Cricket

Cricket:

Cricket is a bat-and-ball team sport that is first documented

as being played in southern England in the 16th century. By

the end of the 18th century, cricket had developed to the

point where it had become the national sport of England. The

expansion of the British Empire led to cricket being played

overseas and by the mid-19th century the first international

matches were being held. Today, the game's governing body,

the International Cricket Council (ICC), has 104 member

countries.

:History:

Early cricket was at some time or another described as "a

club striking a ball (like) the ancient games of club-ball,

stool-ball, trap-ball, stob-ball".Cricket can definitely be

traced back to Tudor times in early 16th-century England.

Written evidence exists of a game known as creag being played

by Prince Edward, the son of Edward I (Longshanks), at

Newenden, Kent in 1301 and there has been speculation, but no

evidence, that this was a form of cricket.

During the 17th century, numerous references indicate the

growth of cricket in the south-east of England. By the end of

the century, it had become an organised activity being played

for high stakes and it is believed that the first

professionals appeared in the years following the Restoration

in 1660.
The game underwent major development in the 18th century and

became the national sport of England. Betting played a major

part in that development with rich patrons forming their own

"select XIs". Cricket was prominent in London as early as

1707 and large crowds flocked to matches on the Artillery

Ground in Finsbury.

The 19th century saw underarm bowling replaced by first

roundarm and then overarm bowling. Both developments were

controversial. Organisation of the game at county level led

to the creation of the county clubs, starting with Sussex CCC

in 1839, which ultimately formed the official County

Championship in 1890. Meanwhile, the British Empire had been

instrumental in spreading the game overseas and by the middle

of the 19th century it had become well established in India,

North America, the Caribbean, South Africa, Australia and New

Zealand.

Appeals for out:

Appeals are particularly loud when the circumstances of the

claimed dismissal are unclear, as is always the case with lbw

and often with run outs and stumpings.

1. Bowled – the bowler has hit the wicket with the ball

and the wicket has "broken" with at least one bail being

dislodged (note that if the ball hits the wicket without

dislodging a bail it is not out).
2. Caught – the batsman has hit the ball with his bat or

with his hand and the ball has been caught before it has

touched the ground by a member of the fielding side.
3. Leg before wicket (lbw) – First and foremost, the ball

must, in the opinion of the on field umpire, be going on to

hit the stumps if the ball had not hit the pad of the batsman

first. If the batsman plays an attempted shot to the

delivery, then the ball must hit the batsman's pad in line

with the stumps and be going on to hit the stumps for the

batsman to be given out. If the batsman does not attempt to

play a shot, then the ball does not have to hit the pad in

line with the stumps but it still must be going on to hit the

stumps. If the ball pitches outside the leg stump, then the

batsman cannot be given out under any circumstances.
4. Run out – a member of the fielding side has broken or

"put down" the wicket with the ball while a batsman was out

of his ground; this usually occurs by means of an accurate

throw to the wicket while the batsmen are attempting a run.

5. Stumped – is similar except that it is done by the

wicketkeeper after the batsman has missed the bowled ball and

has stepped out of his ground, and is not attempting a run.
6. Hit wicket – a batsman is out hit wicket, if he

dislodges one or both bails with his bat, person, clothing or

equipment in the act of hitting the ball, or when setting off

for a run.
7. Hit the ball twice – is very unusual and was introduced

as a safety measure to counter dangerous play and protect the

fielders. The batsman may legally play the ball a second time

only to stop the ball hitting the wicket after he has already

played it.
8. Obstructed the field – another unusual dismissal which

tends to involve a batsman deliberately getting in the way of

a fielder.
9. Handled the ball – a batsman must not deliberately use

his hand to protect his wicket (note that the bowled ball

often hits the batsman's hand but this is not intentional by

the batsman and so is not out; though he can of course be

caught off his hand).
10. Timed out – usually means that the next batsman did not

arrive at the wicket within three minutes of the previous one

being dismissed.

The rules of the game are known as the Laws of Cricket.These

are maintained by the ICC and the Marylebone Cricket Club

(MCC), which holds the copyright. A cricket match is played

on a cricket field at the centre of which is a pitch. The

match is contested between two teams of eleven players

each.One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible

without being dismissed ("out") while the other team bowls

and fields, trying to dismiss the other team’s batsmen and

limit the runs being scored. When the batting team has used

all its available overs or has no remaining batsmen, the

roles become reversed and it is now the fielding team’s turn

to bat and try to outscore the opposition.

