How to play Cricket? A comprehensive guide to playing cricket

Cricket is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, exercise, and have fun with friends. The game is played by millions of people worldwide, making it one of the world’s most popular sports. This article provides a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to playing cricket! By the end of this guide, you will be ready to take your first steps in the wonderful world of cricket! Let’s get started and learn how to play cricket.

How to play Cricket?

Cricket is one of the most popular sports in the world and is played by millions of people around the globe. It is a game of two teams, each with 11 players, in which one team bats while the other team bowls. The game aims to score more runs than the opposing team.

Runs are scored by the batting team when their batsman hits the ball and runs between the wickets. The bowler attempts to prevent the batsman from scoring by bowling the ball and catching the batsman. The team that scores the most runs in the allotted period wins.

Cricket is an exciting and thrilling game and provides hours of entertainment for players and spectators alike. Here are the 10 steps to play cricket like a pro:

• Step 1: Arrange the Prerequisites of the Cricket game
• Step 2: Know the Rules of the Game
• Step 3: Learn Cricket terminologies
• Step 4: Setting Up the Crease
• Step 5: Arranging Umpires
• Step 6: Hit the ball (Batting in Cricket)
• Step 7: Delivering the Ball (Bowling in Cricket)
• Step 8: Fielding
• Step 9: Scoring Runs
• Step 10: Finish the game

Step 1: Arrange the Prerequisites of the Cricket game

The following is a brief breakdown of the prerequisites, i.e., the equipment required to play cricket:

• Bat
• Ball
• Stumps 
• Ground and Pitch

Cricket Bat

You need to arrange a cricket bat to play cricket. The size and material of the bat are important to consider. According to the laws of ICC, the global governing body of the game, a cricket bat must be made of wood, no longer than 38 inches and 4.25 inches wide, with edges no thicker than 40mm. It also cannot weigh more than 2.9 pounds (1.3 kg).

However, when you are just starting, it is strongly suggested that you use a lighter bat that is easy to hold and swing. When you feel comfortable with it, move to a heavier bat.

Cricket Ball

A cricket ball is the most essential piece of equipment in the game. It is a hard, round object with a cork or rubber center, covered with tightly wound string and then a layer of 0.5-1.0 mm of hard leather. The ball is then stitched with string to form a raised seam and lacquered to give it a smooth surface.

Cricket balls vary in size and weight depending on the cricket you are playing. According to the laws of ICC, the circumference of a cricket ball should be between 22.4 and 22.9 inches (57 and 58 cm), and it should weigh between 5.5 and 5.75 ounces (156 and 163 grams).

The ball used in cricket is often either white or red in color. A red ball is used in day matches or lengthier games (such as a five-day test match). But a white ball is used in shorter format matches (such as in Twenty20) or day/night matches.

However, if you are only interested in playing the game, you can use a regular tennis ball. As soon as you feel confident with the game and are ready to advance to the next level, switch to using a regular leather ball.

Stumps 

You need stumps to play cricket. A cricket stump is one of three vertical posts that form the wicket and support the bails. It has a cylindrical shape with a domed top and is typically made of wood. There are two sets of wickets, 22 yards/20.12m apart, with three stumps in each set.

According to the laws of ICC, the height of the stumps should be within 28 inches above the playing surface, and their breadth should be between 1.38 to 1.5 inches.

The stumps are laid out in a line across the pitch (discussed further below), with the two end stumps equally spaced from the crease (discussed in Step 4) and the middle stump in the middle of the pitch.

Ground and Pitch

Cricket is played on a large, slightly oval-shaped grassy field/ground that does not always have a defined size. However, according to ICC rules, cricket grounds have an overall diameter of between 137 and 152 m.

A cricket ground is divided into three main areas of play, the largest of which are the outfield and infield, which are separated by a circular line.

The players use a cricket ground to field the ball and show their fielding (discussed in Step 8) skills. At the center of the cricket ground is a rectangular area known as the pitch. It is a hard, flat surface that can be natural or synthetic turf but must be level and smooth. According to ICC rules, the pitch should be 22 yards (20 meters) long and 3-4 feet (1-1.2 meters) wide.

Finding the nearest ground with a pitch of these dimensions is sufficient to practice and play the game when you are just starting.

Know about the largest cricket stadiums in the world.

