A yank plays Cricket

In an effort to do a complete dive into the British Culture in my last 11 months on the island, I went out and played in a cricket match, all dressed up in the white regalia to boot. Drove up in the MGB and stepped out, I think the opposition thought I was a ringer! Wrong.

I really enjoyed it. I was given a 5 minute overview of how to handle the bat and swing in cricket, kept my head about me for about 6 to 7 deliveries just keeping the ball down and out of the air, and then nature took over and swung for the fences (or the boundary, the ball only went about 30 yards) and it was caught for an out.

Really enjoyed it. Did well out in the field. We played an abbreviated version (not 20/20 but something else). I would do it again. Good fun and beers and pizza afterwards, can't beat it. And we won, so my damage was not all that severe!

 

Baseball has the great advantage over cricket of being sooner ended. - George Bernard Shaw

 

Never so much as tried.. or even had a chance, AFAIK.

When I was young and dum, I thought like most.. "I can hit a round ball with a round bat, and put it pretty much where i want it, how hard can THAT be!"

Over the years I realized several things:

The 'pitcher' is called a BOWLER. I bowled ten-pins. Hmmmmmm, wonder it THAT has something....

The bat might be flat but it still has that sweet spot. Take a 1x4 and hit a rock with it. Hmmmm.. I see. {and FEEL!}

Then i considered that it might be that Cricketers were not just lazy as youth and they would probably try to excel at the technical stuff rather than just be average.

So on balance, I decided to not make fun of it.... easier to just write it off as a quaint victorian circus act.

 

Cricket 101
By Nick Webster
Foxsportsworld.com

To many people, the game of cricket is akin to baseball on Valium. However, if you take the time to sit down, watch, listen and learn you'll soon discover that it contains a whole host of subtleties and nuances that any sports fan can identify with.

Before all of this can happen though, we do need to have a basic grasp of what the bloody hell is going on.

So go grab a large, strong coffee, sit up and pay attention, because here we go.

The object of the game

You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that's in the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out. When they are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out.
Sometimes you get men still in and not out. When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in.

There are two men called umpires who stay all out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have out, and both sides have been out twice (in 'test' matches) after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game!

Phew! Complicated enough? Let me attempt to simplify.

The make up of sides

Each team consists of eleven players. The general make up of the side is as follows. Five specialist batsman. Four bowlers, one wicket keeper (who can usually bat a bit) and one all-rounder (who is skilled at batting and bowling).

At the start of play, the two opposing skippers will go out to the middle, inspect the wicket, toss up and decide if they want to bat or bowl first. This toss of the coin is as big as winning the coin flip in an NFL overtime because the movement of the cricket ball and the condition of the wicket is effected by many elements throughout the day and the captains have to somehow anticipate this.

Batting

Let's say for instance that we've called correctly, won the toss and have elected to bat. The order of batsman is established and each player will have a semi-defined role. The openers (No. 1 & 2) are like the lead off hitters in baseball in that their job is to erect a platform that the innings can be built upon. Nos. 3 & 4 are usually the stroke players (batsman who rely more on timing than power) and they'll build on the momentum supplied by the openers. Nos. 5 & 6 are considered the swashbucklers of the side and they come in towards the end of the innings intent on pulverizing anything out of sight (they're the Sosa's. and Bonds of the team). Nos. 7 through 11 are the bowlers and therefore not too much is expected of them, although many, are more than capable of hitting some lusty blows.

Bowling

In the World Cup, bowlers are allowed to bowl a maximum of ten overs. So in theory a team will deploy five bowlers at ten overs apiece.

So say we've won the toss and seen that there is moisture in the wicket or humidity in the air. This will cause the ball to move and swing and so we will elect to bowl first. Just like in batting you'll have a pair of opening bowlers. These two will generally be fast bowlers known as quickies and are capable of chucking down the ball at speeds close to 100mph (the distance between the batsman and the bowler is roughly 20 yards). These opening spells (usually 6 overs a piece) are critical in containing the flow of runs and if you happen to nick a wicket or two even better (they will generally try to beat a batsman with pure pace, much like a Randy Johnson). Next up for a twenty over stint will be two medium pacers who'll try to get movement out of the wicket and swing the ball (sort of like a Greg Maddux) and perhaps one spinner who'll try to deceive the batsman with slower balls that turn and dip violently (like a knuckle-baller). Towards the end of the inning the opening bowlers usually return to finish off their spells and slow down the run rate.

Yes I know its sounding complicated, but trust me, If you can hang in there it'll all be worth it.

Until then, I'm off for tea and cucumber sandwiches.

 

Well, that helped...
And actually, it did.. sorta.
wonder if Nick did one on Baseball for the Brit knobs who claim it's just Rounders.
Dear Brits: No, that's SOFTBALL!

 

Extrapolating that, then the bowler and fielders are the ones that score the runs?
Common sense tells one that 'Defense' would be the intention to stop the opposite side from scoring runs.

Fun fact: did you know Brits and most Commonwealth drive on opposite side because the sword/spear was carried in the right hand?
-learned from Ducky on NCIS

 

As a Brit reading this it's Hilarious

 

As a Yank, reading this is confusing. I'm trying though, I want to at leat have an idea about the game. Just learning that the guy with the bat is on defense helped. Whoops, batsman.

 

The funny thing is (not really funny given their stature in the sport) that it is another expat in my company from India who has taken me under his wing to teach me the game and show me the intricacies of the sport. He is going to take me out to a park and give me a few more tips.

Don, the countdown to the Ashes started about 90 days ago. Everyday in the Times they have a new article out with the days left till the match quoted, I think its in the 40's now.

Our company is in a corporate league so the team leader posts the projected starting 11 squad every week plus the alternates....I made the list as the 8th alternate! A big dose of swine flu is needed for me to be called up, but I am honored I made the list! (he is just being kind to me)

 

Oh yeah, we need to introduce our cricket player bretheren to 'roids. That would step up the game a bit. :shock:

I have never seen a batsmen break a bat over his knee after an out or a bench clearing brawl. That might get a few more Americans interested.

How about some dusting up of the umps Lasorda or Billy Maritn style! :twisted:

 

Good stuff -- would you post a link?

 

Steve, no specific link, but here is one to the Times Cricket page...its all about (most of it) the Ashes. The countdown is in the paper edition.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/cricket/

 

Give it to pettyfog... he does all the heavy lifting.
Here's a GBFC thread on the Ashes
Sledging defined here

Note that 'cricket 101' also posted there

 

thanks all