CRICKET FOR BASEBALL PLAYERS: AN OUTLINE

by Deb K. Das, ex-Managing Editor, CRICKETER North American Edition

HERE ARE THE BASICS... *TWO teams.... ELEVEN, not NINE, players each *TWO bases, not four... in MIDDLE of field *Ball can be hit in ANY direction, not just in front *Only ONE innings (10 outs maximum) per team *Team scoring MORE RUNS wins game

PROGRESS OF PLAY (one) Coin toss decides which team bats first (two) First team bats while opponent fields (three) Inning ends EITHER after 10 outs, OR when agreed time limit* is reached (four) Now Fielding Team bats , and: 1. If first team’s score is reached WITHIN time limit*** , AND for less than 10 outs, it wins 2. If first team’s score not reached because 10 outs occur , OR time runs out***, it loses. *** OVERS, and NOT hours or minutes, are used to set time limits, mark time or measure progress of game in cricket. See what "OVERS" mean, under PITCHING DETAILS, below. FOR EXAMPLE: Team A bats first, scores 150. Team B makes 151 for 7 outs. So, B wins. Team A bats first, scores 187. Team B makes only 179. Therefore, A wins.

MAJOR DIFFERENCE FROM BASEBALL BASEBALL is a PITCHER’S GAME....the pitcher is in control, and runs are usually scored ONLY when pitcher makes, or is forced to make, a mistake. By contrast, CRICKET is a BATTER’S GAME.....the batter is in control, and usually is put out ONLY if s/he makes a mistake. Unlike baseball, a cricket batter can run WHEN S/HE CHOOSES TO, AND GOES ON BATTING until someone actually takes him/her out...can go on making hits and scoring runs until that happens.. This could take seconds...or minutes...or hours....!

PITCHING DETAILS There are TWO starting pitchers, not just one as in baseball. FIRST pitcher makes SIX throws from one base towards CATCHER at the other base. Then CATCHER switches bases, SECOND pitcher takes over at other end, makes SIX throws at FIRST pitcher’s base Pitchers alternate every SIX throws, until one or both are relieved. NOTE: Every set of six pitches thrown by a pitcher is called ONE "OVER"; e.g.. 3 Overs = 18 pitches. A limit of 30, 40 or 50 OVERS, i.e. 180, 240 or 300 pitches, can be set for a team's batting....pitchers can be restricted to 6, 8 or 10 overs each...scoring rates can be calculated as earned runs per OVER...the OVER is a basic unit of cricket.

BATTING DETAILS As explained, Batter STAYS ON BASE until s/he is actually put out . S/he is OUT only if (1) Any of the three sticks marking home base is hit by pitcher (like a strike-out); OR (2) ball is hit into fielder’s hands without touching ground (like a pop fly) OR (3) if, when running, fielder touches base to which runner is going before runner gets there (like a tag) OR (4) if batter stops pitcher from hitting his sticks with his body, not his bat (called LBW) . If none of these happen, batter GOES ON BATTING...for minutes, even hours! Bases are loaded to start the inning (i.e. two batters are always up, one taking the strike, the other on base) and HAVE TO STAY LOADED. Since there are 11 persons in the team: after 10 outs, one player is left on base... there is no one left to go in to bat......and the inning has to end. SCORING PLAYS Batter scores by hitting the ball, choosing to run, THEN running safely between the two bases. Once across (from one base to the opposite one): SINGLE (scores 1 run). There and back: DOUBLE (scores 2 runs). Three times back and forth: TRIPLE (scores 3 runs). Line drive to the fence :FOUR RUNS. Hit that flies over the fence, like a home run: SIX RUNS. Cricket scores CAN seem high, compared to baseball, because even three or four good scoring hits per out, for 10 outs, could produce a total of 100 or more.

HOW LONG CAN A GAME LAST....? In the US Northwest, EACH team bats for ABOUT AS LONG AS a typical baseball game. So, a complete cricket game takes about as long as a baseball DOUBLE- HEADER. Typically, it takes 4 to 6 hours of actual playing time, plus breaks for lunch, tea or drinks.