Page 15 - The Creswick Times
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         WH AT  I S  C RI C KE T ?
         I mag i ne  a  re d  s to ne  the  s i z e  o f  a  b i g  o ni o n  c o mi ng  at  yo u  at  8 5  mi l e s  an  ho ur.  T hi s  i s  the  s p e e d  at  whi c h  a
         c ri c ke t  b al l  c o me s  at  the  b ats man.  We l l ,  mo s t  o f  the  ti me .  T he  b ats man  ne e ds  to  de c i de  o n  what  s ho t  he  o r  s he
         i s  g o i ng  to  p l ay  s o  that  the  b al l  c an  g o  p as t  the  ni ne  fi e l de rs  wai ti ng  to  s to p  the  b al l .

         C ri c ke t  i s  p l aye d  b e twe e n  two  te ams  o f  1  1  p l aye rs  i n  e ac h  s i de .  T he  fi rs t  te am  s e nds  two  b ats me n  at  a  ti me
         o nto  the  fi e l d  and  the  o the r  te am  tri e s  to  g e t  the  b ats me n  o ut.  T he  fi e l di ng  te am,  as  i t  i s  c al l e d,  wi l l  us e  a
         b o wl e r  who  thro ws  the  b al l  o ve rarm  at  the  b ats man.  Whe n  the  b atti ng  te am  has  l o s t  al l  1  0  wi c ke ts ,  the
         b o wl i ng  s i de  s tarts  b atti ng  and  the  te am  who  was  b atti ng  s tarts  b o wl i ng .  C o nfus i ng ,  I  b e t?


         C ri c ke t  i s  o ne  o f  the  wo rl d’ s  mo s t  p o p ul ar  te am  s p o rts  and  i t  i s  p l aye d  i n  many  c o untri e s  aro und  the  wo rl d.
         C ri c ke te rs  are  tal e nte d  i ndi vi dual s  who  are  no t  o nl y  fi t,  b ut  al s o  ab l e  to  thi nk  o n  the i r  fe e t.  T he y  have  g re at
         c o mmuni c ati o n  s ki l l s ,  di s p l ay  l e ade rs hi p  and  ab l e  to  c o nc e ntrate  fo r  l o ng  p e ri o ds  o f  ti me .


         C ri c ke t  i s  a  p o p ul ar  s p o rt  i n  I ndi a,  P aki s tan,  B ang l ade s h,  S ri  L anka,  We s t  I ndi e s ,  A us tral i a,  S o uth  A fri c a,  N e w
         Z e al and,  Z i mb ab we  and  E ng l and.  T he s e  are  the  ‘  te s t  c ri c ke t  p l ayi ng  nati o ns ’  .  C ri c ke t  i s  g o ve rne d  b y  the
         I nte rnati o nal  C ri c ke t  C o unc i l .  C ri c ke t  i s  p l aye d  i n  o the r  c o untri e s  l i ke  M al ays i a,  S i ng ap o re ,  C anada,
         N e the rl ands ,  N i g e ri a  b ut  the y  are  no t  te s t  p l ayi ng  nati o ns  –  ye t.  I t  i s  ac tual l y  the  E ng l i s hme n  who  c re ate d
         c ri c ke t  and  the n  the  s p o rt  trave l l e d  wi th  the m  to  o the r  p arts  o f  the  wo rl d.  A l tho ug h  c ri c ke t  i s  p o p ul ar  i n  many
         c o untri e s ,  i t  i s  l e s s  kno wn  i n  p l ac e s  l i ke  C hi na,  U S A  and  Rus s i a.  I mag i ne  i f  the y  s tarte d  p l ayi ng  c ri c ke t  to o .

         C ri c ke t  i s  a  ve ry  c o mp l i c ate d  s p o rt  to  many.  I t  has  4 2  l aws  and  s e ve ral  p arts  wi thi n  e ac h  l aw.  S o ,  c ri c ke t
         matc he s  are  c o ntro l l e d  b y  two  ump i re s  s o  that  e ve ryo ne  i n  b o th  te ams  s ti c k  to  the  rul e s  o f  the  g ame .  T he  I C C
         ump i re s  p ane l  i nc l ude s  ump i re s  fro m  al l  o ve r  the  wo rl d  and  the y  are  c al l e d  ne utral  ump i re s .


         WH AT  A RE  T H E  D I F F E RE N T  F O RM AT S  O F  C RI C KE T ?
         C ri c ke t  has  thre e  fo rmats  o r  typ e s  o f  g ame s .  O ne  D ay  I nte rnati o nal s  ( O D I ) ,  T 2 0  and  Te s t  matc he s .  O ne  D ay
         I nte rnati o nal s  are  o f  c o urs e  p l aye d  duri ng  the  day  and  e ac h  te am  g e ts  5 0  o ve rs  to  b at.  B y  the  way,  an  o ve r  i s  6
         b al l s  o r  thro ws  b y  the  b o wl e r.  I n  T 2 0  c ri c ke t,  e ac h  te am  g e ts  o nl y  2 0  o ve rs  and  the s e  matc he s  are  ve ry
         e x c i ti ng  to  watc h,  b ut  the  re al  c ri c ke t  i s  c al l e d  Te s t  c ri c ke t  and  i t  l as ts  a  who l e  5  days .  I mag i ne  p l ayi ng  a  s p o rt
         fo r  5  days  no n- s to p ,  e s p e c i al l y  i n  the  ho t  s un  i n  I ndi a  whe re  the  te mp e rature  c an  ri s e  up  to  3  5  de g re e s
         c e nti g rade .  .  .


         T H E  C RI C KE T  WO RL D  C U P
         E ve ry  thre e  ye ars  the re  i s  a  C ri c ke t  Wo rl d  C up  o rg ani s e d  b y  the  I nte rnati o nal  C ri c ke t  C o unc i l  ( I C C ) .  T he  l as t
         Wo rl d  C up  was  i n  E ng l and  and  the y  wo n  the  fi nal  ag ai ns t  N e w  Z e al and  i n  a  matc h  that  e ve ryo ne  tho ug ht  was
         the  mo s t  e x c i ti ng .  T he  wi nne r  was  de c i de d  i n  the  S up e r  O ve r  and  i t  was  a  nai l - b i ti ng  fi ni s h.  E ve ry  yo ung
         c ri c ke te r  dre am  o f  p l ayi ng  i n  a  Wo rl d  C up  l i ke  athl e te s  dre am  o f  g o i ng  to  the  O l ymp i c s .  B ut  c ri c ke t  i s  a  te am
         s p o rt  s o  yo u  ne e d  to  b e  g o o d  at  b atti ng ,  b o wl i ng ,  fi e l di ng  and  ke e p i ng  wi c ke ts  i f  yo u  are  a  wi c ke t  ke e p e r.  A
         wi c ke t  ke e p e r  i s  l i ke  a  g o al i e  i n  fo o tb al l .


         N e x t  ti me ,  I  wi l l  tal k  ab o ut  ho w  yo u  p l ay  c ri c ke t  and  the  fi e l d  p l ac e me nts .  We  c an  al s o  to uc h  o n  ho w  c ri c ke t
         i s  s uc h  as  e x c i ti ng  te am  s p o rt  and  ho w  s i l l y  mi d- o ff,  fi ne - l e g  and  s quare - l e g  c o me s  i nto  p l ay.

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