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Cricket

Cricket

:For information regarding the insect, see Cricket (insect). For other uses, see Cricket (disambiguation). :For more coverage of cricket, see the Cricket portal. Cricket portal strip is the cricket pitch. The men wearing black trousers on the far right are the umpires.]] Cricket is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players each. It is a bat-and-ball game played on a roughly elliptical grass field, in the centre of which is a hard, flat strip of ground some 22 yards long, called the pitch. At each end of the pitch stand a set of wooden poles called a wicket (traditionally made from ash). A player from one team (the bowler) propels a hard, fist-sized ball from one wicket towards the other. A player from the opposing team (the batsman) attempts to defend the ball from hitting the wicket with a wooden cricket bat, traditionally made of willow. Another batsman (the non-striker) stands in an inactive role near the bowler's wicket. If the batsman hits the ball with his bat, he may run to the other wicket, exchanging places with the non-striker. This scores a run. The batting team attempts to score as many runs as it can, while members of the bowling team gather the ball and return it to either wicket. If the ball strikes a wicket while the nearest batsman is still running, the batsman is out. Batsmen can also be out by other means, such as failing to defend the bowled ball from hitting the wicket, or hitting a catch to a fielder. Once out, a batsman is replaced by the next batsman in the team. As there must always be two batsmen on the field, if and when the tenth batsman is out, the team's turn to bat or innings (always with a terminal "s" in cricket usage) is over, and the other team may bat while the first team takes the field. Depending on the specific rules of the match, one or two innings may be played, possibly with a fixed number of legally-bowled balls defining the end of an innings rather than ten batsmen having been dismissed. At the end of the match, the winner is the team that has scored the most runs. However, the game may run out of time before it is finished, in which case it is a draw, even if one team is overwhelmingly winning at that point. This is sometimes surprising to those not familiar with the game, but it does add interest to one-sided games by giving the inferior team the incentive to try and achieve a draw even if they cannot win.

a draw a draw Cricket has been an established team sport for several centuries. It originated in its modern form in England, and is popular mainly in the countries of the Commonwealth. In some countries in South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, cricket is by far the most popular sport. Cricket is also a major sport in England and Wales, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe and the English-speaking countries of the Caribbean, which are known in cricketing parlance as the West Indies. It is also a prominent minor sport in countries as diverse as the Netherlands, Israel, Nepal, and Argentina (see also: International Cricket Council). The length of the game — a match can last six or more hours a day for up to five days in one form of the game — the numerous intervals for lunch and tea, and the rich terminology are notable aspects which can often confuse those not familiar with the sport. For its fans, the sport and the intense rivalries between top cricketing nations provide passionate entertainment and outstanding sporting achievements. It has even occasionally given rise to diplomatic outrage, the most infamous being the Bodyline series played between England and Australia.

Objective and summary

Cricket is a bat and ball sport. The objective of the game is to score more runs than the opposing team. A match is divided into innings during which one team bats and the other bowls. If, in a two-innings match, the first team to bat is dismissed in their second innings with a combined first- and second-innings score less than the first-innings score of their opponents (a relatively rare occurrence), the match is concluded and they are said to have lost by an innings and n runs, where n is the difference in score between the teams. If the team batting last is dismissed with the scores exactly equal, i.e. they are one run short of their target (an extremely rare occurrence) the match is a tie. If the match has only a single innings per side, with a set number of deliveries, and the match is temporarily interrupted by bad weather, then a complex mathematical formula known as the Duckworth-Lewis method is often used to recalculate a new target score. If such a match is abandoned without completion due to an impossibility of continuing the play, because of an extended period of bad weather, unruly crowd, or any such unlikely event or situation, the result is declared as No-Result if fewer than a previously agreed number of overs has been bowled by either team.

Laws of cricket

The game is played in accordance with 42 laws of cricket, which have been developed by the Marylebone Cricket Club in discussion with the main cricketing nations. Teams may agree to alter some of the rules for particular games. Other rules supplement the main laws and change them to deal with different circumstances. In particular, there are a number of modifications to the playing structure and fielding position rules that apply to one innings games that are restricted to a set number of fair deliveries.

Players and officials

Players

Each team consists of eleven players. Depending on his primary skills, a player may be classified as a specialist batsman or bowler. A balanced team usually has five or six specialist batsmen and four or five specialist bowlers. One player of the team that is bowling and fielding takes up the role of a wicket-keeper, which is a highly specialised fielding position. A player who excels in more than one specialist discipline (particularly in both bowling and batting) is known as an all-rounder.

Umpires

Two on-field umpires preside over a match. One umpire will stand behind the wicket at the end from which the ball is bowled, and adjudicate on most decisions. The other will stand near the fielding position called square leg, which offers a side view of the batsman, and assist on decisions for which he has a better view. In some professional matches, they may refer a decision to an off-field 'third' umpire, who has the assistance of television replays. In international matches an off-field match referee ensures that play is within the laws of cricket and the spirit of the game.

Scorers

Two scorers are appointed, and most often one scorer is provided by each team. The laws of cricket specify that the official scorers are to record all runs scored, wickets taken and (where appropriate) overs bowled. They are to acknowledge signals from the umpire, and to check the accuracy of the score regularly both with each other and, at playing intervals, with the umpires. In practice scorers also keep track of other matters, such as bowlers' analyses, the rate at which the teams bowl their overs, and team statistics such as averages and records. In international and national cricket competitions the media often requires to be notified of records and statistics, so unofficial scorers often keep tally for the broadcast commentators and newspaper journalists. The official scorers occasionally make mistakes, but unlike umpires' mistakes these can be corrected after the event.

