Quote:
Originally posted by Sir Taliesin:
It kinda reminds me of Baseball. I know its not though.
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Baseball!?!
Sir Taliesin, please!
Where do I start. There are 11 men each side. They play 2 innings in a Test match. If a team is attacking in their first innings, then they will be defending in their second. There is a long rectangular strip of grass in the middle of the field called a wicket. On either side of that wicket are 3 stumps with bails on top. The attacking side has a bowler that tries to hit this stump. In an over they bowl six balls from each end, alternating after each "over" (6 balls bowled). They must have their elbow straight while bowling until after they release the ball.
There are 2 batsmen at any given time, one on each end, defending the stumps. Their objectives are 1) protect the stumps from being hit; and 2) make runs in the process. If they hit the ball they can run to the other end. If the ball is caught they are out. If the ball is thrown to either end and one of them is not in his crease (crease is at either end of the wicket) and the bails are taken off the stumps, then that batsman is out. If the batsman hits the ball and it travels to the fence, then that is automatically 4 runs. If they hit the ball over the fence that is 6 runs. If they hit it out of the ground that is still 6 runs and someone has to go and find the original ball.
If a bowler hits the stumps (the batsman fails to hit the ball or it bounces off the bat on to the stumps then the batsman is out. The next batsman then comes up. (People have been known to bat all day - 8 hours if they are really good.) If the stumps fall 10 times (i.e. 10 batsmen get out) then that team has been "dismissed" for however many runs they made. The minimum number of overs that a team has to bat is 75. They can bat on after this if they want but it will leave them less time to bowl the opposition out. If after 75 overs they have lost less than 10 wickets, then they can "declare" their score, and make a decision to send the other team in to bat. Teams win by bowling the opposition out in both innings and having a higher aggregate score.
Clear as mud?
I've left out about a million details because my fingers are starting to hurt. Any cricket aficianados out there that might be able to clarify?
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