproduced without specific consent from Getty Images (Click to close) |
|---|
| Bowler | A person who bowls is a bowler. |
|---|
| Ball2 | One instance of the ball1 travelling towards the batsman is one ball2. |
|---|
| Delivery | Same as ball2. |
|---|
| Deliver | Same as bowl. |
|---|
| Runs | Runs in Cricket are equivalent to ‘points’ in other sports. |
|---|
The Game
There are two teams comprising of 11 players each. Both teams are given five days to achieve a win. If a win isn't achieved within five days the game is said to be 'drawn', i.e. neither team won, and the result is a draw.
Essentially the game is a bat and ball game. One team, the batting side, accumulates as many runs as they can – two players at a time. The other team, the fielding side, also known as the bowling side, attempts to restrict the other team from scoring.
If You Are The Fielding Side
To effectively restrict the opposition's score you need to take wickets. The rules of the game allow you to dismiss one player at a time until there are no more opposition players left to score runs. Because there are 11 players in a team and the opposition is batting two players at a time, you will want to dismiss 10 opposition players in order to stop them from scoring.
The dismissing of an opposition player is also known as taking his/her wicket2 or getting the batsman out. Even though there are two opposition players in the field of play, only one of them can score runs at any one time, and it is usually just this player that you can get out. This player is known as the on-strike batsman. The other opposition player in the field of play is off-strike and is known as the non-striker.
The on-strike batsman engages in competition with the bowler of the fielding side. The bowler delivers the ball1 to the batsman for him/her to try and hit. The event where the ball1 is delivered to the batsman is known as a ball2 or in fact, a delivery
If you are the bowler, you can get the batsman out in a number of ways:
| Bowled | The on-strike batsman, apart from trying to score runs, is also trying to protect something known as a wicket1. The wicket1 is an easily destructible entity 9 inches wide and 28 inches in height. If you deliver the ball1, and the batsman is unable to protect his/her wicket1 from the ball1, it will break and you have got the batsman out. [photo]
 A bowler has just bowled a batsman. © Getty Images . This image may not be reproduced without specific consent from Getty Images (Click to close) |
|---|
| LBW | A batsman isn't allowed to protect his/her wicket1 by using his/her legs, and thus won't try to. However, if you can manipulate the batsman into a position where his/her legs are in front of the wicket1, and the ball1 hits the batsman's legs you have got him/her out. However, whether or not the batsman's legs were in fact in front of the wicket1 is a matter of opinion, and only one person's opinion matters in this game -- the umpire's. [photo]
 There are two Umpires on the field for the duration the game. They are in charge of the proceedings. © Getty Images . This image may not be reproduced without specific consent from Getty Images (Click to close)  The batsman is trapped in front of his stumps, and the ball is hitting his legs. This a very obvious LBW. © Getty Images . This image may not be reproduced without specific consent from Getty Images (Click to close)  A bowler appeals for an LBW verdict from the umpire. © Getty Images . This image may not be reproduced without specific consent from Getty Images (Click to close) |
|---|
| Caught | A batsman scores runs by hitting, with a shaped piece of wood known as a bat1, the ball1 which has been delivered by you the bowler. If you can manipulate the on-strike batsman in to hitting the ball1 badly, such that the ball1 leaves the bat1 and is then caught by you or one of your team-mates, without ever striking the ground first, you've got the batsman out. |
|---|
Apart from the bowler, there are 10 more players in the fielding side, all on the field of play. One of these is a specialist player called a wicket-keeper [photo].
The wicket-keeper can be seen on the left.
© Photosport
(Click to close)
The batsman can score four runs with one hit by hitting the ball1 out of the field of play, with the ball1 striking the ground at least once. Four runs with one hit is known as a four. A fielder should try his/her utmost to prevent the batsman from scoring a four by stopping the ball1 before it leaves the field of play. A batsman can also score one run by hitting the ball1 and running approximately 22 yards to swap places with the non-striker. The non-striker then assumes the role of on-strike batsman. This swapping of places constitutes one run, and can be repeated as many times as they like to score multiple runs. The fielders will try to not let this happen by threatening to take either batsman's wicket2.