There are several variations in the length of a game of

cricket. In professional cricket this ranges from a limit of

20 overs per side (Limited Overs Cricket) to a game played

over 5 days (Test cricket).

Objectives

A cricket match is played between two teams (or sides) of

eleven players each on a field of variable size and shape.

The ground is grassy and is prepared by groundsmen whose jobs

include fertilising, mowing, rolling and levelling the

surface. Field diameters of 140–160 yards (130–150 m) are

usual. The perimeter of the field is known as the boundary

and this is sometimes painted and sometimes marked by a rope

that encircles the outer edge of the field. The field may be

round, square or oval – one of cricket's most famous venues

is called The Oval.

The objective of each team is to score more runs than the

other team and to completely dismiss the other team. In one

form of cricket, winning the game is achieved by scoring the

most runs, even if the opposition has not been completely

dismissed. In another form, it is necessary to score the most

runs and dismiss the opposition in order to win the match,

which would otherwise be drawn.

Before play commences, the two team captains toss a coin to

decide which team shall bat or bowl first. The captain who

wins the toss makes his decision on the basis of tactical

considerations which may include the current and expected

field and weather conditions.

The key action takes place in a specially prepared area of

the field (generally in the centre) that is called the pitch.

At either end of the pitch, 22 yards (20 m) apart, are placed

the wickets. These serve as a target for the bowling (aka

fielding) side and are defended by the batting side which

seeks to accumulate runs. A run is scored when the batsman

has run the length of the pitch after hitting the ball with

his bat, although as explained below there are many ways of

scoring runs.If the batsmen are not attempting to score any

more runs, the ball is dead and is returned to the bowler to

be bowled again.

The bowling side seeks to dismiss the batsmen by various

means until the batting side is all out, whereupon the side

that was bowling takes its turn to bat and the side that was

batting must take the field.




In professional matches, there are 15 people on the field

while a match is in play. Two of these are the umpires who

regulate all on-field activity. Two are the batsmen, one of

whom is the striker as he is facing the bowling; the other is

called the non-striker. The roles of the batsmen are

interchangeable as runs are scored and overs are completed.

The fielding side has all 11 players on the field together.

One of them is the bowler, another is the wicketkeeper and

the other nine are called fielders. The wicketkeeper (or

keeper) is nearly always a specialist but any of the fielders

can be called upon to bowl.


Pitch, wickets and creases:


The pitch is 22 yd (one chain) long between the wickets and

is 10 feet (3.0 m) wide. It is a flat surface and has very

short grass that tends to be worn away as the game

progresses. The "condition" of the pitch has a significant

bearing on the match and team tactics are always determined

with the state of the pitch, both current and anticipated, as

a deciding factor.

Each wicket consists of three wooden stumps placed in a

straight line and surmounted by two wooden crosspieces called

bails; the total height of the wicket including bails is 28.5

inches (720 mm) and the combined width of the three stumps is

9 inches (230 mm).

Four lines, known as creases, are painted onto the pitch

around the wicket areas to define the batsman's "safe

territory" and to determine the limit of the bowler's

approach. These are called the "popping" (or batting) crease,

the bowling crease and two "return" creases.

Bat and ball:

The bat is made of wood (usually White Willow) and has the

shape of a blade topped by a cylindrical handle. The blade

must not be more than 4.25 inches (108 mm) wide and the total

length of the bat not more than 38 inches (970 mm).

The ball is a hard leather-seamed spheroid with a

circumference of 9 inches (230 mm). The hardness of the ball,

which can be delivered at speeds of more than 90 miles per

hour (140 km/h), is a matter for concern and batsmen wear

protective clothing including pads (designed to protect the

knees and shins), batting gloves for the hands, a helmet for

the head and a box inside the trousers (to protect the crotch

area).




Umpires and scorers:

The game on the field is regulated by two umpires, one of

whom stands behind the wicket at the bowler's end, the other

in a position called "square leg", a position 10-12 metres to

the side of the "on strike" batsman. When the bowler delivers

the ball, the umpire at the wicket is between the bowler and

the non-striker. The umpires confer if there is doubt about

playing conditions and can postpone the match by taking the

players off the field if necessary, for example rain or

deterioration of the light.