The playing field

The cricket field consists of a large circular or oval-shaped grassy ground. There are no fixed dimensions for the field but its diameter usually varies between 450 feet (137 m) to 500 feet (150 m). On most grounds, a rope demarcates the perimeter of the field and is known as the boundary. ; The pitch Most of the action takes place in the centre of this ground, on a rectangular clay strip usually with short grass called the pitch. The pitch measures 10 × 66 feet (3.05 × 20.12 m). At each end of the pitch three upright wooden poles, called the stumps, are hammered into the ground. Two wooden crosspieces, known as the bails, sit in grooves atop the stumps, linking each to its neighbour. Each set of three stumps and two bails is collectively known as a wicket. One end of the pitch is designated the batting end where the batsman stands and the other is designated the bowling end where the bowler runs in to bowl. The area of the field on the side of the line joining the wickets where the batsman holds his bat (the right-hand side for a right-handed batsman, the left for a left-hander) is known as the off side, the other as the leg side or on side. Lines drawn or painted on the pitch are known as creases. Creases are used to adjudicate the dismissals of batsmen and to determine whether a delivery is fair. ; Parts of the field For a one-innings match played over a set number of fair deliveries, there are two additional field markings. A painted oval is made by drawing a semicircle of 30 yards (27.4 m) radius from the centre of each wicket with respect to the breadth of the pitch and joining them with lines parallel, 30 yards (27.4 m) to the length of the pitch. This line, commonly known as the circle, divides the field into an infield and outfield. Two circles of radius 15 yards (13.7 m), centred on each wicket and often marked by dots, define the close-infield. The infield, outfield, and the close-infield are used to enforce fielding restrictions. ; Placements of players The team batting always has two batsmen on the field. One batsman, known as the striker, faces and plays the balls bowled by the bowler. His partner stands at the bowling end and is known as the non-striker. The fielding team has all eleven of its players on the ground, and at any particular time, one of these will be the bowler. The player designated as bowler must change after every over. The wicket-keeper, who generally acts in that role for the whole match, stands or crouches behind the wicket at the batting end. The captain of the fielding team spreads his remaining nine players — the fielders — around the ground to cover most of the area. Their placement may vary dramatically depending on strategy. Each position on the field has a unique label.

Match structure

; The toss On the day of the match, the captains inspect the pitch to determine the type of bowlers whose bowling would be suited for the offered pitch surface and select their eleven players. The two opposing captains then toss a coin. The captain winning the toss may choose either to bat or bowl first. ; Overs Each innings is subdivided into overs. Each over consists of six consecutive legal (see "Extras" for details) deliveries bowled by the same bowler. No bowler is allowed to bowl consecutive overs. After the completion of an over, the bowler takes up a fielding position, while another player takes over the bowling. After every over, the batting and bowling ends are swapped, and the field positions are adjusted. The umpires swap so the umpire at the bowler's end moves to square leg, and the umpire at square leg moves to the new bowler's end. ; End of an innings An innings is completed if: # Ten out of eleven batsmen are 'out' (dismissed). # A team chasing a given target number of runs to win manages to do so. # The predetermined number of overs are bowled (in a one-day match only, usually 50 overs). # A captain declares his innings closed (this does not apply to one-day limited over matches). ; Playing time Typically, two innings matches are played over three to five days with at least six hours of cricket being played each day. One innings matches are usually played over one day for six hours or more. There are formal intervals on each day for lunch and tea, and shorter breaks for drinks, where necessary. There is also a short interval between innings. The game is only played in dry weather. Additionally, as in professional cricket it is common for balls to be bowled at over 90 mph (144 km/h), the game needs to be played in daylight that is good enough for a batsman to be able to see the ball. Play is therefore halted when it rains (but not usually when it drizzles) and when there is bad light. Some one-day games are now played under floodlights, but, apart from few experimental games in Australia, floodlights are not used in longer games. Professional cricket is generally played outdoors. These requirements mean that in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Zimbabwe the game is usually played in the summer. In the West Indies, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh games are played in the winter. In these countries the hurricane and cyclone season coincides with their summers.

Batting and scoring runs

See also: Scoring ;Batting :Main articles: Batsman, Batting Batting Batsmen stand waiting for the ball at the batting crease. The wooden bat that a batsman uses consists of a long handle and a flat surface on one side. If the batsman hits the ball with his bat, it is called a shot (or stroke). If the ball brushes the side of the bat it is called an edge or snick. Shots are named according to the style of swing and the direction in the field to which the batsman desires to hit the ball. Depending on the team's strategy, he may be required to bat defensively in an effort to not get out, or to bat aggressively to score runs quickly. Batsmen come in to bat in a batting order, which is determined by the team captain. The first two positions, known as "openers", are generally a specialised position, as they face the most hostile bowling (the opposing team's fast bowlers are at their freshest and the ball is new). After that, the team typically bats in descending order of batting skill, the first five or six batsmen usually being the best in the team. After them the all-rounders follow and finally the bowlers (who are usually not known for their batting abilities). This order may be changed at any time during the course of the game for strategic reasons. ;Run scoring To score a run, a striker must hit the ball and run to the opposite end of the pitch, while his non-striking partner runs to his end. Both runners must touch the ground behind the popping crease with either his bat or his body to register a run. If the striker hits the ball well enough, the batsmen may double back to score two or more runs. This is known as running between wickets. But there is no tip and run rule, so the batsmen are not required to attempt a run when the ball is hit. If the batsmen score an odd number of runs, then they will have swapped ends and their roles as striker and non-striker will be reversed for the next ball, unless the most recent ball marks the end of an over. If a fielder knocks the bails off the stumps with the ball while no batsman is grounded behind the nearest popping crease, the nearest batsman is run out. If the ball goes over the boundary, then four runs are scored, or six if the ball has not bounced. ;Extras Every run scored by the batsmen contributes to the team's total. A team's total also includes a number of runs which are unaccredited to any batsmen. These runs are known as extras, apart from in Australia where they are also called sundries. Extras consist of byes, leg byes, no balls, wides and penalty runs. The former two are runs that can be scored if the batsman misses making contact with bat and ball, and the latter two are types of fouls committed by the bowler. For serious infractions such as tampering with the ball, deliberate time-wasting, and damaging the pitch, the umpires may award penalty extras to the opposition; in each case five runs. Five penalty runs are also awarded if a fielder uses anything other than his body to field the ball, or if the ball hits a protective helmet left on the field by the fielding team. A team need not be batting in order to receive penalty extras.

