Cricket is a team
sport that originated in the
United Kingdom and is popular mainly in the countries of the
Commonwealth. In many, it is the major summer sport.
The game is played between two competing teams of
eleven players on each side, on a large expanse of (usually grassy), oval-shaped
ground. There are no fixed dimensions for the grounds, but most
international-standard grounds are considerably larger in area than a
soccer pitch. The teams are usually comprised of players with a mixture of
abilities, some who specialise in batting, some in
bowling, occasionally some who excel in both capacities, and one highly
specialist player who acts as 'wicket-keeper'. In the centre of the ground is a
length of close-cut, heavily rolled grass, called the wicket or the
pitch (some club cricket is played on wickets made from synthetic grass).
At each end of the wicket are placed three sticks adjacent to each other in an
upright position: these are the stumps. They are separated by a gap not
greater than the diameter of a cricket ball. On top of each set of stumps are
placed two smaller sticks, or bails, forming what is known as a set
of stumps or a wicket (note, then, that there are two definitions
of wicket!). The regulation distance between the sets of stumps is 22 yards. A
chalk outline drawn on the pitch is called a crease. The crease in
front of each set of stumps and is the popping crease. Another crease
is drawn so that the stumps pass through it; this crease is the "bowling
crease." Finally, a "return crease" is drawn on each side of the stumps along
the sides of the pitch.
The game is refereed by two on-field
umpires who can at times refer decision to a third umpire who has the
aid of television replays. See
fielding positions in cricket.
The length of games can vary in duration of time
(most games last either one day or three to five days), and number of balls
bowled. Batsmen play in pairs, each equipped with a bat, one at each end of the
wicket. The team that scores the most runs wins the match.
The match is divided into innings. In
each innings (the word is both the singular and plural) one team bats (this team
is in, and it is their innings) and the other fields. The object for
the batting side is to score the highest number of runs (points) before the
fielding side have dismissed them. The object for the fielding side is to
dismiss the batsmen for as low a score as possible. The batting side has two men
in at once (this is the batting pair, one at each end of the wicket. To
get the team all out, therefore, the fielding team needs to dismiss ten
of them, the remaining player being called the not out.
Each innings is subdivided into overs,
which consist of six balls (previously, when each country could decide the
length of the over, overs varied in length from four to eight balls) bowled to
one end of the wicket. At the end of an over, the fielding team must switch
bowlers and bowl to the other end of the wicket, and hence to the other member
of the batting pair.
A match may consist of one innings per team
(typically in one-day or limited overs cricket) or two (as in
county or international test-match cricket).
Dismissal of the batsmen, also known as taking a
wicket or getting the batsman out, can occur in a number of ways.
Bowled: If a bowled (rather than thrown) ball
hits the stumps and dislodges a bail, the "striker" (the batsman facing the
bowler) is out.
Caught: If the striker strikes the ball with
the bat and the ball is caught by the bowler or a fielder before it hits the
ground, then the striker is out.
Stumped: If the striker steps in front of the
crease leaving no part of his anatomy or the bat behind to play the ball, and
the wicket keeper (the specially equipped player who stands immediately behind
the batsman to retrieve balls coming through from the bowler) is able to
remove the bails from the wicket with the ball, then the striker is out.
Run out: If a fielder uses the ball to remove
the bails from either set of stumps whilst the batsmen are running between the
wickets (or otherwise away from the crease during the course of play), then
the batsman (striker or non-striker) is out. The batsman nearest the set from
which the bails were removed, but not actually in safe territory, is given
out. If the batsman has any part of his body or his bat (if he's holding it)
on the ground behind the line of the crease, then he cannot be run out (except
if both batsmen are on the same side of a crease); frequently it is a close
call whether or not a batsman gained his ground in this way before
the bails were removed. (The difference between stumped and run
out is this: the wicketkeeper stumps a batsman who goes too far forward
to play the ball, while any fielder, including the keeper, may run out a
batsman who goes too far for any other purpose, including for taking a run.)
