91-415: In cricket , the stumps are the three vertical posts that support the bails and form the wicket . Stumping or being stumped is a method of dismissing a batsman. The umpire calling stumps means the play is over for the day. The stumps are three vertical posts which support two bails . The stumps and bails are usually made of wood, most commonly ash , and together form a wicket at each end of
182-456: A public school education who had then gone to one of Cambridge or Oxford University . Society insisted that such people were "officers and gentlemen" whose destiny was to provide leadership. In a purely financial sense, the cricketing amateur would theoretically claim expenses for playing while his professional counterpart played under contract and was paid a wage or match fee; in practice, many amateurs claimed more than actual expenditure, and
273-565: A collared shirt with short or long sleeves; long trousers; woolen pullover (if needed); cricket cap (for fielding) or a safety helmet; and spiked shoes or boots to increase traction. The kit is traditionally all white, and this remains the case in Test and first-class cricket, but in limited overs cricket, team colours are now worn instead. i) A used white ball. White balls are mainly used in limited overs cricket , especially in matches played at night, under floodlights (left). The essence of
364-454: A fence, part of the stands, a rope, a painted line, or a combination of these; the boundary must if possible be marked along its entire length. In the approximate centre of the field is a rectangular pitch (see image, below) on which a wooden target called a wicket is sited at each end; the wickets are placed 22 yards (20 m) apart. The pitch is a flat surface 10 feet (3.0 m) wide, with very short grass that tends to be worn away as
455-550: A hand that is not in contact with the bat) if this is performed in order to stop the ball from hitting the stumps. No batter has been out hitting the ball twice in Test cricket . There is only one occasion in International cricket where a batter has been out "Hitting the ball twice". Malta opening batter Fanyan Mughal in a Twenty20 International (T20I) match, on August 20, 2023, Romania v Malta at Ilfov County, București. If
546-519: A helmet) and break the stumps and still be considered a stumping. Stumped takes precedence over Run out. What this means is, if a batter could be given out both Stumped and Run out, then Run out is disregarded, and the batter is out Stumped. Between 1877 and 2012, this method accounted for 2.0% of all Test match dismissals. If any batter leaves the field of play without the Umpire's consent for any reason other than injury or incapacity, they may resume
637-621: A highly popular format, putting the longer formats at risk. The new shorter format also introduced franchise cricket, with new tournaments like the Indian Premier League and the Australian Big Bash League . The ICC has selected the T20 format as cricket's growth format, and has introduced a T20 World Cup which is played every two years; T20 cricket has also been increasingly accepted into major events such as
728-416: A winner or tie.) The wicket-keeper (a specialised fielder behind the batter) and the batters wear protective gear because of the hardness of the ball, which can be delivered at speeds of more than 145 kilometres per hour (90 mph) and presents a major health and safety concern. Protective clothing includes pads (designed to protect the knees and shins), batting gloves or wicket-keeper's gloves for
819-403: Is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field , at the centre of which is a 22-yard (20-metre; 66-foot) pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails (small sticks) balanced on three stumps . Two players from the batting team, the striker and nonstriker, stand in front of either wicket holding bats , while one player from the fielding team,
910-441: Is a way for the fielding side to control the number of runs scored in an innings, and prevent the batting side from either achieving their target score or posting a large total for the fielding side to follow in the next innings. Additionally, in Test and first-class cricket , it is usually necessary for the side fielding last to dismiss ten players of the opposing team in their final innings to achieve victory (unless one or more of
1001-539: Is aimed at a mark (the wicket) and driven away from it". It is generally believed that cricket originated as a children's game in the south-eastern counties of England, sometime during the medieval period . Although there are claims for prior dates, the earliest definite reference to cricket being played comes from evidence given at a court case in Guildford in January 1597 ( Old Style , equating to January 1598 in
SECTION 10
#17327795148971092-453: Is certain that cricket was being played c. 1550 by boys in Surrey . The view that it was originally a children's game is reinforced by Randle Cotgrave 's 1611 English- French dictionary in which he defined the noun " crosse " as "the crooked staff wherewith boys play at cricket", and the verb form " crosser " as "to play at cricket". One possible source for the sport's name
