The Basic Idea
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players. One team bats and tries to score runs. The other team bowls and fields, trying to get batters out and limit the score. Teams then swap roles.
Most forms of cricket are played on an oval field with a rectangular pitch in the centre. Batters stand at opposite ends of the pitch, in front of wickets — three vertical stumps with two small bails on top.
How a Delivery Works
The bowler runs in and delivers the ball from one end of the pitch. The batter at the striker's end tries to hit it. Fielders spread around the ground to stop runs or take catches.
Each legal delivery is one ball in an over. After six balls, the over is complete and bowling switches to the other end.
Batters can score by:
- Running between the wickets after hitting the ball (or letting it pass the keeper)
- Hitting the boundary along the ground (four runs) or over it on the full (six runs)
- Extras — wides, no-balls, byes, and leg-byes awarded when the ball is illegal or passes the batter without being hit
Getting Out
A batter is dismissed (out) in several ways, including:
- Bowled — the ball hits the stumps
- Caught — a fielder catches the ball on the full after the batter hits it
- LBW — leg before wicket; the ball would have hit the stumps but was blocked by the batter's body
- Run out — a fielder breaks the stumps before the batter completes a run
- Stumped — the wicketkeeper removes the bails while the batter is out of the crease
When a batter is out, the next player in the batting order comes to the crease. An innings ends when ten batters are out (the eleventh has no partner) or when the batting side's allotted overs or time runs out.
The Three Main Formats
| Format | Length | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Test | Up to five days | The classic form. Each team bats twice. Strategy, patience, and endurance matter most. |
| ODI (One Day International) | 50 overs per side | A full day of cricket. Balance between attack and caution. |
| T20 | 20 overs per side | Fast, explosive, designed for crowds and television. |
Club and school cricket often use shorter versions of these formats — 40-over games, T20 leagues, or two-day club matches.
Who Does What?
- Batter — scores runs, protects the wicket
- Bowler — delivers the ball, aims to dismiss batters
- Wicketkeeper — stands behind the stumps, catches edges, effects stumpings
- Fielders — stop runs, take catches, run batters out
- Captain — sets the field, chooses bowlers, makes tactical decisions
Why It Can Look Confusing at First
Cricket has unusual traditions: players wear white in Tests, fielders have exotic position names (silly mid-on, gully, third man), and a match can last five days yet still end in a draw. That complexity is part of the charm — and why a good glossary helps.
Start with Rules & Scoring for the mechanics, then browse the Cricket Terms Glossary when you hear something unfamiliar.