Leg before wicket or LBW: If the ball strikes any part of the
batsman's anatomy (not necessarily the leg), and, in the umpire's judgement,
the ball would have hit the batsman's stumps had his anatomy not intervened,
then the batsman is out. There are some subtleties, however, to do with where
the ball pitches (bounces), if the batsman intentionally hit the ball with his
body or attempted to play a legitimate stroke with the bat, and exactly where
it hits the batsman in relation to the line of the stumps. (See
Leg before wicket for a complete explanation). In any case, if it seems
that the ball would not have struck the stumps, the batsman is not out.
These are the main ways to be out, though a
batsman may also be out in certain rarer manners:
Hit wicket: If the batsman dislodges his own
stumps with his body or bat, he is out.
Hit the ball twice: If the batsman hits the
ball twice, he is out. But the second hit must be an actual hit; the batsman
may stop the ball a second time by placing his bat; this action is often
performed to stop the ball from hitting the stumps.
Handled the ball: If the batsman touches the
ball with his hand for any purpose other than to, with the approval of the
fielders, return the ball to the bowler, he is out.
Obstructing the field: If the batsman, by
action or by words, obstructs a fielder, then he is out. However, a batsman is
allowed to obstruct the view of a fielder by standing in front of him. He may
also stand in between the fielder and the stumps. The rule intends to prevent
batsman from interfering with a fielder by, for instance, pushing him.
Timed out: If a new player takes more than two
minutes to enter the field of play after the previous batsman was ruled out,
then the new player is out. In the case of extremely long delays, the umpires
may forfeit the match to either team.
Finally a player may be "retired, not out" (more
commonly known as "retired hurt") in which case he still has the option to
return after treatment, though he would have to wait for a teammate to be given
out. The umpire has discretion over whether to allow a batsman to retire hurt.
If a batsman still intends to go off the field without the umpire's consent, he
may do so, but, he is "retired, out," and cannot return to the field of play.
The bowler only "gets credit" for bowled, leg
before wicket, caught, stumped, and hit wicket. But, if the ball is a no ball,
then the batsman cannot be out in any of these ways, except stumped out. The
batsman can, however, be out run out, handled the ball, hit the ball twice,
obstructing the field, or timed out on any ball.
"Runs" can be scored in a number of ways. The
batsman gets credit for "runs scored off his bat." A batsman who scores 100 runs
in an innings is said to have scored a century, a respectable
achievement in cricket. Similarly, players can score double centuries, triple
centuries, quadruple centuries (never achieved in test cricket), or quintuple
centuries (only achieved once in first class cricket). The batsman gets credit
for runs scored as follows:
Each time that the batting pair is able to run
between the wickets after a ball has been bowled (and before the stumps are or
potentially can be touched with the ball, with the bails being caused to
fall), a run is scored. If one run is scored on a ball, the term single
designates the scoring; if two runs are scored, the term double is
employed; if three runs are scored, the term triple is utilized.
There are no special designations for running more than three runs.
If the ball travels outside of the playing
area, and it has touched the ground prior to leaving the playing area, four
runs are scored. The scoring is referred to as a boundary four, or
just as a four. If the ball does not touch the ground on its way out,
six runs are scored. The terms sixer, boundary six, and
six are used to refer to the achievement.
Runs can be accrued through the failure of the
bowler to correctly deliver the ball.
A "no-ball" occurs when the bowler,
wicket-keeper, or fielder commits an illegal action during bowling. The most
common reason for a no-ball is overstepping the "popping crease" for the front
foot at the instant of delivery. A rarer reason is when the bowler's back foot
touches or lands outside the "return crease". A third reason for calling a
no-ball is when a bowler chucks or throws the ball. This has caused a lot of
international controversy in recent times. The penalty for a no-ball is one
run; furthermore, the no-ball does not count as one of the six in an over but
it counts as a ball faced by the batsman as far as his personal statistics are
concerned. The runs otherwise scored by the batsman, whether by running or by
a boundary, also count as part of the score. (See
bowling for a complete list of no-ball situations)
A ball being delivered too far from the batsman
to strike it, provided that no part of the batsman's body or equipment touches
the ball, is known as a wide (the definition of what counts as wide
is far more strict in a limited overs match, because bowling unplayable balls
would be a way to "waste" the batting team's innings). A wide is also
penalized one run; a wide also does not count as one of the six in an over.