1183-423: Is drawn four feet in front of the bowling crease and parallel to it; although it is drawn as a 12 ft (3.7 m) line (six feet on either side of the wicket), it is, in fact, unlimited in length. The return creases are drawn at right angles to the popping crease so that they intersect the ends of the bowling crease; each return crease is drawn as an 8 ft (2.4 m) line, so that it extends four feet behind
1274-432: Is grounded behind the popping crease . This usually happens while the batters are running between the wickets, attempting to score a run . Either the striker or non-striker can be Run out. The batter nearest the safe territory of the wicket that has been put down, but not actually in safe territory, is out. On the line is considered as out; frequently it is a close call whether or not a batter gained their ground before
1365-656: Is known, through numerous references found in the records of ecclesiastical court cases, to have been proscribed at times by the Puritans before and during the Commonwealth . The problem was nearly always the issue of Sunday play, as the Puritans considered cricket to be "profane" if played on the Sabbath , especially if large crowds or gambling were involved. According to the social historian Derek Birley , there
1456-405: Is not considered unsporting. In 1993 Graham Gooch , immediately after completing his hundredth first-class century with a six, retired on 105. A player who retires hurt and does not return to bat by the end of the innings is not considered out for statistical purposes , though, as substitutes are not permitted to bat, the impact on play is effectively the same as if they had retired out. If
1547-419: Is not possible for the team to bat any longer. This is known as dismissing or bowling out the batting team, who are said to be all out . The most common methods of dismissing a batter are (in descending order of frequency): caught , bowled , leg before wicket , run out , and stumped . Of these, the leg before wicket and stumped methods of dismissal can be seen as related to, or being special cases of,
1638-402: Is now covered by Obstructing the field . If the batter touched the ball with a hand not in contact with the bat for any purpose other than to prevent themselves being injured or, with the approval of the fielding team, to return the ball to a fielder, they were out on appeal. It was considered good etiquette for the fielding team not to appeal if the handling of the ball did not affect the play of
1729-404: Is sometimes known as a diamond duck . Len Hutton , Desmond Haynes , and Steve Waugh were each dismissed in seven different ways over the course of their test career. If a bowler's legitimate (i.e. not a No-ball ) delivery hits the wicket and puts it down , the striker (the batter facing the bowler) is out. The ball can either have struck the stumps directly, or have been deflected off
1820-570: Is the Old English word " cryce " (or " cricc " ) meaning a crutch or staff. In Samuel Johnson 's Dictionary , he derived cricket from " cryce , Saxon, a stick". In Old French , the word " criquet " seems to have meant a kind of club or stick. Given the strong medieval trade connections between south-east England and the County of Flanders when the latter belonged to the Duchy of Burgundy ,
1911-464: Is the earliest mention of adult participation in cricket and it was around the same time that the earliest known organised inter-parish or village match was played, at Chevening, Kent . In 1624, a player called Jasper Vinall died after he was accidentally struck on the head during a match between two parish teams in Sussex. Cricket remained a low-key local pursuit for much of the 17th century. It
SECTION 20
#17327795148972002-402: Is thought, a " wicket gate " through which sheep were herded), that the batter must defend. The cricket historian Harry Altham identified three "groups" of "club ball" games: the "hockey group", in which the ball is driven to and from between two targets (the goals); the "golf group", in which the ball is driven towards an undefended target (the hole); and the "cricket group", in which "the ball
2093-511: Is when the batter at the non-striker 's end attempts to gain an advantage by leaving the crease before the next ball has been bowled (a common practice known as "backing up", but against the laws of cricket). The bowler may then dislodge the bails at their end without completing the run-up and dismiss the batter. This form of run-out is sometimes called the Mankad (the dismissed batter is said to have been "Mankaded"), in reference to Vinoo Mankad ,