If you are a fielder, you can get a batsman out in two ways:
| Caught | At times, the batsman may try to hit the ball1 over your head in order to score one or more runs. This is a perfect opportunity to catch the ball1, before it has struck the ground, thus getting the batsman out. The bowler may ask you to stand in a specific spot, whilst he/she attempts to manipulate the batsman into hitting the ball1 in your direction. [photo]
 A fielder takes a catch. © Getty Images . This image may not be reproduced without specific consent from Getty Images (Click to close) |
|---|
| Run-out | There are two sets of wickets1, 22 yards apart from each other. If the batsmen decide to run one or more runs, they effectively leave the two sets of wickets unguarded. If you manage to reach the ball1 whilst the batsmen are in the process of taking a run (swapping sides), you can throw the ball1 to break either wicket1. You may try throwing the ball1 to a team mate who may be closer to the wicket1 who can break the wicket1 for you. The batsman closer to the broken wicket1 is out. [photo] A batsman fails to reach safety before the stumps are broken. He is run-out. © Getty Images . This image may not be reproduced without specific consent from Getty Images (Click to close) |
|---|
If you are the wicket-keeper, you can get the batsman out in two ways:
| Caught | You can catch the ball1 directly off the bat1. If the ball1 only lightly touched the bat1 on its way to your gloved hands, you will have to appeal to the umpire who will give their batsman out if he/she thinks the ball1 touched the bat1. A catch by the wicket-keeper is known as a caught-behind. |
|---|
| Stumped | The batsman may decide, because of being manipulated by the bowler or by his/her own initiative, to step closer to the bowler in order to hit the ball1. In Figure 1, if the batsman steps out of Zone A and into Zone C and then misses the ball1, be sure to catch the ball1, because then you can break the wicket1 with the ball1 before the batsman returns to Zone A and get him/her out stumped. [photo] A batsman misses the ball and is then stumped by the Keeper. © Getty Images . This image may not be reproduced without specific consent from Getty Images (Click to close) |
|---|
If You Are The Batting Side
Only two players from your team will be in the field of play at any one time. The rest of the team watches the game from the dressing room. If one of the batsmen in the field of play is gotten out by the fielding side, then a replacement batsman must be sent out within three minutes, unless of course you've run out of players.
If you are the non-striker:
Your job is to keep an eye on what the fielders are doing, so that the on strike batsman is always aware of the same. You would also look for opportunities to take a run (swap sides with the on-strike batsman). In order to make one run, it is essential that you have a good communication with the on-strike batsman. This will usually be done with the calls, ‘Yes’, ‘No’ and ‘Wait’. If the ball1 is hit behind the on-strike batsman, it will be your job to do the calling, whereas if the ball1 travels behind you, you should wait for and respond to your partner's call. If the on-strike batsman hits the ball1 straight, and it touches or deflects off a part of the bowler’s body, and proceeds to hit the wicket1 on your side, you may be run-out if you have left Zone B and stepped onto Zone C. If you have stepped onto Zone C before the bowler has let go of the ball, he/she may strike the wicket with the ball1 and get you out.
If you are the on strike batsman:
You will have to score runs at a pace appropriate to the situation of the game. You must realise scoring will inevitably be accompanied with a risk – the risk that you will be out. If 10 batsmen are out before scoring as many runs as your captain would like, you are not in a good position in the game, and you may have even lost the game.
Your job is to not fall into the traps that the opposition, in particular their bowler, will set for you, whilst at the same time scoring runs for your team. If a ball2 looks like it may get you out caught, then it’s best for your team if you do not attempt to hit it. This is known as a good leave and can be commended as being well played.
You can take one run, if it’s safe to do so, to by running to Zone B after you’ve hit the ball. This is known as rotating the strike. Rotating the strike annoys bowlers because they will have a plan each for you and your batting partner and changing the on-strike batsman means that they have to swap back and forth between their plans. If scoring at a fast rate is important, or your batting partner is not a good batsman (he/she is probably a good bowler though), you may choose to score a four or a six instead. A six is when the ball is hit out of the field of play without ever striking the ground first. There is the risk that you will be out caught by playing ball2 for six.
The bowler will often try to intimidate you with words and actions. He/she may deliver the ball1,2 towards your head or other parts of your body. This is a legitimate psychological attack on you by the bowler. If he/she can instil the fear of pain in you, then you are less likely to bat2 well and therefore will get out. You either hit such a delivery or you duck or sway in order to avoid it. [photo]
A batsman sways to avoid being hit by the ball.
© Getty Images . This image may not be reproduced without specific consent from Getty Images
(Click to close)
If you step out of Zone A and into Zone C in order to hit the ball1, there is the risk that if you miss it, you may be out stumped. Being out of Zone A is known as being out of your crease – The crease referring to the white line separating Zone A from Zone C.
Although essentially you want to hit the ball1, you may want to do this with some elegance. Elegance is achieved by excellent balance and poise while playing a stroke and also by fluid movements of the bat1. Elegance, whist not essential to do your job is highly appreciated by most followers of the game and has the advantage of making the opposition believe that you are unlikely to get out easily.
Course Of Play
- The captains of each team, Team A and Team B, meet for the toss. A coin is tossed and the winner chooses whether to bat2 first or field first. [photo]
Two captains meet for the toss.
© Getty Images . This image may not be reproduced without specific consent from Getty Images
(Click to close)
- The batting side – say Team A – will try to get a large first innings score, whilst the fielding side will try to bowl the opposition out (get 10 batsmen out).