However, if a no-ball is called, the ball is not also counted as a wide. The
runs otherwise scored by the batsman, whether by running or by a boundary,
also count as part of the score. (Note that the batsman need not strike the
ball to run.)
If the ball passes the batsmen, but is not
wide, and the wicketkeeper still cannot stop the ball, the batsmen may run. In
this case, the runs are scored as byes.
If the ball hits the batsman's body, the
batsman is not out leg before wicket, and the batsman hit the ball with his
body accidentally rather than intentionally, the batsman may run. In this
case, regardless of the part of anatomy touched by the ball, the runs scored
are known as leg byes.
If the ball is lost, a fielder calls "lost
ball," and the umpire is satisfied that the ball is lost, the batting team
scores six runs. This rarely occurs in international cricket, for the rule is
intended for grounds with many trees or bushes on the field.
For various actions, the umpire has the
discretion to award five penalty runs to either team. Time wasting, damaging
the playing area, attempting to "steal" a run, or deliberately distracting the
batsman are among the actions punishable by awarding the penalty.
The laws of cricket are a set of rules framed by
the
Marylebone Cricket Club which serve to standardise the format of matches
across the world to ensure uniformity and fairness.
Historically, they have always (since 1775)
governed
Decision of who bats first: This has not
changed much and has always been decided by the toss of a
coin.
Dimensions of the
pitch and location of popping crease.
Length of stumps and bails
Weight of cricket ball
Balls per over
No ball rule (illegal delivery)
Rules of dismissal of batsman
Time allowed for next batsman to come in after
a dismissal
They were first printed in book form in
1775.
The laws have changed a lot since then but the basic form of the game remains
the same.
The
Marylebone Cricket Club is the framer of the Laws of Cricket, the rules
governing play of the game. The Laws are intended apply to all two innings
matches; the International Cricket Council has implemented "Standard Playing
Conditions for Test Matches" and "Standard Playing Conditions for One Day
Internationals" to augment the Laws of Cricket. Similarly, each cricketing
country has implemented Playing Conditions to govern domestic cricket. Note that
the Laws do not provide for One Day or Limited Overs cricket; these
modifications have been made by the Playing Conditions for One Day
Internationals.
The Laws are organized into a Preface, a
Preamble, forty-two Laws, and four appendices. The Preface relates to the
Marylebone Cricket Club and the history of the Laws. The Preamble is a new
addition and is related to "the Spirit of the Game;" it was introduced to
discourage the increasing practices of ungentlemanly conduct. The Laws
themselves deal with the following:
Law 1: The Players
Law 2: Substitutes
Law 3: The Umpires
Law 4: The Scorers
Law 5: The Ball
Law 6: The Bat
Law 7: The Pitch
Law 8: The Wickets
Law 9: Bowling, Popping, and Return Creases
Law 10: Preparation and Maintenance of the
Playing Area
Law 11: Covering the Pitch
Law 12: Innings
Law 13: Follow-on
Law 14: Declaration and Forefiture
Law 15: Intervals
Law 16: Start of Play; Cessation of Play
Law 17: Practice on the Field
Law 18: Scoring Runs
Law 19: Boundaries
Law 20: Lost Ball
Law 21: The Result
Law 22: The Over
Law 23: Dead Ball
Law 24: No Ball
Law 25: Wide ball
Law 26: Bye and Leg Bye
Law 27: Appeals
Law 28: The Wicket is Down
Law 29: Batsman Out of his Ground
Law 30: Bowled
Law 31: Timed Out
Law 32: Caught
Law 33: Handled the Ball
Law 34: Hit the Ball Twice
Law 35: Hit Wicket
Law 36: Leg Before Wicket
Law 37: Obstructing the Field
Law 38: Run Out
Law 39: Stumped
Law 40: The Wicket-keeper
Law 41: The Fielder
Law 42: Fair and Unfair Play
The four appendices to the laws are as follows:
Appendix A: Specifications and diagrams of
stumps and bails
Appendix B: Specifications and diagrams of the
pitch and creases
The sport of cricket requires gentlemanly conduct
from all players. Under the ICC regulations, players may be a fined a percentage
of the salary, banned for number of matches, or even banned for a number of
years or life. The ICC appoints a Match Referee for each Test match and One-day
International; the Referee has the power to set penalties for most offences, the
exceptions being the more serious ones. The following are the general categories
of serious offences, carrying the highest penalties:
Gambling on matches
Failing to perform in a match in return for a
benefit, such as money or goods (match fixing).