2184-423: The 2014 ICC World T20 , and have since become commonplace in major white-ball matches like ODIs or franchise T20 leagues. They have also been used in day/night Test matches. Stumps are very important in the game of cricket as they determine when the wicket is "put down" . The instant the bails are dislodged from the top of the stumps, the wicket is put down (there are other ways in which a wicket can be put down if
2275-579: The Asian Games . The resultant growth has seen cricket's fanbase cross one billion people, with 90% of them in South Asia. T20's success has also spawned even shorter formats , such as 10-over cricket (T10) and 100-ball cricket , though not without controversy. Outside factors have also taken their toll on cricket. For example, the 2008 Mumbai attacks led India and Pakistan to suspend their bilateral series indefinitely. The 2009 attack on
2366-702: 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 Australia , the Caribbean , British India (which includes present-day Pakistan and Bangladesh ), New Zealand , North America and South Africa . In 1862, an English team made the first tour of Australia. The first Australian team to travel overseas consisted of Aboriginal stockmen who toured England in 1868 . In 1876–77, an England team took part in what
2457-465: The Dukes of Richmond , exerted their honour code of noblesse oblige to claim rights of leadership in any sporting contests they took part in, especially as it was necessary for them to play alongside their "social inferiors" if they were to win their bets. In time, a perception took hold that the typical amateur who played in first-class cricket, until 1962 when amateurism was abolished, was someone with
2548-472: The West Indies . Women's cricket , which is organised and played separately, has also achieved international standard. The most successful side playing international cricket is Australia , which has won eight One Day International trophies, including six World Cups , more than any other country, and has been the top-rated Test side more than any other country. Cricket is one of many games in
2639-423: The pitch . The overall width of each wicket is 9 inches (22.9 cm). Each stump is 28 inches (71.1 cm) tall with maximum and minimum diameters of 1 1 ⁄ 2 inches (3.81 cm) and 1 3 ⁄ 8 inches (3.49 cm). They have a spike at one end for inserting into the ground, and the other end has a U-shaped 'through groove' to provide a resting place for the bails. In junior cricket
2730-401: The "club ball" sphere that involve hitting a ball with a hand-held implement. Others include baseball (which shares many similarities with cricket, both belonging in the more specific bat-and-ball games category ), golf , hockey , tennis , squash , badminton and table tennis . In cricket's case, a key difference is the existence of a solid target structure, the wicket (originally, it
2821-708: The 19th century. The game's governing body is the International Cricket Council (ICC), which has over 100 members, twelve of which are full members who play Test matches. The game's rules, the Laws of Cricket , are maintained by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in London . The sport is followed primarily in South Asia , Australia , New Zealand , the United Kingdom , Southern Africa , and
Stump (cricket) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2912-417: The 63,584 Test match dismissals in this period were one of these five types. Much rarer were retired, hit the ball twice, hit wicket, handled the ball/obstructing the field, and timed out. As it is possible to dismiss the non-striker, and possible to dismiss the striker from a wide (which does not count as a delivery for the batter), this means a batter can be dismissed without facing a single delivery. This
3003-573: The ICC moved this form of dismissal from the 'Unfair Play' section of the Laws of the Game to the normal 'Run Out' section. A run out cannot occur if no fielder has touched the ball. As such, if a batter plays a straight drive which breaks the non-striker's stumps whilst they are outside their crease, they are not out. However, if a fielder (usually the bowler, in this case) touches the ball at all before it breaks
3094-584: The Middle Dutch phrase for hockey, " met de (krik ket)sen " ("with the stick chase"). Gillmeister has suggested that not only the name but also the sport itself may be of Flemish origin. Although the main object of the game has always been to score the most runs , the early form of cricket differed from the modern game in certain key technical aspects; the North American variant of cricket known as wicket retained many of these aspects. The ball
3185-524: The Sri Lankan team during their tour of Pakistan led to Pakistan being unable to host matches until 2019. In 2017, Afghanistan and Ireland became the 11th and 12th Test nations. In cricket, the rules of the game are codified in The Laws of Cricket (hereinafter called "the Laws"), which has a global remit. There are 42 Laws (always written with a capital "L"). The earliest known version of
