Page 15 - The Creswick Times

The Sport Pages

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.

B y We r r u n - Y5 S n o wd ro p