Inducing a player to perform one of the above
two actions
Failure to report certain incidents relating to
match-fixing or gambling
Other related offences
Other offences are categorized as Level 1, Level
2, Level 3, or Level 4 as follows:
Showing serious dissent at an umpire's decision
by word or action
Breach of the Logo Policy relating to a
commercial logo or a player's bat logo
Public criticism of a match related incident or
match official
Inappropriate and deliberate physical contact
between players during play
Aggressively charging towards an umpire while
appealing
Deliberate distraction or obstruction on the
field
Throwing the ball at a player, umpire or
official in a dangerous manner
Using language or a gesture that is obscene,
offensive or of a seriously insulting nature to another player, umpire,
referee, team official or spectator.
Changing the condition of the ball in breach of
Law 42.3
Any attempt to manipulate a match in regard to
the result, net run rate, bonus points or otherwise. (Example: Intentionally
losing so that a team will face a weaker opponent in the Finals.)
Physical assault of another player, umpire,
referee, official or spectator
Any act of violence during play
Using language or gestures that seriously
offends race, religion, color, descent or national or ethnic origin
The penalties available for each offence are
based on the level. The penalties are as follows:
Level 1: Fine- 0% to 50% of match fee.
Level 2: Fine- 50% to 100% of match fee; Ban- 1
Test or 2 ODIs.
Level 3: Ban- 2 to 4 Tests or 4 to 8 ODIs.
Level 4: Ban- 5 Tests to Life or 10 ODIs to
life.
Fines in Level 3 and 4 Offences are determined by
the ICC without regard to match fee. Also, offences relating to gambling or
match-fixing carry penalties of bans from 12 months to life, and also unlimited
fines. Note: If an offence occurred in a Test match, then the ban for a number
of tests applies. If an offence occurred in an ODI, then the ban for a number of
ODIs applies.
The format "Test
cricket" -a form of international cricket- started in
1877
during the 1876/77 English cricket team's tour of Australia. The first
test match began on
15th March,
1877
and had a timeless format with 4 balls per over. It ended on 19th March, 1877
with Australia winning by 45 runs.
Since then, over 1000 test matches have been
played and the number of test match playing teams has increased to 10 with the
10th international team making its debut in
2000.
Test matches are now played continuously over a period of 5 days with no
rest day.
Modern day test cricket (since 1979/80) has been
played all over the world with six balls per over. However, test cricket started
with 4 balls per over and has had varying number of balls per over around the
world upto 1979/80.
Balls per over
In
England
1880 to 1888: 4
1890 to 1899: 5
1902 to 1938: 6
1939 : 8
1946 to date: 6
In
Australia
1876/77 to 1887/88: 4
1891/92 to 1920/21: 6
1924/25 : 8
1928/29 to 1932/33: 6
1936/37 to 1978/79: 8
1979/80 to date : 6
In
South Africa
1891/92 to 1898/99: 5
1902/03 to 1935/36: 6
1938/39 to 1957/58: 8
1961/62 to date : 6
In
New Zealand
1929/30 to 1967/68: 6
1968/69 to 1978/79: 8
1979/80 to date : 6
In
Pakistan
1954/55 to 1972/73: 6
1974/75 to 1977/78: 8
1978/79 to date : 6
In
India,
West Indies,
Sri Lanka,
Zimbabwe and
United Arab Emirates (venue, not host) all test matches were played with 6
ball overs.