3276-541: The bails have already been removed). Stumps is also used as a term to mean the end of a day's play, e.g. "The umpires called stumps" means that the umpires have declared that play is over for the day. At the end of a session, i.e. before lunch or tea, the umpires will remove the bails ; at the end of the day's play, the umpires will also remove the stumps. Cricket First-class cricket One Day International Limited overs (domestic) Twenty20 International Twenty20 (domestic) Other forms Cricket
3367-494: The bails were removed, with the decision referred to the Decision Review System . The difference between stumped and run out is that the wicket-keeper may stump a batter who goes too far forward to play the ball (assuming they are not attempting a run), whilst any fielder, including the keeper, may run out a batter who goes too far for any other purpose, including for taking a run. A special form of run out
3458-417: The ball hit the batter in line with the wickets, and whether the batter was attempting to hit the ball, and these have changed over time. Between 1877 and 2012, this method accounted for 14.3% of all Test match dismissals. A batter is Run out if at any time while the ball is in play, the wicket in the ground closest to them is fairly put down by the opposing side while no part of the batter's bat or body
3549-454: The ball hits the striker's wicket and dislodges the bails, and by the fielding side either catching the ball after it is hit by the bat but before it hits the ground, or hitting a wicket with the ball before a batter can cross the crease line in front of the wicket. When ten batters have been dismissed, the innings (playing phase) ends and the teams swap roles. Forms of cricket range from traditional Test matches played over five days to
3640-401: The ball, lost his balance and collapsed on to his stumps (and nearly into wicket-keeper Chris Read ). If the batter, by action or by words, obstructs or distracts the fielding side, then they are out. This law now encompasses transgressions that would previously have been covered by handled the ball , which has now been removed from the Laws. Only one player has ever been out obstructing
3731-429: The ball, then the striker is out. A stumping is most likely to be effected off slow bowling, or (less frequently) medium-paced bowling when the wicket-keeper is standing directly behind the stumps. As wicket-keepers stand several yards back from the stumps to fast bowlers, stumpings are hardly ever effected off fast bowlers. The ball can bounce off a keeper (but not external non-usual wicketkeeping protective equipment, like
Stump (cricket) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3822-474: The ball, which is a hard, solid spheroid made of compressed leather with a slightly raised sewn seam enclosing a cork core layered with tightly wound string. The earliest known definite reference to cricket is to it being played in South East England in the mid-16th century. It spread globally with the expansion of the British Empire , with the first international matches in the second half of
3913-462: The bat or body of the batter. However, the batter is not Bowled if the ball is touched by any other player or umpire before hitting the stumps. Bowled takes precedence over all other methods of dismissal. What this means is, if a batter could be given out both Bowled and also for another reason, then the other reason is disregarded, and the batter is out Bowled. Between 1877 and 2012, this method accounted for 21.4% of all Test match dismissals. If
4004-432: The batter "hits" the ball twice, they are out. The first hit is the ball striking the batter or their bat whilst the second hit is the batter intentionally making separate contact with the ball, not necessarily with the bat (it is therefore possible to be out hitting the ball twice whilst not actually hitting the ball with the bat either time). The batsman is allowed to hit the ball a second time with their bat or body (but not
4095-467: The batter dislodges their own stumps with their body or bat, while in the process of taking a shot or beginning their first run, then they are out. This law does not apply if they avoided a ball thrown back to the wicket by a fielder, or broke the wicket in avoiding a run out. This law also applies if part of the batter's equipment is dislodged and hits the stumps: Dwayne Bravo hit Kevin Pietersen in
4186-408: The batter hits the ball, from a legitimate delivery (i.e. not a No-Ball), with the bat (or with the glove when the glove is in contact with the bat) and the ball is caught by the bowler or a fielder before it hits the ground, then the striker is out. "Caught behind" (an unofficial term) indicates that a player was caught by the wicket-keeper, or less commonly by the slips. "Caught and bowled" indicates
4277-435: The batter is out. In competitive cricket, many difficult catching and LBW decisions will be left to the umpire; if a batter acknowledges that they are out in such cases and departs without waiting for the umpire's decision it is known as "walking", and regarded as an honourable but controversial act. If the umpire believes they have incorrectly dismissed a batter, they may recall them to the crease if they have not already left
