| Cricket
is a team sport for two teams of eleven players each. A formal
game of cricket can last anything from an afternoon to several
days.
Cricket Ball:
Hard, cork and string ball, covered with leather. A bit like
a baseball (in size and hardness), but the leather covering
is thicker and joined in two hemispheres, not in a tennis
ball pattern. The seam is thus like an equator, and the stitching
is raised slightly. The circumference is between 224 and 229
millimetres (8.81 to 9.00 inches), and the ball weighs between
156 and 163 grams (5.5 to 5.75 ounces). Traditionally the
ball is dyed red, with the stitching left white. Nowadays
white balls are also used, for visibility in games played
at night under artificial lighting.
Cricket Bat:
Blade made of willow, flat on one side, humped on the other
for strength, attached to a sturdy cane handle. The blade
has a maximum width of 108 millimetres (4.25 inches) and the
whole bat has a maximum length of 965 millimetres (38 inches).
Wickets:
There are two wickets - wooden structures made up of a set
of three stumps topped by a pair of bails. These are described
below.
Stumps:
Three wooden posts, 25 millimetres (1 inch) in diameter and
813 millimetres (32 inches) high. They have have spikes extending
from their bottom end and are hammered into the ground in
an evenly spaced row, with the outside edges of the outermost
stumps 228 millimetres (9 inches) apart. This means they are
just close enough together that a cricket ball cannot pass
between them.
Bails:
Two wooden crosspieces which sit in grooves atop the adjacent
pairs of stumps.
Protective Gear:
Pads, gloves, helmet, etc for batsmen to wear to prevent injury
when struck by the ball.
Shoes:
Leather, usually with spiked soles for grip on the grass.
Clothing:
Long pants, shirt (long or short sleeved depending on the
weather), possibly a sleeveless or long-sleeved woollen pullover
in cold weather. For games played with a red ball, the clothing
must be white or cream. With a white ball, players usually
wear uniforms in solid team colours. Add a hat or cap to keep
the sun off. There are no regulations regarding identifying
marks or numbers on clothing.
A
Few Words on Cricket | Test
cricket | Equipment
| The
Play | Ways
of Getting Out |
First
Class Cricket | One-Day
Cricket |