First-class cricket is just like Test cricket, but it takes place over three
days or more. Tests are technically first-class, but the term is usually used to
describe domestic matches. Domestic competitions take place between regional,
city, county, or state teams.
Due to the tiresomeness and growing unpopularity
of five days of Test cricket, the experiment of
one-day cricket was introduced. In one-day cricket, each team bats for only
one innings, and it is limited to a number of overs, usually fifty in
international matches. Since spectators did not need to commit five days of
their time, due to innovations such as matches at night under floodlights, as
well as the colored clothing (opposed to the somber white uniforms of Test
cricketers), and finally because of the greater sense of urgency in the new form
of the game, one-day cricket has gained many supporters supporters. Meanwhile,
many traditionalists have objected that Test cricket involves more strategy and
encompasses all the aspects of the game, while one-day cricket, by limiting the
number of overs, puts an undue emphasis on the quick scoring of runs. One-day
cricket is not classified as first-class.
List A cricket is to one-day cricket as first-class is to tests. Most
cricketing nations have some form of domestic List A competition. The over
limits range from forty to sixty. The categorization of "List A" is not one
endorsed by the ICC; the Association of Cricket Historians and Statisticians
created it for the purpose of providing a parallel to first-class cricket in
their record books.
Club cricket is amateur, but still formal, cricket. The games are almost
always Limited Overs, with each innings usually lasting between thirty and
forty-five overs. Club cricket is played extensively in cricketing nations, and
also by
immigrants of cricketing nations. Club cricket often takes place on an
artificial turf pitch, though the rest of actual field may be natural grass.
"Beach
cricket" is a term applied to all informal cricket, regardless of the actual
location. The rules are often made up on the spot, and the subtle and complex
laws of cricket, such as those involving Leg Before Wicket, penalty runs, and
others, are ignored or modified.
The
Test (that is major international match) teams are, in order of receiving
such status,
Australia,
England,
South Africa,
West Indies,
New Zealand,
India,
Pakistan,
Sri Lanka,
Zimbabwe and
Bangladesh. One nation,
Kenya, has "one-day international status." While Kenya still cannot play
test cricket, it is, like the test nations, exempt from qualifying tournaments
for the World Cup Additionally, the various cricket events include teams from
Argentina,
Canada,
Chile,
Hong Kong,
Israel,
Namibia,
The Netherlands,
Scotland,
Singapore, and
United States, although the game does not have a high profile in most of
those countries.
The
Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has always been the Framer of the Laws of
Cricket. However, the International Cricket Council (ICC) regulates
international cricket. Each cricketing nation also has a body that selects
international teams for that country as well as governs domestic competition.
The bodies in the test playing nations are:
England: England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)
Australia: Cricket Australia (CA)
South Africa: United Cricket Board of South
Africa (UCBSA)
West Indies: West Indies Cricket Board (WICB)
New Zealand: New Zealand Cricket (NZC)
India: Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)
Pakistan: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)
Sri Lanka: Board of Control for Cricket in Sri
Lanka (BCCSL)
Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU)
Bangladesh: Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB)
The ICC appoints a Match Referee for each
International match. The Match Referee has no power during the game; he is more
of a disciplinary official. The Match Referee has the power to receive
complaints from players, team officials, or umpires, hold hearings, fine players
a percentage of the "match fee", or ban players for a limited number of matches.
The Match Referee can also recommend a hearing by a higher panel, which can go
as far as banning a player for life.