Bowling and dismissals

;Bowling wides :Main articles: Bowlers, Bowling, Bowling strategy A bowler delivers the ball toward the batsmen, using what is known as a bowling action: the elbow may be held at any angle and may bend further, but may not straighten out during the action. If the elbow straightens, it is an illegal throw and the delivery is called a no-ball. Usually, the bowler pitches the ball so that it bounces before reaching the batsman. Some part of the bowler's front foot in the delivery stride (that is, the stride when the ball is released) must be behind the popping crease to avoid a no-ball (although the bowler's front foot does not have to be grounded). The ball must also be delivered so it is within the batsman's reach, otherwise it is termed a wide. A wide cannot be called if the batsman hits the ball. A wide or no-ball results in a run to the batting team score, and the ball to be rebowled. The bowler's primary goal is to take wickets; that is, to get a batsman out or dismissed. If a bowler can dismiss the more accomplished batsmen on the opposing team he reduces the opportunity for them to score, as it exposes the less skilful batsmen. Their next task is to limit the numbers of runs scored per over they bowl. This is known as the Economy rate. If a bowler gets a batsman out, he is credited for this achievement. There are two main kinds of bowlers : pace bowlers and spin bowlers. ;Dismissal of a batsman A batsman is allowed to bat as long as he does not get out (also known as being dismissed). There are ten ways of being dismissed, some of which are credited as wickets to the bowler, some of which are not credited to any player. If the batsman is dismissed, another player from the batting team replaces him until ten batsmen are out and the innings is over. Many modes of dismissal require the wicket to be "put down". The wicket is put down if a bail is dislodged from the top of the stumps or a stump is struck out of the ground either with the ball, or by a fielder with the ball in his hand. Of the following ten modes of dismissal, the first six are common, while the last four are technicalities which rarely occur. Briefly, the ten modes are:
- Caught — When a fielder catches the ball before the ball bounces and after the batsman has struck it with the bat or it has come into contact with the batsman's glove while it is in contact with the bat handle. The bowler and catcher are both credited.
- Bowled — When a delivered ball hits the stumps at the batsman's end, and dislodges one or both of the bails. This happens regardless of whether the batsman has edged the ball onto the stumps or not. The bowler is credited with the dismissal.
- Leg before wicket (LBW) — When a delivered ball misses the bat and strikes the batsman's leg or pad, and the umpire judges that the ball would otherwise have struck the stumps. The laws of cricket stipulate certain exceptions in favour of the batsman; for instance, a batsman should not be given out LBW if the place where the ball bounced on the pitch is to the leg-side of the area strictly between the two wickets. The bowler is credited with the dismissal.
- Run out — When a fielder, bowler or wicket-keeper removes one or both of the bails with the ball by hitting the stumps whilst a batsman is still running between the two ends. The ball can either hit the stumps directly or the fielder's hand with the ball inside it can be used to dislodge the bails. Such a dismissal is not officially credited to any player, although the identities of the fielder or fielders involved is often noted in brackets on the scorecard.
- Stumped — When the batsman leaves his crease in playing a delivery, voluntarily or involuntarily, but the ball goes to the wicket-keeper who uses it to remove one or both of the bails through hitting the bail(s) or the wicket before the batsman has remade his ground. The bowler and wicket-keeper are both credited. This generally requires the keeper to be standing within arm's length of the wicket, which is done mainly to spin bowling.
- Hit wicket — When the batsman accidentally knocks the stumps with either the body or the bat, causing one or both of the bails to be dislodged, either in playing a shot or in taking off for the first run. The bowler is credited with the dismissal.
- Handled the ball — When the batsman deliberately handles the ball without the permission of the fielding team. No player is credited with the dismissal.
- Hit the ball twice — When the batsman deliberately strikes the ball a second time, except for the sole purpose of guarding his wicket. No player is credited with the dismissal.
- Obstructing the field — When a batsman deliberately hinders a fielder from attempting to field the ball. No player is credited with the dismissal.
- Timed out — When a new batsman takes more than three minutes to appear on the field to replace a dismissed batsman. (If the delay is even more protracted, the umpires may cause the match to be forfeited.) No player is credited with the dismissal. Additionally, a batsman may leave the field undismissed. For instance, if he is ill or injured, this is known as retired hurt or retired ill. The batsman is not out; he may return to bat later in the same innings if sufficiently recovered. Also, an unimpaired batsman may retire, in which case he is treated as being dismissed retired out; no player is credited with the dismissal. An individual cannot be out — 'bowled', 'caught', 'leg before wicket', 'stumped', or 'hit wicket' off a no ball. He cannot be out — 'bowled', 'caught', 'leg before wicket', or 'hit the ball twice' off a wide. Some of these modes of dismissal can take place without the bowler bowling a delivery. The batsman who is not on strike may be run out by the bowler if he leaves his crease before the bowler bowls, and a batsman can be out obstructing the field or retired out at any time. Timed out by its nature is a dismissal without a delivery. With all other modes of dismissal, only one batsman can be dismissed per ball bowled. Obstructing the field, Handled the ball, Timed Out and Hit the ball twice dismissals are extremely rare.

Fielding and wicket-keeping

retired out :Main articles: Fielder, Fielding strategy Fielders assist the bowlers to prevent batsmen from scoring too many runs. They do this in two ways: by taking catches to dismiss a batsman, and by intercepting hit balls and returning them to the pitch to attempt run-outs to restrict the scoring of runs. The wicket-keeper is a specialist fielder who stands behind the batsman's wicket throughout the game. His primary job is to gather deliveries that the batsman fails to hit, to prevent them running into the outfield, which would enable batsmen to score byes. To this end, he wears special gloves (he is the only fielder allowed to do so) and pads to cover his lower legs. Due to his position directly behind the striker, the wicket-keeper has a good chance of getting a batsman out caught off a fine edge from the bat; thicker edges are typically handled by the "slips" fieldsmen. The wicket-keeper is also the only person who can get a batsman out stumped.

Other roles

; Captain The captain's acumen in deciding the strategy is crucial to the team's success. The captain makes a number of important decisions, including setting field positions, alternating the bowlers and taking the toss. The captain's job in the team is very important but can be rather stressful at times. Much blame is placed on a captain when their team loses. However, he/she is seen as an honour to be in such a priveliged position and much praise is given to the captain when their team wins. The job of a captain can irritate and interfere with their play considerably, slightly or not at all, depending on how they take that extra burden in their stride. Statistics from various matches can show trends in bad and good performances when someone is a captain or not a captain, respectively. ; A runner In the event of a batsman being fit to bat but too injured to run, he may request the umpire and the fielding captain for a runner. The runner chosen must, if possible, be a player who has already been given out. After a batsman hits the ball, the runner's only task is to run between the wickets in place of the injured batsman. ; Substitutes In one day international (ODI) cricket and some other limited overs competitions, a single substitution is allowed during the game. A player who is replaced cannot return to the game. This kind of substitute is known as Super Sub. In all forms of cricket, if a player gets injured or becomes ill during a match, a substitute is allowed to field instead of him; though he cannot bowl, bat, or act as a captain or wicket-keeper. Here the substitute is a temporary role and leaves the field once the injured player is fit to return.