4368-412: The batters have retired hurt or absent and are unable to take the field). By convention, dismissal decisions are handled primarily by the players; thus, if the dismissal is obvious the batter will voluntarily leave the field without the umpire needing to dismiss them. If the batter and fielding side disagree about a dismissal then the fielding side must appeal to the umpire, who will then decide whether
4459-449: The batting team are on the field at any given time. The order of batters is usually announced just before the match, but it can be varied. The main objective of each team is to score more runs than their opponents, but in some forms of cricket, it is also necessary to dismiss all but one of the opposition batters (making their team 'all out') in their final innings in order to win the match, which would otherwise be drawn (not ending with
4550-438: The bowled and run out methods of dismissal respectively. Most methods of dismissal do not apply on an illegal delivery (i.e. a wide or no-ball ) or on the free hit delivery that follows a no-ball in certain competitions. Among the common methods of dismissal, only the "run out" dismissal can occur during any type of delivery. Once dismissed, a batter cannot score any more runs in that innings; thus, dismissing batters
4641-423: The bowler also took the catch. Caught takes precedence over all other methods of dismissal except Bowled. What this means is, if a batter could be given out both Caught and also for another reason (except Bowled), then the other reason is disregarded, and the batter is out Caught. Between 1877 and 2012, this method accounted for 56.9% of all Test match dismissals, with 40.6% caught by fielders, and 16.3% caught by
SECTION 50
#17327795148974732-529: The bowler, bowls the ball toward the striker's wicket from the opposite end of the pitch. The striker's goal is to hit the bowled ball with the bat and then switch places with the nonstriker, with the batting team scoring one run for each of these exchanges. Runs are also scored when the ball reaches the boundary of the field or when the ball is bowled illegally . The fielding team tries to prevent runs from being scored by dismissing batters (so they are "out"). Means of dismissal include being bowled , when
4823-421: The bowling crease, but is also, in fact, unlimited in length. Before a match begins, the team captains (who are also players) toss a coin to decide which team will bat first and so take the first innings . "Innings" is the term used for each phase of play in the match. In each innings, one team bats, attempting to score runs , while the other team bowls and fields the ball , attempting to restrict
4914-489: The code was drafted in 1744, and since 1788, it has been owned and maintained by its custodian, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in London . Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played on a cricket field (see image of cricket pitch and creases) between two teams of eleven players each. The field is usually circular or oval in shape, and the edge of the playing area is marked by a boundary , which may be
5005-561: The derisive term "shamateur" was coined to describe the practice. The game underwent major development in the 18th century to become England's national sport . Its success was underwritten by the twin necessities of patronage and betting. Cricket was prominent in London as early as 1707 and, in the middle years of the century, large crowds flocked to matches on the Artillery Ground in Finsbury . The single wicket form of
5096-405: The earliest known contest that is generally considered a First Class match. The patrons and other players from the gentry began to classify themselves as " amateurs " to establish a clear distinction from the professionals, who were invariably members of the working class , even to the point of having separate changing and dining facilities. The gentry, including such high-ranking nobles as
5187-463: The existence of players like him who were nominally amateur but, in terms of their financial gain, de facto professional. Grace himself was said to have been paid more money for playing cricket than any professional. The last two decades before the First World War have been called the " Golden Age of cricket ". It is a nostalgic name prompted by the collective sense of loss resulting from
5278-530: The field in a Test match: England's Len Hutton , playing against South Africa at the Oval in London in 1951, knocked a ball away from his stumps but in doing so prevented South African wicket-keeper Russell Endean from completing a catch. By coincidence, Endean was one of the few people to be given out handled the ball in a Test match. In One Day International cricket, eight batters have been given out obstructing