International cricket has no fixed form or
structure. However, it has always been traditional for the countries, without
any interference from a body such as the ICC, to organize for themselves the
various cricket matches. Most Test matches and One-Day series take place in the
form of "tours." In a tour, one nation travels to another and plays warm-up
matches, first-class matches against domestic teams such as county or state
teams, a series of test matches against the host nation, and either a series of
one-day matches against the host nation or a tournament involving the host
nation and another touring nation. The "triangular tournament" format is often
used when one tour is about to conclude and the other has just begun. In the
tournament, the three teams play each other either two or three times. The two
teams with the most points (usually two points for a win, one point for a
no-result or tie, and no points for a loss) qualify for the one-game final.
The test series can last from one match (known as
a "one-off match") to six matches. Six-match series are extremely rare. Most
important series last five matches, while the less important ones last two to
four matches. The length of the series is based on the home country's attitude
towards the modern form of cricket, one-day internationals; traditional nations
such as England and Australia usually organize five-match series, while one-day
crazy nations such as India favour three-match series. At most, a perpetual
trophy such as
The Ashes (for England versus Australia) or the Frank Worrell Trophy (for
Australia versus the West Indies) exists, with the trophy being awarded to the
last team to win a series.
The One-day series lasts from three to seven
matches. Usually, the shorter one-day series are played at the same time as
longer test series. In addition to tours, nations may organize one-day matches
at neutral venues. The Sahara Cup was a one-day series played annually between
India and Pakistan in Toronto, until the Indian government ordered the
suspension of most cricketing ties with Pakistan. Similarly, a semiannual
Triangular Tournament was organized at Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. The
tournament almost always involved the traditional rivals India and Pakistan.
However, the tournament has lost its luster due to the fact that the
overwhelming number of cricket matches has spoiled the pitch. In contrast to the
one-dayers, tests are never held in neutral venues. One notable recent exception
occurred when Pakistan played some test matches in Sharjah; many other nations
had decided to boycott Pakistani grounds due to violence, including bombings,
that had occurred during a tour by the New Zealand cricket team.
In addition to the one-day series and tournaments
organized by the nations themselves, the ICC organizes two tournaments. The
World Cup is held every four years; it involves all the test playing
nations, Kenya, and also a number of qualifying nations. The Champion's Trophy,
also known as the ICC Knockout Cup, is held every four years in between World
Cups. In the Champion's Trophy, a single loss eliminates a team from the
tournament.
The ICC instituted the Test Championship table to
permit fans to compare all the test teams. The Table is a running one, that is,
whoever is on top at a certain time will formally hold the Test trophy. (The
Table is not like a league standings table, where the top team at the end of a
certain period of time becomes Champion.)
The calculations for the Table are performed as
follows:
Each team scores points based on the results of
their matches.
Each team's rating is equal to its
total points scored divided by the total matches and series played. (A series
must include at least two tests).
A series only counts if it was played in the
last three years.
Series played in the first two years of the
three-year limit count half; essentially, recent matches are given more
weightage.
To determine a team's rating after a particular
series:
Find the series result
Award 1 point to a team for each win
Award 1/2 point to a team for each draw
Award 1 bonus point to the team winning the
series
Award 1/2 bonus point to each team if the
series is drawn
Convert the series result to actual ratings
points
If the gap between the ratings of the two
teams at the commencement of the series is less than 40 points, then the
ratings points for each team equals:
(The team's own series result)
multiplied by (50 points MORE than the opponent's rating) PLUS
(The opponent's series result)
multiplied by (50 points LESS than the opponent's rating)
If the gap between the ratings of the two
teams at the commencement of the series is more than or equal to 40
points, then the ratings points for the stronger team equals:
(The team's own series result)
multiplied by (10 points MORE than the team's own rating) PLUS
(The opponent's series result)
multiplied by (90 points LESS than the team's own rating)
If the gap between the ratings of the two
teams at the commencement of the series is more than or equal to 40
points, then the ratings points for the weaker team equals:
(The team's own series result)
multiplied by (90 points MORE than the team's own rating) PLUS
(The opponent's series result)
multiplied by (10 points LESS than the team's own rating)
Add the ratings points scored by the team to
the total ratings points already scored (in previous matches, as reflected
by the Table) and calculate the new rating.