History

A basic form of the sport can be traced back to the 13th century, but it may have existed even earlier than that. The game seems to have originated among shepherds and farm workers in the Weald between Kent and Sussex. Written evidence exists of a sport known as creag being played by Prince Edward, the son of Edward I (Longshanks), at Newenden, Kent in 1300. In 1598, a court case referred to a sport called Creckett being played at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford around 1550. The Oxford English Dictionary gives this as the first recorded instance of cricket in the English language. A number of words are thought to be possible sources for the term cricket. The name may derive from a term for the cricket bat: old French criquet (meaning a kind of club) or Flemish krick(e) (meaning a stick) or in Old English crycc (meaning a crutch or staff). (The latter is problematic, since Old English 'cc' was palatal in pronunciation in the south and the west midlands, roughly ch, which is how crycc leads to crych and thence crutch; the 'k' sound would be possible in the north, however.) Alternatively, the French criquet apparently derives from the Flemish word krickstoel, which is a long low stool on which one kneels in church and which resembles the long low wicket with two stumps used in early 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 possible that the first professionals appeared about that time. We know that a great cricket match with eleven players a side was played for high stakes in Sussex in 1697 and this is the earliest reference we have to cricket in terms of such importance. See also: History of cricket to 1696; History of cricket 1697 - 1725 The game underwent major development in the 18th Century and had become the national sport of England by the end of the century. Betting played a major part in that development and rich patrons began 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 Hambledon Club was founded sometime before 1750 and started playing first-class matches in 1756. For the next 30 years until the formation of MCC and the opening of Lord's in 1787, Hambledon was 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. See also: History of cricket 1726 - 1815 The 19th Century saw underarm replaced by first roundarm and then overarm bowling. Both developments were accompanied by major controversy. County clubs appeared from 1836 and ultimately formed a County Championship. In 1859, a team of England players went on the first overseas tour (to North America) and 18 years later another England team took part in the first-ever Test Match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia. Cricket appeared at one Olympic Games, at Paris in 1900. Olympic cricket lasted only two days and Great Britain is the current Olympic champion. Cricket entered an epochal era in 1963, when English counties modified the rules to provide a variant match form that produced an expedited result: games with a restricted number of overs per side. This gained widespread popularity and resulted in the birth of one-day international (ODI) matches in 1971. The governing International Cricket Council quickly adopted the new form and held the first ODI Cricket World Cup in 1975. Since then, ODI matches have gained mass spectatorship, at the expense of the longer form of the game and to the consternation of fans who prefer the longer form of the game. As of the early 2000s, however, the longer form of cricket is experiencing a growing resurgence in popularity. See also: Stoolball

Forms of cricket

Stoolball (MCG) situated in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Australia, in 1877.]]

Test cricket

Test cricket is a form of international cricket started in 1877 during the 1876/77 English cricket team's tour of Australia. The first Test match began on 15 March, 1877 and had a timeless format with four balls per over. It ended on 19 March, 1877 with Australia winning by 45 runs. The Test Cricket Series between England and Australia is called The Ashes, with the trophy being a tiny fragile urn, reputed to hold the ashes of a bail or cricket ball used during the second Test series between the two countries, which was presented to the English Cricket Captain, Ivo Bligh, by a group of Melbourne women, following the Test Series win by the England Cricket Team, during the England Cricket Team's Tour of Australia in 1882/83. Since then, over 1,700 Test matches have been played and the number of Test playing nations has increased to ten with Bangladesh, the most recent nation elevated to Test status, making its debut in 2000. Test matches are two innings games that are nowadays played over five days.

One-day cricket

One-day matches, also known as limited overs or instant cricket, were introduced in English domestic cricket in the 1960s due to the growing demands for a shorter and more dramatic form of cricket to stem the decline in attendances. The idea was taken up in the international arena in 1971, during an England team tour of Australia, when a Test match was rained off, and the one-day game has since swollen to become a crowd-pleaser and TV-audience-generator across the globe. The inaugural World Cup in 1975 did much to hasten this. The abbreviations ODI or sometimes LOI (for Limited Overs International) are used for international matches of this type. In one-day cricket, each team bats for only one innings, and it is limited to a number of overs, usually 50 in international matches. Despite its name, a one-day match may go into a second day if play is interrupted by rain. Day and night matches are also played which extend into the night. Innovations such as coloured clothing, frequent tournaments and result oriented-games often resulting in nail-biting finishes have seen ODI cricket gain many supporters. Strategies such as quick scoring, gravity-defying fielding and accurate bowling make this form more invigorating as compared to the Test matches.

First-class matches

A first-class match is generally defined as a high-level international or domestic match that takes place over at least three days on natural (as opposed to artificial) turf. A significant feature of first-class cricket is that games must have two innings per side, in contrast with games where the teams have one innings each (including limited overs matches played by teams that are normally recognised as first-class). The status of a match depends on the status of the teams contesting it. All Test-playing nations are allowed to play first-class matches, as are their regional, state, provincial or county teams. Matches of Kenya, one of the foremost non-Test-playing nations, with other first class teams are adjudged first class, but its domestic matches are not. As a benchmark, a match can be considered first-class only if both teams have first-class status. Thus, a match between two Test nations, between two domestic teams in full members of the ICC, or between a Test nation and another Test nation's domestic team, may be considered first class. A Test match is also considered to be a first-class match, but one-day internationals are not due to the two innings per side rule. The point of origin of first-class cricket is an ongoing controversy that is described in the main article.