5369-504: The field of play. An example of this was in the 2007 Lord's test match between England and India when Kevin Pietersen was initially given out caught behind, but was recalled when television replays showed that the ball had bounced before being taken by Mahendra Singh Dhoni . A batter can be dismissed in a number of ways, the most common being bowled, caught, leg before wicket (LBW), run out and stumped. An analysis of Test match dismissals between 1877 and 2012 found that 98.2% of
5460-429: The field. An incoming batter is "timed out" if they willfully take more than three minutes to be ready to face the next delivery (or be at the other end if not on strike). If a not out batter is not ready after a break in play, they can also be given out timed out on appeal. In the case of extremely long delays, the umpires may forfeit the match to either team. So far, this method of taking a wicket has never happened in
5551-407: The fielding side taking a wicket . The ball becomes dead (meaning that no further runs can be scored off that delivery ), and the dismissed batter must leave the field of play for the rest of their team's innings, to be replaced by a team-mate. A team's innings ends if ten of the eleven team members are dismissed. Players bat in pairs so, when only one batter remains who can be not out , it
SECTION 60
#17327795148975642-413: The first bowler to dismiss a batter in this manner in a Test match, running out Bill Brown in 1947. With changes in the Laws of Cricket, a bowler cannot Mankad a batter once they reach the point in their delivery where they would normally release the ball. It is considered good etiquette to warn a batter that he is leaving their crease early, before attempting a Mankad run out on a subsequent ball. In 2022,
5733-597: The first limited overs Cricket World Cup in 1975 . Sri Lanka joined the ranks in 1982. Meanwhile, South Africa was banned by the ICC due to apartheid from 1970 until 1992. 1992 also brought about the introduction of the Zimbabwe team . The 21st century brought with it the Bangladesh Team , who made their Test debut in 2000. The game itself also grew, with a new format made up of 20-over innings being created. This format, called T20 cricket , quickly became
5824-450: The game at county level led to the creation of the county clubs , starting with Sussex in 1839. In December 1889, the eight leading county clubs formed the official County Championship , which began in 1890. The most famous player of the 19th century was W. G. Grace , who started his long and influential career in 1865. It was especially during the career of Grace that the distinction between amateurs and professionals became blurred by
5915-424: The game progresses (cricket can also be played on artificial surfaces, notably matting). Each wicket is made of three wooden stumps topped by two bails . As illustrated, the pitch is marked at each end with four white painted lines: a bowling crease , a popping crease and two return creases . The three stumps are aligned centrally on the bowling crease, which is eight feet eight inches long. The popping crease
6006-432: The game quickly grew from 500 tests in 84 years to 1000 within the next 23. Cricket entered a new era in 1963 when English counties introduced the limited overs variant. As it was sure to produce a result, limited overs cricket was lucrative, and the number of matches increased. The first Limited Overs International was played in 1971, and the governing International Cricket Council (ICC), seeing its potential, staged
6097-421: The greatest Test batter of all time. To curb his dominance, England employed bodyline tactics during the 1932–33 Ashes series . These involved bowling at the body of the batter and setting a field, resulting in batters having to choose between being hit or risk getting out. This series moved cricket from a game to a matter of national importance , with diplomatic cables being passed between the two countries over
6188-529: The hands, a safety helmet for the head, and a box for male players inside the trousers (to protect the crotch area). Some batters wear additional padding inside their shirts and trousers such as thigh pads, arm pads, rib protectors and shoulder pads. The only fielders allowed to wear protective gear are those in positions very close to the batter (i.e., if they are alongside or in front of him), but they cannot wear gloves or external leg guards. Subject to certain variations, on-field clothing generally includes
6279-538: The head with a bouncer and his helmet hit the stumps during the 2007 England vs West Indies Test match at Old Trafford; a topspinner from Richie Benaud once knocked off Joe Solomon 's cap, and the cap landed on Solomon's stumps. Being out hit-wicket is often seen as a comic method of dismissal. In 1991 Jonathan Agnew and Brian Johnston , commentators on BBC Radio 's Test Match Special , got themselves into difficulty while commentating on Ian Botham 's dismissal (Botham dislodged his leg bail whilst trying to step over
