Basic Cricket Rules and Laws

Basic Facts and Rules of Cricket

The game of cricket is played between two teams. Each team has eleven players. The team may use a substitute if a player is injured. If the player gets better he may return.

The game has two umpires that make the enforce the rules and make decisions.

Two scorers keep the score for both teams.

The ball is 22.4 to 22.9cm in diameter and weights between 155 to 163 grams.

The bat is 96.5 long and 10.8 wide.

The pitch is 22 yards long and 10ft wide. The wickets composed of three stumps, which are 28 inches tall and 9 inches wide with three bails on top.

The bowling crease is 8.8ft long and as wide as the wicket, it is centered on the stumps.

The condition of the pitch should be good and give an even bounce. It should be agreed by both teams at the start of the game.

The game is played for one or two innings depending on the type of match. The innings is over when all of the batsmen are out, or the innings is forfeit, or if the limit of overs or time is reached as agreed by the two captains.

A 'follow-on' occurs in a two innings match when a team that is batting does not reach the limit for runs to allow them to play on. This is when they are behind the fielding team by 200 runs for a test match, 150 for a three day match and 75 runs for a one day match. The batting team then has to bat again at the discretion of the other team. The captain of the batting team may end the innings whenever the ball is not in play.

There should be a 10 minute break between each innings. And there are breaks for lunch , tea and drinks as agreed by the captains. The play is started again by the umpire. In the final hour the fielding team must bowl at least 20 overs. The teams may practice before or after the game at the umpires discretion.

The batting team scores a run when both batsman cross and reach the opposite ends of the wicket without getting out. If the ball goes over the boundary and does not bounce the batting team get 6 runs. If it does bounce then the get 4 runs. The team that gets the most runs is the winner. If they both get the same amount of runs it is a draw. Each over is 6 bowls and then the next over is from the other end. When the ball that has been bowled has been hit or runs to a stop and the runs are over then the ball is dead. When there is a dead ball the batsman is not able to be out or score any runs.

If the batsman is not able to hit the ball from where he stands then the ball is wide This means that the batting team gets an extra run. There is also a no ball when the ball bounces more than one time on the way to the wicket when it has been bowled or the bowler does not bowl correctly. That gives the batting team an extra run. When the bowler bowls he may not put his foot over the crease and his arm must go over his shoulder and not bend.

If the ball is not hit when bowled, but the batsmen scores a run it is called a bye. If the batsman makes a run when he has tried to hit the ball but it has bounced off of his pad then it is called a leg bye. The batsman is out if the ball is caught before it has hit the ground when he has hit it. He is out if the bowler knocks off the bales when the ball is bowled. The batsman is out if the bales are knocked off when he is out of the crease.The batsman is out if he is not ready to face the ball in three minutes from the last batsman being out.

The batsman is out if he, hits the ball twice or gets hit by the ball after it is bowled and when it would have hit the wicket if he did not get in the way of it. The batsman is out when he obstructs the fielding team when the ball is in play. The batsman is out when he is run out when the ball hits the wicket when he is not in the crease when he is running between the wickets. The wicket keeper stands behind the wicket and is able to wear gloves and pads. He can stump the batsman through knocking off the bales when the batsman is not in the crease.

When 10 out the 11 batsmen are out, or the amount of agreed overs or hours are completed, the innings is finished. The team that has the most runs at the end of the one or two innings are the winners. The amount of overs and innings is agreed between the two teams at the start of the game.