Other forms of cricket

At lower levels, club cricket is usually played over one to two days, either as a two innings or one innings limited overs match. The game of cricket has also spawned a set of matches with modified rules to attract more fans. The 'Twenty20' rule can be an example of cricket rule modification, since this particular modification enforces a limit of 20 overs per innings, which makes the game rather shorter in order to maximise the attention of the fans. These matches are not recognised by the ICC as official matches. Other variants of the sport exist and are played in areas as diverse as on sandy beaches or on ice. Kwik cricket is a form of the sport where the bowler does not have to wait for the batsman to be ready before a delivery, leading to a faster, more exhausting game which is often used in school PE lessons.

International structure

Kwik cricket The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the international governing body for cricket. It is headquartered in Dubai and includes representatives of each of the ten Test-playing nations, as well as an elected panel representing non-Test-playing nations. Each nation has a national cricket board which regulates cricket matches played in their country. The cricket board also selects the national squad and organises home and away tours for the national team. Nations playing cricket are separated into three tiers depending on the level of cricket infrastructure in that country. At the highest level are the Test-playing nations. They qualify automatically for the quadrennial World Cup matches. A rung lower are the Associate Member nations. The lowermost rung consists of the Affiliate Member nations. See also: Non-Test teams to have played ODI matches.

Notes

# The term innings always has a terminal s in cricket usage, both for singular and plural forms. The word inning is never used.

References

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External links

- [http://www.cricinfo.com Wisden Cricinfo]
- [http://www.cricketarchive.com/ CricketArchive]
- [http://www.icc-cricket.com/ International Cricket Council] Category:Cricket culture Category:Team sports Category:Ball games ko:크리켓 ja:クリケット simple:Cricket th:คริกเกต

Cricket (insect)

Crickets, family Gryllidae (also known as "true crickets"), are insects related to grasshoppers and katydids (order Orthoptera). They have somewhat flattened bodies and long antennae. Crickets are known for their chirp (which only male crickets can do; male wings have ridges that act like a "comb and file" instrument). They chirp by rubbing their wings or legs over each other, and the song is species-specific. There are two types of cricket songs: a calling song and a courting song. The calling song attracts females and repels other males, and is fairly loud. The courting song is used when a female cricket is near, and is a very quiet song. Female crickets have a long needlelike egg-laying organ (ovipositor). Crickets chirp at different rates depending both on their species and the temperature of their environment. Most species chirp at higher rates the higher the temperature is (approx. 60 chirps a minute at 13ºC). There are about 900 known species of cricket, worldwide. The cricket tends to be nocturnal and is often confused with grasshoppers (which are related, but not the same), because they have a similar body structure including jumping hind legs. In 1970, Dr. William H. Cade discovered that the parasitic fly Ormia ochracea is also attracted to the song of the male, and uses it to locate the male in order to deposit her young on him. It was the first example of a natural enemy that locates its host or prey using the mating signal. Since then, many species of crickets have been found to be carrying the same parasitic fly around the world. parasitic Crickets are popular pets and considered good luck in Asia, especially China. It is also common to have them as pets in appropriate cages in some European countries, at least in the Iberian Peninsula. They may also be eaten in some cultures.

Taxonomy

Subfamilies of the family Gryllidae:
- Acheta domestica — House crickets
- Eneopterinae — Bush crickets
- Gryllinae — Common or field crickets; brown or black; despite the name, some of them enter houses.
- Mogoplistinae — Scaly crickets
- Myrmecophilinae — Ant crickets
- Nemobiinae — Ground crickets
- Oecanthinae — Tree crickets; usually green with broad, transparent wings; frequent trees and shrubs.
- Pentacentrinae — Anomalous crickets
- Trigonidiinae — Sword-tail crickets In addition to the above subfamilies in the family Gryllidae, several other orthopteran groups outside of this family also may be called "crickets":
- Mole crickets
- Katydids
- Cave Crickets (also called camel crickets)
- Sand crickets
- Mormon crickets
- Weta crickets
- Jerusalem crickets
- Parktown prawns

External links

- [http://www.the-piedpiper.co.uk/th2f.htm Intro on house crickets]
- [http://www.millbrookcrickets.com Crickets] Cricket Category:Animals kept as pets ja:コオロギ

Cricket (disambiguation)

Cricket may refer to
- Cricket (insect)
- Cricket (darts)
- Cri-cri, Cricket airplane
- Cricket (magazine)
- Plymouth Cricket, an automobile
- Cricket (software), software for monitoring trends in time-series data, using RRDtool
- Cricket St Thomas, a village in Somerset, England
- Chrząszcz, Jan Brzechwa's poem translated into English by Walter Whipple and called "Cricket"
- The Crickets, a rock and roll band formed by Buddy Holly
- Cricket Communications
- Cricket (roofing) A sport:
- Cricket, general article
- Beach cricket
- Car cricket
- Club cricket
- County cricket
- French cricket
- First-class cricket
- Indoor cricket
- Kwik cricket
- List A cricket
- One-day cricket
- One-day international cricket
- Short form cricket
- Test cricket

Portal:Cricket

Category:Cricket Cricket

Cricket pitch

A cricket pitch is the central strip of the playing area between the wickets. The pitch is 22 yards (20.12 m) long and 10 feet (3.05 m) wide. The surface is very flat and normally covered with extremely short grass though this grass is soon removed by wear at the ends of the pitch. In amateur matches, artificial pitches are commonly used. These can be a slab of concrete, overlaid with a coir mat, or artificial turf. Artificial pitches are rare in professional cricket - only being used when exhibition matches are played in regions where cricket is not a common sport. The pitch has very specific markings delineating the creases, as specified by the Laws of Cricket. The word wicket is often used to refer to the pitch. Although technically incorrect according the Laws of Cricket (Law 7 covers the pitch and Law 8 the wickets, distinguishing between them), cricket players, followers, and commentators persist in the usage, with context eliminating any possible ambiguity.

State of the pitch

Laws of Cricket If the grass on a natural pitch is longer or more moist than usual, the pitch is described as green. A green pitch favours the bowler over the batsman as the ball can be made to behave erratically on longer or wet grass. Most club and social cricket is played on pitches that professional cricketers would call green. A sticky wicket is a pitch that has become wet. This causes the ball to behave erratically, particularly for the slower or spin bowlers. However, the pitch is now generally protected from rain and dew preceding and during games so that a sticky wicket is rarely seen in first-class cricket. The phrase, however, has retained currency and extended beyond cricket to mean any difficult situation. As a match progresses, the pitch dries out. The Laws of Cricket prevent the pitch from being watered during a match. As it dries out, initially batting becomes easier as any moisture disappeares. Over the course of a four or five-day match, however, the pitch begins to crack, then crumble and become dusty. This again favours bowlers, particularly spin bowlers who can obtain large amounts of traction on the surface and make the ball spin a long way. This change in the relative difficulties of batting and bowling as the state of the pitch changes during a match is one of the primary strategic considerations that the captain of the team that wins the coin toss will take into account when deciding which team will bat first.