Off the field and in televised matches, there is often a

third umpire who can make decisions on certain incidents with

the aid of video evidence. The third umpire is mandatory

under the playing conditions for Test matches and limited

overs internationals played between two ICC full members.

These matches also have a match referee whose job is to

ensure that play is within the Laws of cricket and the spirit

of the game.

Off the field, the match details including runs and

dismissals are recorded by two official scorers, one

representing each team. The scorers are directed by the hand

signals of an umpire. For example, the umpire raises a

forefinger to signal that the batsman is out (has been

dismissed); he raises both arms above his head if the batsman

has hit the ball for six runs.

Innings:

The innings (ending with 's' in both singular and plural

form) is the term used for the collective performance of the

batting side.In theory, all eleven members of the batting

side take a turn to bat but, for various reasons, an

"innings" can end before they all do so .

Overs:

The bowler bowls the ball in sets of six deliveries (or

"balls") and each set of six balls is called an over. This

name came about because the umpire calls "Over!" when six

balls have been bowled.The batsmen do not change ends and so

the one who was non-striker is now the striker and

vice-versa. The umpires also change positions so that the one

who was at square leg now stands behind the wicket at the

non-striker's end and vice-versa.

Bowling:

Main articles: bowler (cricket), bowling (cricket), and

bowling strategy (cricket)
A typical bowling action

The bowler reaches his delivery stride by means of a

"run-up", although some bowlers with a very slow delivery

take no more than a couple of steps before bowling. A fast

bowler needs momentum and takes quite a long run-up, running

very fast as he does so.

The fastest bowlers can deliver the ball at a speed of over

90 miles per hour (140 km/h).

Fielding:

All eleven players on the fielding side take the field

together. One of them is the wicket-keeper aka "keeper" who

operates behind the wicket being defended by the batsman on

strike. Wicket-keeping is normally a specialist occupation

and his primary job is to gather deliveries that the batsman

does not hit, so that the batsmen cannot run byes. He wears

special gloves (he is the only fielder allowed to do so), and

pads to cover his lower legs.

Batting:

Batsmen come in to bat in a batting order, decided by the

team captain. The first two batsmen – the "openers" – usually

face the most hostile bowling from fresh fast bowlers with a

new ball. The top batting positions are usually given to the

most competent batsmen in the team, and the non-batsmen

typically bat last. The pre-announced batting order is not

mandatory and when a wicket falls any player who has not yet

batted may be sent in next.

If a batsman "retires" (usually due to injury) and cannot

return, he is actually "not out" and his retirement does not

count as a dismissal, though in effect he has been dismissed

because his innings is over. Substitute batsmen are not

allowed.

Runs:

The primary concern of the batsman on strike (i.e., the

"striker") is to prevent the ball hitting the wicket and

secondarily to score runs by hitting the ball with his bat so

that he and his partner have time to run from one end of the

pitch to the other before the fielding side can return the

ball. To register a run, both runners must touch the ground

behind the crease with either their bats or their bodies (the

batsmen carry their bats as they run). Each completed run

increments the score.

More than one run can be scored from a single hit but, while

hits worth one to three runs are common, the size of the

field is such that it is usually difficult to run four or

more.

Extras:

Additional runs can be gained by the batting team as extras

(called "sundries" in Australia) due to errors made by the

fielding side. This is achieved in four ways:

1. No ball – a penalty of one extra that is conceded by

the bowler if he breaks the rules of bowling either by
(a)using an inappropriate arm action;
(b) overstepping the popping crease;
(c) having a foot outside the return crease.
In addition, the bowler has to re-bowl the ball. In limited

overs matches, a no ball is called if the bowling team's

field setting fails to comply with the restrictions. In

shorter formats of the game (20-20, ODI) the free hit rule

has been introduced. The ball following a front foot no-ball

will be a free-hit for the batsman, whereby he is safe from

losing his wicket except for being run-out.
2. Wide – a penalty of one extra that is conceded by the

bowler if he bowls so that the ball is out of the batsman's

reach; as with a no ball, a wide must be re-bowled
3. Bye – extra(s) awarded if the batsman misses the ball

and it goes past the wicketkeeper to give the batsmen time to

run in the conventional way (note that the mark of a good

wicketkeeper is one who restricts the tally of byes to a

minimum)
4. Leg bye – extra(s) awarded if the ball hits the

batsman's body, but not his bat, and it goes away from the

fielders to give the batsmen time to run in the conventional

way.