- The innings will end if all ten batsmen have been got out or if the captain of the batting side declares his/her innings. The captain will declare if he/she feels that his/her team has scored enough runs and that to continue batting will not leave enough time for his/her team to bowl the opposition out when it is their turn to field.
- It is then the turn of Team B to bat2 (Team A will now be the fielding side). Team A will try to reach the opposition’s score and then better it by some amount. This amount is known as a lead (the opposite of a lead being a deficit). Their innings will end if they are all out or if they declare.
- Team A gets a second opportunity to bat2 (Second Innings). They will try to reach Team B's score and get a good lead, before they declare or are all out.
- Finally Team B will bat2 and try to beat Team A's score. If they do, they win the match. If however Team A bowls out Team B before that happens, then Team A wins. If Team A bowls out Team B whilst Team B has equalled Team A's score then the game is tied. If none of these outcomes are reached at the end of five days (lasting about 8 hours each) the match is declared to be a draw. If a team feels they cannot win, they will fight as hard as they possibly can to prevent the other team from wining. This is known as playing for a draw.
A Few More Things to Know
You will have noticed by now that there are a number of bowlers that will try to match wits with the batsman. One bowler will bowl from one end of the pitch, and another from the other end. The two bowlers alternate in groups of 6 deliveries. A group of six deliveries is known as an over. The two bowlers will continue to bowl until one or both of them are replaced at the discretion of the captain of the fielding side.
There are two main types of bowlers. The ones that run a long way before delivering the ball1,2 get the ball1 moving fast. They are usually able to get the ball1 to curve in mid air (swing) and/or change direction after hitting the pitch. The ones that don’t seem to run at all before delivering are spinners. They spin the ball1 so that it will change direction once it hits the pitch. Both sets of bowlers have their advantages. See Figure 2 for an example of ball2 delivered by a fast bowler and a spinner.
Bowlers cannot 'throw' the ball at the batsman. The angle at the elbow must not change (should ideally be straight) at the point of letting go of the ball.
The Scorecard
For each innings, there are is a set of two scorecards: the batting card and the bowling card. An example of such a set is given below.
| England 2nd Innings(target: 325 runs) | R | M | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|
| . | ME Trescothick | b Muralitharan | 31 | 104 | 98 | 3 | 0 | 31.63 |
| . | AJ Strauss | c Jayawardene b Muralitharan | 55 | 147 | 115 | 6 | 0 | 47.82 |
| . | AN Cook | lbw b Muralitharan | 5 | 29 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 21.73 |
| . | KP Pietersen | c Dilshan b Muralitharan | 6 | 32 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 35.29 |
| . | PD Collingwood | c Dilshan b Muralitharan | 9 | 38 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 23.07 |
| * | A Flintoff | c Dilshan b Muralitharan | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| † | GO Jones | b Muralitharan | 6 | 33 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 22.22 |
| . | LE Plunkett | not out | 22 | 66 | 47 | 3 | 0 | 46.80 |
| . | MJ Hoggard | run out (Kapugedera) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 |
| . | J Lewis | lbw b Muralitharan | 7 | 15 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 43.75 |
| . | MS Panesar | lbw b Jayasuriya | 26 | 27 | 28 | 3 | 1 | 92.85 |
| . | | (b 13, lb 1, w 1, nb 4) | 19 | . |
| . | Total | (all out; 68.5 overs; 253 mins) | 190 | . |
The first columns lists the names of the batting team, in the order in which they came out to bat2. Two symbols such as * and † will accompany two names to denote the captain and wicket-keeper (respectively) in the batting team.
As you can see, the total is 190 while the target was 325. Therefore it can be said that this team, England, lost the game by 134 runs.
The second column lists how each batsman was got out. In b Muralitharan, the b stands for 'bowled' and Muralitharan is the bowler's name. Similarly, in c Dilshan the c stands for 'caught' and Dilshan is the name of the fielder who caught the ball1.
The third column lists the number of runs each batsman scored. The fourth, lists the time in minutes that the batsman lasted before getting out. Column 5 lists the number of deliveries (balls) faced by the batsman. The columns 4s and 6s note the number of fours and sixers (respectively) scored by the batsman.
The final column notes each batsman's Strike Rate. This is merely the total number of runs scored divided by the number of deliveries faced.
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|
| WPUJC Vaas | 9 | 1 | 28 | 0 | 3.11 (1nb) |
| SL Malinga | 7 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 3.42 (1nb, 1w) |
| M Muralitharan | 30 | 10 | 70 | 8 | 2.33 (2nb) |
| ST Jayasuriya | 22.5 | 3 | 54 | 1 | 2.36 |
The first columns lists the names of the bowlers used by the other team (in this case, Sri Lanka)
The second column is the number of overs each bowler bowled. 22.5 overs means 22overs and 5 deliveries - the game ended before that bowler could finish his over (he took the last wicket2 on his fifth ball2 of the 23rd over).