6370-412: The history of Test cricket and there have only been six occasions in all forms of first-class cricket. Angelo Mathews of Sri Lanka became the first batsman to be dismissed in this fashion in an international fixture, in a group stage match against Bangladesh in the 2023 Cricket World Cup . Before the amendments of the Laws in 2017, there was a separate dismissal type of Handled the ball which
6461-528: The incident. During this time, the number of Test nations continued to grow, with the West Indies , New Zealand and India being admitted as full Test members within a four-year period from 1928 to 1932. An enforced break during the Second World War stopped Test Cricket for a time, although the Partition of India caused Pakistan to gain Test status in 1952. As teams began to travel more,
6552-510: The innings only with the consent of the opposing captain. If they fail to resume their innings, they are out. For the purposes of calculating a batting average , retired out is considered a dismissal. Only two players in Test history have ever been given out in this manner: Marvan Atapattu (for 201) and Mahela Jayawardene (for 150), both in the same innings playing for Sri Lanka against Bangladesh in September 2001. Apparently, this
6643-460: The items have lesser dimensions. Each stump is referred to by a specific name: These names are relative to the batsman, so a right-handed batsman's leg stump becomes the off stump when a left-handed player is batting. In modern professional play, the stumps are often branded with a sponsor's logo. Although they are too far away from spectators to be seen, such logos are visible on television coverage. For professional matches, often one or more of
6734-413: The modern calendar). The case concerned ownership of a certain plot of land, and the court heard the testimony of a 59-year-old coroner , John Derrick , who gave witness that: Being a scholler in the ffree schoole of Guldeford hee and diverse of his fellows did runne and play there at creckett and other plaies. Given Derrick's age, it was about half a century earlier when he was at school, and so it
6825-552: The name may have been derived from the Middle Dutch (in use in Flanders at the time) " krick " ( -e ), meaning a stick (crook). Another possible source is the Middle Dutch word " krickstoel " , meaning a long low stool used for kneeling in church that resembled the long low wicket with two stumps used in early cricket. According to Heiner Gillmeister, a European language expert of Bonn University , "cricket" derives from
6916-448: The newer Twenty20 format (also known as T20 ), in which each team bats for a single innings of 20 overs (each "over" being a set of 6 fair opportunities for the batting team to score) and the game generally lasts three to four hours. Traditionally, cricketers play in all-white kit , but in limited overs cricket , they wear club or team colours. In addition to the basic kit, some players wear protective gear to prevent injury caused by
7007-412: The scoring and dismiss the batters. When the first innings ends, the teams change roles; there can be two to four innings depending upon the type of match. A match with four scheduled innings is played over three to five days; a match with two scheduled innings is usually completed in a single day. During an innings, all eleven members of the fielding team take the field, but usually only two members of
7098-443: The sport attracted huge crowds and wagers to match, its popularity peaking in the 1748 season . Bowling underwent an evolution around 1760 when bowlers began to pitch (bounce) the ball instead of rolling or skimming it towards the batter. This caused a revolution in bat design because, to deal with the bouncing ball, it was necessary to introduce the modern straight bat in place of the old "hockey stick" shape. The Hambledon Club
7189-413: The sport is that a bowler delivers (i.e., bowls) the ball from their end of the pitch towards the batter who, armed with a bat , is "on strike" at the other end (see next sub-section: Basic gameplay ). The bat is made of wood, usually Salix alba (white willow), and has the shape of a blade topped by a cylindrical handle. The blade must not be more than 4.25 inches (10.8 cm) wide and
7280-400: The stumps at the non-striker's end, then it is a run out, even if the fielder never has any control of the ball. Between 1877 and 2012, this method accounted for 3.5% of all Test match dismissals. If the striker steps in front of the crease to play the ball, leaving no part of their body or the bat on the ground behind the crease, and the wicket-keeper is able to put down the wicket with
7371-654: The stumps is hollow and contains a small television camera. This is aligned vertically, but can view through a small window on the side of the stump via a mirror. The so-called stump-cam gives a unique view of play for action replays, particularly when a batsman is bowled. A recent innovation are stumps and bails embedded with red LEDs , which flash when they are completely dislodged. Invented by an Australian engineer and trademarked as "LED Bails", they were designed to aid umpires with both run-out and stumping decisions as well as provide distinctive images to television coverage during day-night matches . LED stumps were first used at