Appeals:

Appeals are particularly loud when the circumstances of the

claimed dismissal are unclear, as is always the case with lbw

and often with run outs and stumpings.

1. Bowled – the bowler has hit the wicket with the ball

and the wicket has "broken" with at least one bail being

dislodged (note that if the ball hits the wicket without

dislodging a bail it is not out).
2. Caught – the batsman has hit the ball with his bat or

with his hand and the ball has been caught before it has

touched the ground by a member of the fielding side.
3. Leg before wicket (lbw) – First and foremost, the ball

must, in the opinion of the on field umpire, be going on to

hit the stumps if the ball had not hit the pad of the batsman

first. If the batsman plays an attempted shot to the

delivery, then the ball must hit the batsman's pad in line

with the stumps and be going on to hit the stumps for the

batsman to be given out. If the batsman does not attempt to

play a shot, then the ball does not have to hit the pad in

line with the stumps but it still must be going on to hit the

stumps. If the ball pitches outside the leg stump, then the

batsman cannot be given out under any circumstances.
4. Run out – a member of the fielding side has broken or

"put down" the wicket with the ball while a batsman was out

of his ground; this usually occurs by means of an accurate

throw to the wicket while the batsmen are attempting a run.
5. Stumped – is similar except that it is done by the

wicketkeeper after the batsman has missed the bowled ball and

has stepped out of his ground, and is not attempting a run.
6. Hit wicket – a batsman is out hit wicket, if he

dislodges one or both bails with his bat, person, clothing or

equipment in the act of hitting the ball, or when setting off

for a run.
7. Hit the ball twice – is very unusual and was introduced

as a safety measure to counter dangerous play and protect the

fielders. The batsman may legally play the ball a second time

only to stop the ball hitting the wicket after he has already

played it.
8. Obstructed the field – another unusual dismissal which

tends to involve a batsman deliberately getting in the way of

a fielder.
9. Handled the ball – a batsman must not deliberately use

his hand to protect his wicket (note that the bowled ball

often hits the batsman's hand but this is not intentional by

the batsman and so is not out; though he can of course be

caught off his hand).
10. Timed out – usually means that the next batsman did not

arrive at the wicket within three minutes of the previous one

being dismissed.



International structure:

The ICC has 104 members: 10 Full Members that play official

Test matches, 34 Associate Members, and 60 Affiliate

Members.The ICC is responsible for the organisation and

governance of cricket's major international tournaments, most

notably the Cricket World Cup. It also appoints the umpires

and referees that officiate at all sanctioned Test matches,

One Day International and Twenty20 Internationals. Each

nation has a national cricket board which regulates cricket

matches played in its country. The cricket board also selects

the national squad and organises home and away tours for the

national team. In the West Indies these matters are addressed

by the West Indies Cricket Board which consists of members

appointed by four national boards and two multi-national

boards.



History:

Early cricket was at some time or another described as "a club striking a ball (like) the ancient games of club-ball, stool-ball, trap-ball, stob-ball".Cricket can definitely be traced back to Tudor times in early 16th-century England. Written evidence exists of a game known as creag being played by Prince Edward, the son of Edward I (Longshanks), at Newenden, Kent in 1301 and there has been speculation, but no evidence, that this was a form of cricket.

During the 17th century, numerous references indicate the growth of cricket in the south-east of England. By the end of the century, it had become an organised activity being played for high stakes and it is believed that the first professionals appeared in the years following the Restoration in 1660.
The game underwent major development in the 18th century and became the national sport of England. Betting played a major part in that development with rich patrons forming their own "select XIs". Cricket was prominent in London as early as 1707 and large crowds flocked to matches on the Artillery Ground in Finsbury.

The 19th century saw underarm bowling replaced by first roundarm and then overarm bowling. Both developments were controversial. Organisation of the game at county level led to the creation of the county clubs, starting with Sussex CCC in 1839, which ultimately formed the official County Championship in 1890. Meanwhile, the British Empire had been instrumental in spreading the game overseas and by the middle of the 19th century it had become well established in India, North America, the Caribbean, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Appeals for out:

Appeals are particularly loud when the circumstances of the claimed dismissal are unclear, as is always the case with lbw and often with run outs and stumpings.