The third column is the number of maiden overs that the bowler bowled. A maiden over is an over where no runs were scored.
The fourth column lists the number of runs that were scored off of the bowler's bowling.
The number of wickets2 taken by a bowler is listed in the fifth column.
You could say that 'Muralitharan was the most successful bowler with 30 overs, 8 for 70.'
The last column, the Economy Rate column is merely the number of runs scored of a bowler divided by the number of overs bowled. It's a measure of how 'expensive' a bowler was.
It's Five Days Long!
The appeal of the game is the strategic aspect. Fans enjoy watching traps being set. They enjoy watching bowlers try to manipulate the batsmen and batsmen in turn trying to dictate terms to the bowler. The psychological battles of test Cricket are what is most gripping.
It takes skill to bowl a ball1,2 with consistent accuracy, just as it takes skill to hit a ball1 that changes direction drastically off the pitch or subtly in the air at 150 kilometres per hour. It requires athleticism to take catches, prevent fours, stop a hard-hit ball1 at close quarters and throw at the stumps (wicket1). All of this is greatly appreciated by fans of the game.
The ability of cricketers to maintain the levels of concentration required to perform the aforementioned feats over five days is much admired.
A Few Final Words
| Extra | An extra is a penalty run to the batting team. It is awarded when the bowler bowls an illegal delivery. Six legal deliveries are to be bowled in an over, so illegal deliveries must be re-bowled. |
|---|
| No-ball | No-balls are extras that are given most commonly because the bowler stepped onto Zone C whilst bowling the ball2. No-balls that a bowler has conceded are listed in the Economy Rate column of the scorecard. |
|---|
| Wide | An extra that is given because the bowler bowled the ball1 so far away from the batsman that in the umpire’s opinion, the batsman could not play at it. Wides that a bowler has conceded are listed in the Economy Rate column of the scorecard. |
|---|
| Bye | If the batsman and the wicket-keeper miss the ball1, the batsmen are free to take as many runs (for the team total, not their own individual score) as they are able. These runs are known as byes and count against the wicket-keeper. |
|---|
| Leg-bye | Same as a bye, except that the ball1 hit the batsman’s leg first and the runs do not count against the wicket-keeper. |
|---|
| Off-side | When the batsman stands ready to hit the ball1, the direction in which his/her toes are pointing is the off-side. |
|---|
| Leg-side | The half of the playing field that is not the off-side is the leg-side. |
|---|
| Boundary1 | The edge of the field of play is known as the boundary1. This used to be called the fence and often still is. |
|---|
| Boundary2 | A six or a four can be called a boundary2. |
|---|
| Wicket3 | Wicket3 is a common alternative to the word pitch1. |
|---|
| Seam | The leather covering of the ball1 has a seam which is used by bowlers to manipulate the behaviour of the ball1. For example the angle at which the seam hits the pitch1 determines in which direction the ball1 will then travel. |
|---|
| Five-for | When one bowler takes five wickets, he/she has taken a five-for. This is a rarity and is particularly enjoyed by the bowler. A ten wicket haul is even better. |
|---|
| Pads | Protective gear strapped onto the legs of a batsman or wicket-keeper. |
|---|
I Now Hand You Over To The Commentators
Clicking on an underlines word which includes a superscripted number will display a definition for that word.
(Click to close)
Ball1
A hard spherical red object. It is made of cork, wrapped in twine and covered in leather.
(Click to close)
Bat1
A wooden object which is used to hit the ball1 with.
(Click to close)
Bat2
The act of hitting the ball
1 with the bat
1.
(Click to close)
Wicket1
An entity, rectangular in shape, vertical in orientation and 28 inches by 9 inches in dimension. It is made up of three stumps planted vertically and parallel to each other in the ground, with two small pieces of wood, known as bails, resting between the stumps. The wicket1 is sometimes referred to as the stumps.
(Click to close)
Wicket2
Think of a wicket
2 as being a permission slip given to a batsman allowing him/her to bat
2. If the wicket
2 were to be taken away from a batsman, he/she can no longer bat2.
(Click to close)
Pitch1
The patch of bare earth in the middle of the field of play is known as the pitch
1. It is sometimes referred to as the ‘deck’.
(Click to close)
Wicket3
Same as pitch
1(Click to close)
Pitch2
The bounce of the ball
1 on the pitch
1 is known as the pitch
2 of the ball
1.
(Click to close)
Ball2
One instance of the ball
1 travelling towards the batsman is one ball
2.
(Click to close)
Ball1
A hard spherical red object. It is made of cork, wrapped in twine and covered in leather.
Ball2
One instance of the ball
1 travelling towards the batsman is one ball
2.
(Click to close)