7462-533: The stumps, having lost his balance in missing a hook shot against Curtly Ambrose ), Agnew commenting that he "couldn't quite get his leg over". A more recent example of a comic hit-wicket dismissal was during the Headingley Test match in the 2006 test series between England and Pakistan , when Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq missed a sweep against Monty Panesar , was hit in the midriff by
7553-410: The total length of the bat not more than 38 inches (97 cm). There is no standard for the weight, which is usually between 2 lb 7 oz and 3 lb (1.1 and 1.4 kg). Dismissal (cricket) In cricket , a dismissal occurs when a batter 's innings is brought to an end by the opposing team. Other terms used are the batter being out , the batting side losing a wicket , and
7644-535: The war, but the period did produce some great players and memorable matches, especially as organised competition at county and Test level developed. In 1844, the first-ever international match took place between what were essentially club teams, from the United States and Canada , in Toronto ; Canada won. In 1859, a team of English players went to North America on the first overseas tour . Meanwhile,
7735-409: The wicket-keeper. If a bowler's legitimate (i.e., not a No-ball) delivery strikes any part of the batter (not necessarily the leg), without first touching the bat (or glove holding the bat), and, in the umpire 's judgement, the ball would have hit the wicket but for this interception, then the striker is out. There are also further criteria that must be met, including where the ball pitched, whether
7826-655: Was bowled underarm by the bowler and along the ground towards a batter armed with a bat that in shape resembled a hockey stick ; the batter defended a low, two-stump wicket ; and runs were called notches because the scorers recorded them by notching tally sticks. In 1611, the year Cotgrave 's dictionary was published, ecclesiastical court records at Sidlesham in Sussex state that two parishioners, Bartholomew Wyatt and Richard Latter, failed to attend church on Easter Sunday because they were playing cricket. They were fined 12 d each and ordered to do penance . This
7917-544: Was a "great upsurge of sport after the Restoration " in 1660. Several members of the court of King Charles II took a strong interest in cricket during that era. Gambling on sport became a problem significant enough for Parliament to pass the 1664 Gambling Act, limiting stakes to £ 100, which was, in any case, a colossal sum exceeding the annual income of 99% of the population. Along with horse racing , as well as prizefighting and other types of blood sport , cricket
8008-640: Was done in order to give the other players batting practice, but was considered unsporting and drew criticism. In May 1983, Gordon Greenidge of the West Indies retired out on 154 to visit his daughter, who was ill and who died two days later; he was subsequently judged to have retired not out, the only such decision in Test history. There are numerous other recorded instances of batters retiring out in first-class cricket , particularly in tour matches and warm-up matches; since these matches are generally treated as practice matches, retiring out in these matches
8099-592: Was founded in the 1760s and, for the next twenty years until the formation of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the opening of Lord's Old Ground in 1787, Hambledon was both the game's greatest club and its focal point. MCC quickly became the sport's premier club and the custodian of the Laws of Cricket . New Laws introduced in the latter part of the 18th century include the three-stump wicket and leg before wicket (lbw). The 19th century saw underarm bowling superseded by first roundarm and then overarm bowling . Both developments were controversial. Organisation of
8190-490: Was perceived to be a gambling sport. Rich patrons made matches for high stakes, forming teams in which they engaged the first professional players. By the end of the century, cricket had developed into a major sport that was spreading throughout England and was already being taken abroad by English mariners and colonisers—the earliest reference to cricket overseas is dated 1676. A 1697 newspaper report survives of "a great cricket match" played in Sussex "for fifty guineas apiece",
8281-481: Was retrospectively recognised as the first-ever Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia . The rivalry between England and Australia gave birth to The Ashes in 1882, which remains Test cricket's most famous contest. Test cricket began to expand in 1888–89 when South Africa played England. The inter-war years were dominated by Australia 's Don Bradman , statistically
#896103