1. Bowled – the bowler has hit the wicket with the ball and the wicket has "broken" with at least one bail being dislodged (note that if the ball hits the wicket without dislodging a bail it is not out).
2. Caught – the batsman has hit the ball with his bat or with his hand and the ball has been caught before it has touched the ground by a member of the fielding side.
3. Leg before wicket (lbw) – First and foremost, the ball must, in the opinion of the on field umpire, be going on to hit the stumps if the ball had not hit the pad of the batsman first. If the batsman plays an attempted shot to the delivery, then the ball must hit the batsman's pad in line with the stumps and be going on to hit the stumps for the batsman to be given out. If the batsman does not attempt to play a shot, then the ball does not have to hit the pad in line with the stumps but it still must be going on to hit the stumps. If the ball pitches outside the leg stump, then the batsman cannot be given out under any circumstances.
4. Run out – a member of the fielding side has broken or "put down" the wicket with the ball while a batsman was out of his ground; this usually occurs by means of an accurate throw to the wicket while the batsmen are attempting a run.

5. Stumped – is similar except that it is done by the wicketkeeper after the batsman has missed the bowled ball and has stepped out of his ground, and is not attempting a run.
6. Hit wicket – a batsman is out hit wicket, if he dislodges one or both bails with his bat, person, clothing or equipment in the act of hitting the ball, or when setting off for a run.
7. Hit the ball twice – is very unusual and was introduced as a safety measure to counter dangerous play and protect the fielders. The batsman may legally play the ball a second time only to stop the ball hitting the wicket after he has already played it.
8. Obstructed the field – another unusual dismissal which tends to involve a batsman deliberately getting in the way of a fielder.
9. Handled the ball – a batsman must not deliberately use his hand to protect his wicket (note that the bowled ball often hits the batsman's hand but this is not intentional by the batsman and so is not out; though he can of course be caught off his hand).
10. Timed out – usually means that the next batsman did not arrive at the wicket within three minutes of the previous one being dismissed.

The rules of the game are known as the Laws of Cricket.These are maintained by the ICC and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which holds the copyright. A cricket match is played on a cricket field at the centre of which is a pitch. The match is contested between two teams of eleven players each.One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible without being dismissed ("out") while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the other team’s batsmen and limit the runs being scored. When the batting team has used all its available overs or has no remaining batsmen, the roles become reversed and it is now the fielding team’s turn to bat and try to outscore the opposition.

There are several variations in the length of a game of cricket. In professional cricket this ranges from a limit of 20 overs per side (Limited Overs Cricket) to a game played over 5 days (Test cricket).

Objectives:

A cricket match is played between two teams (or sides) of eleven players each on a field of variable size and shape. The ground is grassy and is prepared by groundsmen whose jobs include fertilising, mowing, rolling and levelling the surface. Field diameters of 140–160 yards (130–150 m) are usual. The perimeter of the field is known as the boundary and this is sometimes painted and sometimes marked by a rope that encircles the outer edge of the field. The field may be round, square or oval – one of cricket's most famous venues is called The Oval.

The objective of each team is to score more runs than the other team and to completely dismiss the other team. In one form of cricket, winning the game is achieved by scoring the most runs, even if the opposition has not been completely dismissed. In another form, it is necessary to score the most runs and dismiss the opposition in order to win the match, which would otherwise be drawn.

Before play commences, the two team captains toss a coin to decide which team shall bat or bowl first. The captain who wins the toss makes his decision on the basis of tactical considerations which may include the current and expected field and weather conditions.

The key action takes place in a specially prepared area of the field (generally in the centre) that is called the pitch. At either end of the pitch, 22 yards (20 m) apart, are placed the wickets. These serve as a target for the bowling (aka fielding) side and are defended by the batting side which seeks to accumulate runs. A run is scored when the batsman has run the length of the pitch after hitting the ball with his bat, although as explained below there are many ways of scoring runs.If the batsmen are not attempting to score any more runs, the ball is dead and is returned to the bowler to be bowled again.

The bowling side seeks to dismiss the batsmen by various means until the batting side is all out, whereupon the side that was bowling takes its turn to bat and the side that was batting must take the field.

In professional matches, there are 15 people on the field while a match is in play. Two of these are the umpires who regulate all on-field activity. Two are the batsmen, one of whom is the striker as he is facing the bowling; the other is called the non-striker. The roles of the batsmen are interchangeable as runs are scored and overs are completed. The fielding side has all 11 players on the field together. One of them is the bowler, another is the wicketkeeper and the other nine are called fielders. The wicketkeeper (or keeper) is nearly always a specialist but any of the fielders can be called upon to bowl.