Covering the pitch

The pitch is said to be covered when there are covers on it to protect it against rain or dew. Whether covers are used or not significantly affects the way the ball comes off the pitch, making the issue a controversial one. Law 11 of the Laws of cricket provides that during the match the pitch shall not be completely covered unless provided otherwise by regulations or by agreement before the toss. When possible, the bowlers' run ups are covered in inclement weather to keep them dry. If the pitch is covered overnight, the covers are removed in the morning at the earliest possible moment on each day that play is expected to take place. If covers are used during the day as protection from inclement weather, or if inclement weather delays the removal of overnight covers, they are removed as soon as conditions allow.

Preparation and maintenance of the playing area

Law 10 of the Laws of cricket sets out rules covering the preparation and maintenance of the playing area.

Rolling the pitch

During the match the pitch may be rolled at the request of the captain of the batting side, for a period of not more than 7 minutes, before the start of each innings, other than the first innings of the match, and before the start of each subsequent day's play. In addition, if, after the toss and before the first innings of the match, the start is delayed, the captain of the batting side may request to have the pitch rolled for not more than 7 minutes, unless the umpires together agree that the delay has had no significant effect on the state of the pitch. Once the game has begun, rolling may not take place other than under these circumstances. If there is more than one roller available the captain of the batting side shall have the choice. There are detailed rules to make sure that rolling, where possible, is conducted so as not to delay the game, but, if necessary, the game is delayed to allow the batting captain to have up to 7 minutes rolling if he so wishes.

Sweeping

Before a pitch is rolled it is first swept to avoid any possible damage by rolling in debris. The pitch is also cleared of any debris at all intervals for meals, between innings and at the beginning of each day. The only exception to this is that the umpires do not allow sweeping to take place where they consider it may be detrimental to the surface of the pitch.

Mowing

Both the pitch and the outfield is mown on each day of a match on which play is expected to take place, if ground and weather conditions allow. Once a game has begun mowings are carried out under the supervision of the umpires.

Footholes and footholds

The umpires are required to make sure that bowlers' and batsmen's footholes are cleaned out and dried whenever necessary to facilitate play. In matches of more than one day's duration, if necessary, the footholes made by the bowler in his delivery stride may be returfed or covered with quick-setting fillings to make them safe and secure. Players may also secure their footholds using sawdust provided that the pitch is not damaged or they do not do so in a way that is unfair to the other team.

Other matters

Law 10 also provides that the pitch is not watered during the match and that the creases are re-marked whenever either umpire considers it necessary.

Practice on the field

Players are not allowed to practise bowling or batting on the pitch, or on the area parallel and immediately adjacent to the pitch, at any time on any day of the match. Practice on a day of a match on any other part of the cricket square is only permitted before the start of play or after the close of play on that day, but must cease 30 minutes before the scheduled start of play or if it is detrimental to the surface of the square. Typically players do practise on the field of play, but not on the cricket square, during the game. Also bowlers sometimes practise run ups during the game. However, no practice or trial run up is permitted on the field of play during play if it could result in a waste of time. The rules concerning practice on the field are covered principally by Law 17 of the Laws of cricket.

Related usages

The word pitch also refers to the bouncing of the ball, usually on the pitch. In this context, the ball is said to pitch before it reaches the batsman. Where the ball pitches can be qualified as pitched short (bouncing nearer the bowler), pitched up (nearer the batsman), or pitched on a length (somewhere in between). Unlike baseball, the word pitch is not used to mean the act of propelling the ball towards the batsman. This is usually referred to as a ball or a delivery. (Also, the word ball does not imply anything about the accuracy of the ball.) Category:Cricket equipment Category:Cricket grounds Category:Cricket captaincy and tactics

Team sport

Team sport refers to sports which are practiced between opposing teams, where the players interact directly and simultaneously between them to achieve the objective, such as football (in its various forms), cricket, baseball, handball, hockey, basketball or volleyball. The term is used to distinguish itself from individual sports which are based on one-on-one direct confrontation (such as most raquet sports, boxing or Martial arts) or timed races (such as athletics or swimming), Most team sports involve a ball or other object. In some sports such as football, basketball or hockey, the teams contend for possession of the object, which must be passed through some sort of goal; in other sports, such as volleyball, the teams pass the object back and forth in an attempt to place it in contact with a certain area of the playing field or court. Baseball, as well as similar sports which use a bat to strike at the ball, is relatively unique in that the team playing defense controls the ball, with the team attempting to score trying to propel the ball away from themselves while the players themselves attempt to reach a specified goal. Relay and pairs events are not considered team sports. "This is a team sport!" is a negative criticism, implying selfish play, often heard in sports such as soccer, basketball and ice hockey, when the players (usually the most skilled) go for individual plays rather than acting collectively through teamwork. Category:Sports terminology
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Pitch (cricket)

State of the pitch

Covering the pitch

Preparation and maintenance of the playing area

Law 10 of the Laws of cricket sets out rules covering the preparation and maintenance of the playing area.

Rolling the pitch

Sweeping

Mowing

Footholes and footholds

Other matters

Law 10 also provides that the pitch is not watered during the match and that the creases are re-marked whenever either umpire considers it necessary.

Practice on the field

Related usages

Wicket

This article is about the cricket term. For the Ewok, see Wicket W. Warrick. For the croquet wicket, see croquet. ---- In the sport of cricket the word wicket has several distinct meanings:

Meanings of wicket

Set of stumps

cricket, upright wooden poles that are hammered into the ground, topped with two wooden crosspieces, known as the bails.]] Primarily, the wicket is one of the two sets of 3 stumps and 2 bails at either end of the pitch. The wicket is guarded by a batsman who, with his bat, attempts to prevent the ball from hitting the wicket. A diagram demonstrating the measurements of a wicket can be found in Appendix A of the Laws of cricket [http://www.lords.org/cricket/lw_0000000074.asp]. The origin of the word is from the standard definition of wicket as a small gate. Historically, cricket wickets had only two stumps and one bail and looked like a gate.

