Cricket: A Game That Fascinates Millions Of People

In many countries of the World, Cricket is extremely popular. In the region where it is played, it is the most popular and spectator sport. You will notice this game if you go outside North America to places like England and Wales, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and the Caribbean.

Cricket is a bat and ball sport that is in some ways similar to baseball, although there are significant differences between the two sports that at first glance may seem very similar. To the untrained eye that is unfamiliar with the sport of cricket the confusion can be great.

There are many things common to both these games. Just as is the case in baseball, the game is divided into halves called 'innings'. As is the case in baseball, during the 'inning' one team bats while the other team 'fields' and 'bowls'.

In cricket, the team who bats first sets a target score that the other team must try to match. The team that is bowling (or playing the field) tries to limit the number of points or "runs" that the opposing team scores. Unlike baseball, when a team is at bat they always have two batters (or batsmen) on the field. The innings is not over until 10 batsmen are declared out. When there are 10 outs, this is referred to as "taking their wickets" and results in the inning ending.

The result of the game is declared by counting the runs made by the teams. If the team batting second is unable to make the desired runs then it said that this team 'lost by (the number of runs) that is the difference in their scores'. In case the team batting second scores the required amount of runs then it is said 'won by (the amount of) runs'. The game can also result in a draw or a tie.

One of the most obvious differences between baseball and cricket is the cricket bat. A cricket bat is shaped more like a wooden paddle, while a baseball bat is round and basically tube shaped. The cricket bat is made up of a long handle and a flat surface, very similar in appearance to a boat paddle. The batting style or stance is similar to the baseball stance, but not exactly the same. Pitching and fielding also bear similarities to baseball, with some subtle differences.

The order in which the batsmen come to bat can be changed any time depending on the planned strategy to gain advantage of the situation. When the batsman hits the ball it is called the shot or 'stroke'. At times when the batsman hits the ball from the edge of the bat instead of the flat surface then it is called a 'snick'.

Some find that it is due to the subtle differences in strategy that make cricket a more compelling sport to both participate in and follow recreationally. Indeed, these subtle differences make for a different experience in both playing and watching the game.

If you have an opportunity, you should look into cricket if you are visiting one of the countries in which it is popular. Cricket is great fun once you get over the steep learning curve required to pick up the jargon and nomenclature for the sport that is enthusiastically used to communicate the details of the game that so many people love and enjoy.

Article Source: http://www.cursebustersound.com/article

About the author: Jeremy Rearden is the chief editor for Focus on Cricket, a fantastic website to visit if you're looking for accurate up to date advice and discussion about Cricket. For further information on Cricket please visit: www.focuscricket.com/articles Why not sign up for our free Cricket newsletter at: www.focuscricket.com/newsletters
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