Pitch, wickets and creases:


The pitch is 22 yd (one chain) long between the wickets and is 10 feet (3.0 m) wide. It is a flat surface and has very short grass that tends to be worn away as the game progresses. The "condition" of the pitch has a significant bearing on the match and team tactics are always determined with the state of the pitch, both current and anticipated, as a deciding factor.

Each wicket consists of three wooden stumps placed in a straight line and surmounted by two wooden crosspieces called bails; the total height of the wicket including bails is 28.5 inches (720 mm) and the combined width of the three stumps is 9 inches (230 mm).

Four lines, known as creases, are painted onto the pitch around the wicket areas to define the batsman's "safe territory" and to determine the limit of the bowler's approach. These are called the "popping" (or batting) crease, the bowling crease and two "return" creases.

Bat and ball:

The bat is made of wood (usually White Willow) and has the shape of a blade topped by a cylindrical handle. The blade must not be more than 4.25 inches (108 mm) wide and the total length of the bat not more than 38 inches (970 mm).

The ball is a hard leather-seamed spheroid with a circumference of 9 inches (230 mm). The hardness of the ball, which can be delivered at speeds of more than 90 miles per hour (140 km/h), is a matter for concern and batsmen wear protective clothing including pads (designed to protect the knees and shins), batting gloves for the hands, a helmet for the head and a box inside the trousers (to protect the crotch area).

Umpires and scorers:

The game on the field is regulated by two umpires, one of whom stands behind the wicket at the bowler's end, the other in a position called "square leg", a position 10-12 metres to the side of the "on strike" batsman. When the bowler delivers the ball, the umpire at the wicket is between the bowler and the non-striker. The umpires confer if there is doubt about playing conditions and can postpone the match by taking the players off the field if necessary, for example rain or deterioration of the light.

Off the field and in televised matches, there is often a third umpire who can make decisions on certain incidents with the aid of video evidence. The third umpire is mandatory under the playing conditions for Test matches and limited overs internationals played between two ICC full members. These matches also have a match referee whose job is to ensure that play is within the Laws of cricket and the spirit of the game.

Off the field, the match details including runs and dismissals are recorded by two official scorers, one representing each team. The scorers are directed by the hand signals of an umpire. For example, the umpire raises a forefinger to signal that the batsman is out (has been dismissed); he raises both arms above his head if the batsman has hit the ball for six runs.

Innings:

The innings (ending with 's' in both singular and plural form) is the term used for the collective performance of the batting side.In theory, all eleven members of the batting side take a turn to bat but, for various reasons, an "innings" can end before they all do so .

Overs:

The bowler bowls the ball in sets of six deliveries (or "balls") and each set of six balls is called an over. This name came about because the umpire calls "Over!" when six balls have been bowled.The batsmen do not change ends and so the one who was non-striker is now the striker and vice-versa. The umpires also change positions so that the one who was at square leg now stands behind the wicket at the non-striker's end and vice-versa.

Bowling:

Main articles: bowler (cricket), bowling (cricket), and bowling strategy (cricket)
A typical bowling action

The bowler reaches his delivery stride by means of a "run-up", although some bowlers with a very slow delivery take no more than a couple of steps before bowling. A fast bowler needs momentum and takes quite a long run-up, running very fast as he does so.

The fastest bowlers can deliver the ball at a speed of over 90 miles per hour (140 km/h).

Fielding:

All eleven players on the fielding side take the field together. One of them is the wicket-keeper aka "keeper" who operates behind the wicket being defended by the batsman on strike. Wicket-keeping is normally a specialist occupation and his primary job is to gather deliveries that the batsman does not hit, so that the batsmen cannot run byes. He wears special gloves (he is the only fielder allowed to do so), and pads to cover his lower legs.

Batting:

Batsmen come in to bat in a batting order, decided by the team captain. The first two batsmen – the "openers" – usually face the most hostile bowling from fresh fast bowlers with a new ball. The top batting positions are usually given to the most competent batsmen in the team, and the non-batsmen typically bat last. The pre-announced batting order is not mandatory and when a wicket falls any player who has not yet batted may be sent in next.

If a batsman "retires" (usually due to injury) and cannot return, he is actually "not out" and his retirement does not count as a dismissal, though in effect he has been dismissed because his innings is over. Substitute batsmen are not allowed.