Dismissing a batsman

A wicket is the event of a batsman getting out. The batsman is said to have lost his wicket. If dismissed by a bowler, the bowler is said to have taken his wicket. The number of wickets taken is the primary measure of a bowler's ability. For a batsman to be dismissed by being bowled, run out, stumped or hit wicket his wicket needs to be put down. What this means is defined by Law 28 of the Laws of cricket. The wicket is put down if a bail is completely removed from the top of the stumps, or a stump is struck out of the ground by the ball, the striker's bat, the striker's person (or by any part of his clothing or equipment becoming detached from his person), a fielder (with his hand or arm) and providing that the ball is held in the hand or hands so used, or in the hand of the arm so used. The wicket is also put down if a fielder pulls a stump out of the ground in the same manner. If one bail is off, removing the remaining bail or striking or pulling any of the three stumps out of the ground is sufficient to put the wicket down. A fielder may remake the wicket, if necessary, in order to put it down to have an opportunity of running out a batsman. If the umpires have agreed to dispense with bails, because, for example, it is too windy for the bails to remain on the stumps, the decision as to whether the wicket has been put down is one for the umpire concerned to decide. After a decision to play without bails, the wicket has been put down if the umpire concerned is satisfied that the wicket has been struck by the ball, by the striker's bat, person, or items of his clothing or equipment separated from his person as described above, or by a fielder with the hand holding the ball or with the arm of the hand holding the ball.

Partnership

The sequence of time over which two particular batsmen bat together, a partnership, is referred to as a specifically numbered wicket when discriminating it from other partnerships in the innings.
- The first wicket partnership is from the start of the innings until the first batsman gets out.
- The second wicket partnership is from when the first batsman gets out until the second batsman gets out.
- etc...
- The tenth wicket or last wicket partnership is from when the ninth batsman gets out until the tenth batsman gets out.

Winning by number of wickets

A team can win a match by a certain number of wickets. This means that they were batting last, and reached the winning target with a certain number of batsmen still not dismissed. A team's innings ends when ten batsmen are dismissed, so, for example, if the side scored the required number of runs to win with only three batsmen dismissed, they are said to have won by seven wickets.

The pitch

The word wicket is also sometimes used to refer to the cricket pitch itself. According to the Laws of Cricket, this usage is incorrect, but it is in common usage and commonly understood by cricket followers. This usage probably derives from the days when the outfield was kept short by grazing sheep on it and the playing surface, which was specially prepared, was protected from them by a light wicker fence around it. Since many regular grounds had resident bat-makers it is quite possible that the branches cut off from the willow wood used for the bats formed all or part of this fence. Much willow is employed in making wicker-work. The term sticky wicket comes from a situation in which rain has dampened the pitch. This makes the path of the ball more unpredictable thus making the job of defending the stumps that much more difficult.

One end of the pitch

A wicket can also refer to the general area around the stumps, particularly the safe area behind the batsman's crease. This is seen in usage such as The batsmen ran between the wickets, which does not necessarily imply they were close to the actual stumps at the beginning or end of the run.

Bowler (cricket)

A bowler in the sport of cricket is usually a player whose speciality is bowling. A bowler who is also a competent batsman is known as an all-rounder. There are several types of bowlers and most teams will have a variety available in the team to take advantage of pitch or weather conditions or known weaknesses of the opposition. A fast bowler is usually the mainstay of a team's attack. He will take a long run up before bowling each ball to build momentum and rhythm and can deliver the cricket ball at speeds up to 100mph. A medium pace bowler bowls somewhat more slowly and will often have some other weapon in his bowling arsenal rather than relying on speed. This might take the form of being able to swing the ball in the air or disguise the speed or length of his delivery to fool the batsman. Some medium pacers are simply accurate; they can repeatedly deliver the ball to a place which forces the batsman to defend rather than scoring runs. A spin bowler usually bowls quite slowly and puts tremendous spin on the ball causing it to bounce at an angle off the pitch, forcing the batsman to treat each ball carefully. Generally spin bowlers give up the most runs but they all have "tricks" that they use to fool the batsman and get him out (such as the arm ball, googly, flipper, topspinner or doosra). Spin bowling is very much about deceit rather than speed.

Batsman

A batsman in the sport of cricket is, depending on context:
- Any player in the act of batting.
- A player whose speciality in the game is batting.

The batting role

During the play of a cricket match, two members of the batting team are on the field, while their team-mates wait off the field. Those two players are the current batsmen. Each batsman stands near one of the two wickets at either end of the cricket pitch near the centre of the ground. The two batsmen have different roles:
- The striker stands in front of the wicket nearest him and attempts to defend it from balls bowled by the opposing bowler from the other wicket.
- The non-striker stands inactive near the bowler's wicket. While defending his wicket, the striker may also hit the ball into the field and attempt to run to the opposite wicket, exchanging places with the non-striker. This scores a run. The two batsmen may continue to exchange places, scoring additional runs, until members of the fielding team collect and return the ball to either wicket. See run (cricket) for further details. While the striker's position is dictated by the necessity to defend the bowled ball from hitting his wicket, the non-striker typically takes a few steps away from his wicket as the bowler delivers the ball, in preparation to run.