The ODI championship was created for reasons
similar to the Test one, and it has a similar structure. The championship does
not replace the World Cup; the latter still carries much more significance to
most cricket fans.
The calculations for the Table are performed as
follows:
Each team scores points based on the results of
their matches.
Each team's rating is equal to its
total points scored divided by the total matches played. (Series are not
significant in these calculations).
A match only counts if it was played in the
last three years.
Matches played in the first year of the
three-year limit count one-third; matches played in the second year count
two-thirds; matches played in the last year count fully; essentially, recent
matches are given more weightage.
To determine a team's rating after a particular
match:
Determine the match result (win, loss, or
tie)
Calculate the match points scored:
If the gap between the ratings of the two
teams at the commencement of the match is less than 40 points, then:
The winner scores 50 points MORE than the
opponent's rating
The loser scores 50 points LESS than the
opponent's rating
Each team in a tie scores the opponent's
rating
If the gap between the ratings of the two
teams at the commencement of the match is more than or equal to 40 points,
then :
The winner, if it is the stronger team,
scores 10 points MORE than its own rating
The winner, if it is the weaker team,
scores 90 points MORE than its own rating
The loser, if it is the stronger team,
scores 90 points LESS than its own rating
The loser, if it is the weaker team,
scores 10 points LESS than its own rating
The stronger team in a tie scores 40
points LESS than its own rating
The weaker team in a tie scores 40 points
MORE than its own rating
Add the match points scored to the points
already scored (in previous matches as reflected by the Table) and determine
the new rating.
In most nations, domestic cricket is more
organized than international cricket. There are usually separate limited overs
and first-class trophies. At some times, there may be more than one limited
overs trophy. The teams are usually city, county, state, or other regional
teams. However, at some times, "department teams," which are teams composed of
employees of a certain institution, may play.
Cricket is a statistics-laden sport. The
statistics of runs, no-balls, wide balls, byes, and leg byes are covered in the
above section on the Structure of the Match and Scoring.
Innings (I): Number of innings in which a
batsman actually batted
Not Out (NO): Number of times a batsman was not
out at the conclusion of an innings
Runs: Number of runs scored by a batsman
Highest Score (HS): Highest score ever made by
the batsman
Average (Ave): Average number of runs scored,
calculated by dividing the total number of runs by the total number of innings
in which the batsman was out (Ave = Runs/[I - NO])
Centuries (100): Number of innings in which a
batsman scored one hundred runs or more
Half-centuries (50): Number of innings in which
a batsman scored fifty runs to ninety nine runs (centuries do not count as
half-centuries as well)
Strike rate (SR): Rate at which runs are
scored, calculated by dividing the total dividing one hundred times the runs
scored by the number of balls received (SR = [100 * Runs]/Balls)
Maiden Overs (M): Number of maiden overs (overs
in which the bowler conceded zero runs) bowled by a bowler
Runs: Number of runs conceded by a bowler
Wickets (W): Number of wickets taken by a
bowler
Average (Ave): Average number of runs given up,
calculated by dividing the total number of runs conceded by the total number
of wickets taken (Ave = Runs/W)
Economy Rate (Econ): Average number of runs
given up, calculated by dividing the total number of runs conceded by the
total number of overs bowled (Ave = Runs/Overs)
Best: The innings in which the bowler took more
wickets than he did in any other innings, and if the bowler took the same
number of wickets on two or more occasions, then the innings in which he gave
up fewer runs
Five-wicket hauls (5): The number of innings in
which the bowler took at least five wickets.
Ten-wicket match hauls (10): The number of
matches in which the bowler took at least ten wickets; test statistic only.
Strike rate (SR): The rate at which wickets are
taken, calculated by dividing the total number of balls bowled by the total
number of wickets taken (SR = Balls/ W)
