Field & Equipment
There are no standard dimensions for a cricket field, but the pitch--the area between the two wickets--is standardized at 22 yards long and 10 feet wide. The wicket is 28 inches high and 9 inches wide; the maximum length of the bails is 4 3/8 inches, and they must not extend more than ½ inch above the steps.
The batsman's ground is marked by a popping crease, a line 8 feet 8 inches long and 4 feet in front of the wicket. A line extending 3 feet 11½ inches on either side of the stumps marks the bowling crease. At each end a white line runs back about 12 inches at right angles to the crease.
A batsman must have the bat or part of his person behind the popping crease to prevent being "run out" or "stumped." At one time, the bowler was required to have the back foot behind and within the bowling crease when delivering the ball, but the rule was difficult to enforce because the bowler's momentum tended to drag the back foot beyond that point; the bowler is now required to have the front foot behind the popping crease on the bowler's end.
A field may be enclosed, but, if it is not, the teams agree upon boundaries before the game. Most commonly used cricket fields, whether enclosed or not, have traditional boundary markers.
The ball is similar to a baseball but slightly smaller--between 8 13/16 and 9 inches in circumference, and 5½ to 5 3/4 ounces in weight-and it has a thicker, harder leather cover, which is colored red.
The bat, which is made of willow, has a triangular cross section, with a flat surface, the longest side of the triangle, used as the batting side. A handle of tightly bound cane is wedged into a hole in the top. Overall length must not exceed 38 inches, and the width must not exceed 4½ inches.
The batsmen and the wicketkeeper wear wide, heavy shin and knee pads, and the wicketkeeper wears two heavy leather gloves. No other players wear protective equipment of any kind. The customary "uniform" consists of white flannel trousers, white shoes or boots, white open-necked shirts, and caps similar to those worn in baseball.
Progress of Play
A cricket match is played for a predetermined period of time, ranging from several hours to several days. (Recently, the one-day match has become relatively popular in England, since it is more adaptable to television.) There are 11 players on each team. The batting team has two batsmen on the field at a time, one at each wicket, and the opposing team has a bowler, a wicketkeeper, and nine other fielders who may take up any positions outside the pitch.
The bowler pitches in an attempt to hit the wicket and knock down the bails, to put the batsman out. The batsman defends the wicket with the bat, using it merely to deflect the ball from the wicket, or to hit the ball to any part of the field. There is no such thing as a foul ball in cricket. If the ball is hit far enough, the batsmen can try to score a run by exchanging positions before being put out; they may keep running back and forth between the wickets, scoring additional runs, for as long as they think it is safe.
If the ball, thrown by a fielder, hits the wicket when the batsman is "out of ground," he is "run out." If the batsman swings and misses, and is out of his ground, the wicketkeeper can break the wicket-the batsman is then "stumped."
If the ball is caught on the fly by a fielder, the batsman is "out, caught." The batsman who knocks the wicket down while trying to hit the ball or while running is "out, hit wicket"; if the batsman hits the ball twice, handles the ball, intentionally obstructs a fielder, or uses any part of the body to stop the ball, he is out.
The bowler, who usually throws overhand, must keep the delivery arm straight; if that arm is bent during delivery, it is "no ball," which counts as a run for the batting team. It is also "no ball" if the bowler is not in the prescribed area at the moment of delivery.
If the pitch is out of the reach of the batsman, it is a "wide," which also counts as a run. If the pitch gets past the wicketkeeper, the batsmen may run just as if it were a hitthis is called a "bye." If the ball strikes the batsman while the batsman is trying to hit it, and then eludes the wicketkeeper, it is a "leg bye" if any runs are scored. (This applies only if, in the judgment of the umpires, there was no deliberate attempt by the batsmen to get hit by the ball.)
A batsman, when out, is replaced by another. An "innings" (always plural in cricket) ends after there are 10 outs--since the man remaining doesn't have a partner. Since a man stays at bat until he is out, it is perfectly possible for the first batsman to remain at bat throughout an innings.
Four runs are automatically scored if the ball goes beyond the boundary; six runs if it is hit beyond the boundary on the fly. However, if the batsmen score more than four runs before the ball crosses the boundary, they are credited with the higher total.
The umpire calls an "over" after six balls, ordinarily; sometimes after eight balls, as in Australian cricket. When an over is called, the wicketkeeper moves to the other wicket and a new bowler begins bowling from the other end. The fielders will also, of course, change positions. Generally, a team uses the same two bowlers throughout a game but a "relief bowler" is sometimes substituted.
The usual regulation cricket match consists of two complete innings. However, play is much more flexible than in baseball. If the first team to bat still holds a lead after the second team has had its innings, it can compel the second team to "follow on"--to bat again, for another innings. And, if the second team cannot take the lead, the match is over. As in baseball, if the second team to bat is in the lead after the other team's second innings, there is no need to bat again.
Major matches are always two innings. However, in less important matches, where the time limit is a factor, a team captain may declare the team's innings to be over before the required 10 outs. Such a declaration will be made only if the captain feels the team has built up an unbeatable lead.