Step 2: Know the Rules of the Game

Cricket is an exciting and challenging sport. Let’s look at the basic rules of the game:

• The game essentially brings two teams against each other in a battle between bat & ball, and of skill, spirit, and application.
• The number of players on each team is decided before the game and cannot exceed eleven players per side.
• The game can be played in two ways: over a set number of overs or a set amount of time. This will be decided before the game begins.
• Each team takes turns batting (hitting the ball, as mentioned in Step 6) and bowling (delivering the ball, as mentioned in Step 7) while the other team fields. A coin toss is used to determine which team will bat first.
• The batting team’s goal is to score as many runs as possible without losing wickets in the allotted innings. A batter can score runs in several ways mentioned in Step 9.
• The fielding team’s initial goal is to prevent the batting team from scoring too many runs and get all the batters out.
• Once all ten players have been dismissed, or all of the overs have been bowled, the innings ends, and teams swap roles, with the fielding team batting and the batting team fielding.
• In a limited-overs match, the team that scores the most runs in their allotted batting innings wins.

Now that we’ve covered some of the fundamental rules of cricket, it’s time to learn some crucial terminologies of the game.

Learn about the 42 rules of Cricket.

Step 3: Learn Cricket terminologies

Cricket is a game that is both strategically and physically demanding, and as a result, many terminologies are associated with it. This can be overwhelming for new players, but it is important to learn the key terms to understand the game.

Some of the most important cricketing terms are:

Batting side

The team that is currently batting.

Fielding side

The players who take to the field in an attempt to get the batters out and limit the number of runs scored by the batting side.

Batsman

The batsman is the batting side player responsible for scoring runs for their team.

Bowler

The player on the fielding side delivers the ball to the batsman and is a bowler.

Wicket-keeper

The player on the fielding side is responsible for maintaining the wicket, such as catching the bowler’s ball if the batsman misses the ball or gets an edge off the bat. The wicket-keeper is also the player to whom the fielders throw the ball in an attempt to get a run-out.

Innings

The batting side’s time on the field.

Overs

An over is a set of six legitimate balls delivered to the batters by a bowler.

Dismissal

Getting out, or losing a wicket, is referred to as dismissal. There are several ways this can happen, which we have discussed in Step 6.

Boundary

A cricket field’s perimeter, or the act of a batsman scoring a four or a six.

Bye

A run is scored when the batter does not contact the ball with his bat or body.

Dead ball

A ball from which no runs or wickets can be taken.

Extras

These are runs that are not scored by batters. The four most common extras are byes, leg byes, wides, and no-balls. Know more about what extras are in cricket.

Four & Six

If a batter hits the ball and it reaches the field’s boundary, he immediately scores four runs. If a batter hits the ball over the boundary on the full, they score a six.

Leg-bye

When the ball deflects off the batters’ pads, they run while attempting to hit it.

Maiden

An over in which no runs are scored attributable to the bowler (byes or leg-byes may be scored in this over, but they do not count against the bowler).

No-ball

An illegal delivery is usually by the bowler overstepping on the front (popping)crease.

Twelfth man

A replacement fielder for the selected eleven. He can field wherever needed if called upon to play, but he cannot bat or bowl.

Wide

A delivery that pitches too far away from the batsman, thus making scoring impossible.

Step 4: Setting up the Crease

In cricket, the crease is a chalk line that marks the pitch’s edges of the playing area. It restricts the area within which the batsman stands and determines whether a delivery is fair. There are two creases in cricket, the batting crease and the bowling crease. The batting crease is the line where the batsman stands when batting. On the other hand, the bowling crease is the line that the bowler bowls from.

To set up the crease, you first need to take two wickets and place them about 22 yards apart. Then, use a measuring tape or a crease template to mark out the line for the crease. Firstly, the batting crease is at a distance of 4 feet from the stumps on either side. Secondly, the bowling crease should measure 8.66 feet wide, with a minimum popping width of 12 feet in front and the wicket 4 feet back from the popping crease.

Step 5: Arranging Umpires

One of the most important aspects of the game is the umpires. There are two umpires in cricket, one at each end of the pitch. Therefore, you need to arrange for two umpires to start playing the game.

Umpires are the officials on the field who ensure players obey the game rules. They use a variety of signals to communicate with the players and the other officials on the field. Some common signals include the out signal, the no ball signal, and the boundaries signal. Other signals include the dead ball signal, the four runs signal, and the six runs signal.

Step 6: Hit the ball (Batting in Cricket)

Batting is facing the bowlers’ bowling and trying to hit the ball with the bat and score runs. In cricket, two types of players do the batting job at a given time: strikers and non-strikers. Strikers are the batsmen currently batting, while non-strikers are the batters who are not currently batting but are waiting at the other end of the pitch to bat.

To hit the ball with the bat, you must first take a stance with your feet shoulder-width apart and the bat held in your dominant hand with fingers wrapped around the bat handle.

You then have to wait for the bowler to bowl the ball. When the ball is pitched, swing the bat at it to hit/strike it.

After striking the ball, you should run between the wickets. The number of trips completed between wickets equals the runs scored.

A batter can be dismissed (or declared out’) in 11 different ways. These are:

Caught

Batters can get “caught out” if they hit the ball and a fielder catches it before it hits the ground.