Runs:

The primary concern of the batsman on strike (i.e., the "striker") is to prevent the ball hitting the wicket and secondarily to score runs by hitting the ball with his bat so that he and his partner have time to run from one end of the pitch to the other before the fielding side can return the ball. To register a run, both runners must touch the ground behind the crease with either their bats or their bodies (the batsmen carry their bats as they run). Each completed run increments the score.

More than one run can be scored from a single hit but, while hits worth one to three runs are common, the size of the field is such that it is usually difficult to run four or more.

Extras:

Additional runs can be gained by the batting team as extras (called "sundries" in Australia) due to errors made by the fielding side. This is achieved in four ways:

1. No ball – a penalty of one extra that is conceded by the bowler if he breaks the rules of bowling either by
(a)using an inappropriate arm action;
(b) overstepping the popping crease;
(c) having a foot outside the return crease.
In addition, the bowler has to re-bowl the ball. In limited overs matches, a no ball is called if the bowling team's field setting fails to comply with the restrictions. In shorter formats of the game (20-20, ODI) the free hit rule has been introduced. The ball following a front foot no-ball will be a free-hit for the batsman, whereby he is safe from losing his wicket except for being run-out.
2. Wide – a penalty of one extra that is conceded by the bowler if he bowls so that the ball is out of the batsman's reach; as with a no ball, a wide must be re-bowled
3. Bye – extra(s) awarded if the batsman misses the ball and it goes past the wicketkeeper to give the batsmen time to run in the conventional way (note that the mark of a good wicketkeeper is one who restricts the tally of byes to a minimum)
4. Leg bye – extra(s) awarded if the ball hits the batsman's body, but not his bat, and it goes away from the fielders to give the batsmen time to run in the conventional way.

Appeals:

Appeals are particularly loud when the circumstances of the claimed dismissal are unclear, as is always the case with lbw and often with run outs and stumpings.

1. Bowled – the bowler has hit the wicket with the ball and the wicket has "broken" with at least one bail being dislodged (note that if the ball hits the wicket without dislodging a bail it is not out).
2. Caught – the batsman has hit the ball with his bat or with his hand and the ball has been caught before it has touched the ground by a member of the fielding side.
3. Leg before wicket (lbw) – First and foremost, the ball must, in the opinion of the on field umpire, be going on to hit the stumps if the ball had not hit the pad of the batsman first. If the batsman plays an attempted shot to the delivery, then the ball must hit the batsman's pad in line with the stumps and be going on to hit the stumps for the batsman to be given out. If the batsman does not attempt to play a shot, then the ball does not have to hit the pad in line with the stumps but it still must be going on to hit the stumps. If the ball pitches outside the leg stump, then the batsman cannot be given out under any circumstances.
4. Run out – a member of the fielding side has broken or "put down" the wicket with the ball while a batsman was out of his ground; this usually occurs by means of an accurate throw to the wicket while the batsmen are attempting a run.
5. Stumped – is similar except that it is done by the wicketkeeper after the batsman has missed the bowled ball and has stepped out of his ground, and is not attempting a run.
6. Hit wicket – a batsman is out hit wicket, if he dislodges one or both bails with his bat, person, clothing or equipment in the act of hitting the ball, or when setting off for a run.
7. Hit the ball twice – is very unusual and was introduced as a safety measure to counter dangerous play and protect the fielders. The batsman may legally play the ball a second time only to stop the ball hitting the wicket after he has already played it.
8. Obstructed the field – another unusual dismissal which tends to involve a batsman deliberately getting in the way of a fielder.
9. Handled the ball – a batsman must not deliberately use his hand to protect his wicket (note that the bowled ball often hits the batsman's hand but this is not intentional by the batsman and so is not out; though he can of course be caught off his hand).
10. Timed out – usually means that the next batsman did not arrive at the wicket within three minutes of the previous one being dismissed.

International structure:

The ICC has 104 members: 10 Full Members that play official Test matches, 34 Associate Members, and 60 Affiliate Members.The ICC is responsible for the organisation and governance of cricket's major international tournaments, most notably the Cricket World Cup. It also appoints the umpires and referees that officiate at all sanctioned Test matches, One Day International and Twenty20 Internationals. Each nation has a national cricket board which regulates cricket matches played in its country. The cricket board also selects the national squad and organises home and away tours for the national team. In the West Indies these matters are addressed by the West Indies Cricket Board which consists of members appointed by four national boards and two multi-national boards.