Bowled

If batters miss a ball from the bowler and go on to hit the stumps and knock the bails off, they are “bowled out.”

Run out

When a fielder hits the stump with the ball, and the batter can’t finish the run, the batter is run out.

Stumped

This is similar to being run out. A batter is “stumped” outside the popping crease (out of his ground) while playing a stroke, and the wicketkeeper dislodges the bails with the ball in hand.

Leg Before Wicket/LBW

The batsman is out “leg before wicket/LBW” if the ball hits him in the leg (or another part of the body other than the glove) because the leg is before the wicket. The bowler claims that if the batsman had not gotten his body in the way, he would have been bowled.

Field Obstruction

This happens when the batters between the wickets deviate too far from the line they are running to prevent the fielder from making a clean throw at the stumps.

Hit Wicket

This occurs when the batsman attempts (successfully or unsuccessfully) to hit the ball and knocks the bails off the stumps with his bat or body.

Hitting the ball two times

This happens when the batter hits the ball twice.

Handling the ball

If batters willfully touch the ball while it is in play with a hand not holding the bat unless the opposing side consents, they are given out “handling the ball.”

Retired Hurt

Batsmen are considered “retired hurt” if they sustain an injury while playing the game and have to leave the field. If the batter starts to feel better, he may resume batting, but this must be done with the permission of the opposing team’s captain.

Timed Out

If an incoming batsman takes more than two minutes to come in, he is “timed out.”

Step 7: Delivering the Ball (Bowling in Cricket)

Bowling in cricket is the action of a bowler propelling/delivering the cricket ball toward the wicket to dismiss the batsman. Bowlers deliver the ball from either side of the wicket at the non-striker’s end to the striker’s. When a right-handed bowler bowls from the left side of the wicket, it is referred to as ‘over the wicket.’ If he bowls from the right-hand side of the wicket, it is referred to as ‘around the wicket’ or ’round the wicket.’ Bowlers can deliver different styles, such as fast bowling, swing bowling, seam bowling, and spin bowling.

There are a few basics that you should know when bowling in cricket. First, you must start the basic bowling motion by running to the bowling crease.

You then have to snap forward with the non-bowling hand and swing the arm to release the ball.

Take a look at the two types of bowling styles – Doosra ball and Chinaman bowling.

Step 8: Fielding

Fielding in cricket can be complicated. The team bowling is responsible for fielding to prevent runs and get batters out. Fielding is about anticipating where the ball will be hit so we can be in the best position to field the ball. Good fielding can make a difference in the outcome of a match. Teams often prioritize finding good fielders.

There are different fielding positions, each with its strengths and weaknesses. Every cricket player develops their fielding style, but there are some key tips that all beginners should keep in mind. These include:

• Paying attention to the game and where the ball is at all times.
• Anticipating where the ball is going to go.
• Being prepared to move in any direction.
• Being reactive and agile on your feet.

Step 9: Scoring Runs

There are several ways to score runs, the most common of which is through boundaries, i.e., hitting a four or six.

Taking singles, twos, and threes is another way to score runs. This is when the batter hits the ball within the boundary line and runs once, twice, or three times between the wickets. In addition, a batting side can also score runs through byes, leg-byes, and bad deliveries such as no-balls and wides. Additionally, good shot selection, placement, and running between the wickets are important factors in scoring runs.

Step 10: Finish the game

Cricket is a sport with different formats played by various rules. Test cricket, One Day Internationals (ODIs), and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) are the most well-known formats.

Test cricket, the game’s traditional form, is played between two nations for 5 days. 90 overs are bowled daily; each team bats twice and bowls the other team out twice to win. In some test matches, a team may score many runs in one inning, then bowl the opposing team out twice for a combined total less than their original score, thus winning the game.

In One Day International cricket, each team plays 50 overs (300 balls) and has one inning to bat and bowl. The team batting first sets a target, and the team batting second tries to chase it. If they succeed, they win. If not, the team batting first wins.

In Twenty20 cricket, each team plays 20 overs (120 balls). Again, whichever team scores the most runs in their innings wins the match.

How to play Cricket – Key Takeaways

• Understand the fundamentals of cricket, such as rules, equipment, fielding positions, and playing technique.
• Practice your batting and bowling skills frequently with friends and team members.
• Develop your physical and mental strength to help with your game.
• Watch and learn from professional players and coaches.
• Maintain a proper diet and nutrition to increase energy and stamina.
• Understand game strategies and practice them during match scenarios.
• Participate in local tournaments to gain experience and improve your game.
• Practice drills and exercises to enhance your physical strength.
• Stay focused and motivated to perform better.
• Work on different aspects of the game to improve your cricketing skills.

How to play Cricket – FAQs