Batting skills

The skills required to be a good batsman vary with the type of cricket game being played and the situation of the game. Generally a batsman is required to score runs as quickly as possible without taking unnecessary risks and losing his wicket. At other times a batsman may be required to simply occupy the crease (stay in) as long as possible so as to prevent the bowling team from winning the game before time runs out. Batting average and strike rate are standard statistical measures of a batsman's ability, although their objective values are a favoured subject of debate amongst fans. Batsmen also have specialties within the skill. Some are opening batsmen (openers), meaning that they are the first players to bat in an innings. This specialty requires patience and fortitude to face the best opposition bowlers who are normally used first; typically these bowlers are fast bowlers, so an ability against fast pitched bowling is useful. In addition, a new cricket ball will keep its speed better when it bounces, which gives opening batsmen less time to play their shots. A new cricket ball will also have a tendency to move laterally when pitched as the seam is still prominent. However, an older ball may swing more or even reverse swing. Following the opening batsmen are the middle-order batsmen (sometimes #3 is not considered middle-order). They are generally more free-scoring than the openers, partly because of their style and partly because the openers will have hopefully tired the bowlers and taken the shine and bounce from the new ball, so it should be easier to score runs. reverse swing After the recognised batsmen, the batting team's bowlers bat. Bowlers generally spend more time practising bowling, and so their batting is usually not as accomplished as the recognised batsmen. Particularly bad batsmen are known as rabbits. On occasion some truly woeful batsmen have been referred to as ferrets as 'they go in after the rabbits.' Australian cricketer Sir Donald Bradman, "The Don", is universally accepted as the greatest exponent of the art of batting that the game has ever seen. His record is without peer. Some players, known as all-rounders, are reasonably good at batting and bowling and may occupy any position in the batting lineup but few are opening batsmen and obviously none is a rabbit (or they wouldn't be all-rounders!). The wicket-keeper also bats and is expected to be at least an adequate batsman: the choice of wicket-keepers for international teams is often influenced by their batting ability. All of the above are generalisations and many exceptions can be found in the history of cricket.

Batswoman?

The term batsman is widely used in both men's and women's cricket. Attempts to use a gender-neutral term like "batter", or the specific term "batswoman' in the women's form of the game have met with little or no success, and are generally rebuffed by the players themselves.

Some noted batsmen by country

Willow

About 350, including:
Salix acutifolia - Violet Willow
Salix alaxensis - Alaska Willow
Salix alba - White Willow
Salix alpina - Alpine Willow
Salix amygdaloides - Peachleaf Willow
Salix arbuscula - Mountain Willow
Salix arbusculoides - Littletree Willow
Salix arctica - Arctic Willow
Salix atrocinerea
Salix aurita - Eared Willow
Salix babylonica - Peking Willow
Salix barrattiana - Barratt's Willow
Salix bebbiana - Beaked Willow
Salix boothii - Booth Willow
Salix bouffordii
Salix brachycarpa - Barren-ground Willow
Salix cacuminis
Salix candida - Sage Willow
Salix caprea - Goat Willow
Salix caroliniana - Coastal Plain Willow
Salix chilensis
Salix cinerea - Grey Sallow
Salix cordata
Salix daphnoides
Salix discolor - Pussy Willow
Salix fragilis - Crack Willow
Salix eastwoodiae - Eastwood's Willow
Salix eleagnos
Salix eriocephala - Diamond Willow
Salix exigua - Sandbar Willow
Salix foetida
Salix geyeriana
Salix glauca
Salix hainanica - Hainan Willow
Salix helvetica - Swiss Willow
Salix herbacea - Dwarf Willow
Salix humboldtiana - Chile Willow
Salix humilis - Upland Willow
Salix interior
Salix kusanoi
Salix lanata - Woolly Willow
Salix lapponum - Downy Willow
Salix lasiandra - Pacific Willow
Salix lasiolepsis - Arroyo Willow
Salix lucida - Shining Willow
Salix matsudana - Chinese Willow
Salix mucronata
Salix myrtilloides - Swamp Willow
Salix myrsinifolia - Dark-leaved Willow
Salix myrsinites - Whortle-leaved Willow
Salix nigra - Black Willow
Salix pedicellaris - Bog Willow
Salix pentandra - Bay Willow
Salix petiolaris - Slender Willow
Salix phylicifolia - Tea-leaved Willow
Salix planifolia
Salix polaris - Polar Willow
Salix pseudo-argentea
Salix purpurea - Purple Willow
Salix pyrifolia - Balsam Willow
Salix repens - Creeping Willow
Salix reticulata - Net-leaved Willow
Salix retusa
Salix rosmarinifolia - Rosemary-leaved Willow
Salix salicicola
Salix scouleriana - Scouler's Willow
Salix sericea - Silky Willow
Salix serissima - Autumn Willow
Salix sitchensis
Salix tetrasperma
Salix thorelii
Salix triandra - Almond Willow
Salix viminalis - Common Osier
Salix waldsteiniana The willows are deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus Salix, part of the willow family Salicaceae. There are about 350 species in this genus worldwide, found primarily on moist soils in cooler zones in the Northern Hemisphere. The leaves are deciduous, often elongate but round to oval in a few species, and with a serrated margin. Willows are dioecious with male and female flowers appearing as catkins on different plants; the catkins are produced early in the spring, often before the leaves or as the new leaves open. The fruit is a small capsule containing numerous tiny (0.1 mm) seeds embedded in white down, which assists wind dispersal of the seeds. Willows are very cross-fertile and numerous hybrids are known, both naturally occurring and in cultivation. Some smaller species may also be known by the common names osier and sallow; the latter name is derived from the same root as the Latin salix. Some willows, particularly arctic and alpine species, are very small; the Dwarf Willow (Salix herbacea) rarely exceeds 6 cm in height, though spreading widely across the ground. The Weeping Willow, very widely planted as an ornamental tree, is a cultivar, Salix × sepulcralis 'Chrysocoma', derived from a hybrid between the Chinese Peking Willow and the European White Willow. Almost all willows take root very readily from cuttings or where broken branches lie on the ground. The most famous example of this is the poet, Alexander Pope, who begged a twig from a parcel tied with twigs sent from Spain to Lady Suffolk. This was planted and thrived and legend has it that all England's Weeping Willows are descended from this first one. There are a few exceptions to this ready growth from cuttings, including the Goat Willow and Peachleaf Willow. Willows are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species - see list of Lepidoptera which feed on Willows.

Medicinal properties

The bark of the willow tree has been mentioned in ancient texts from Assyria, Sumeria and Egypt as a remedy for aches and fever, and the Greek physician Hippocrates wrote about its medicinal properties in the 5th century BC. Native Americans across the American continent relied on it as a staple of their medical treatments. The active extract of the bark, called salicin, was isolated to its crystalline form in 1828 by Henri Leroux, a French pharmacist, and Raffaele Piria, an Italian chemist, who then succeeded in separating out the acid in its pure state. Salicin is acidic when in a saturated solution in water (pH = 2.4), and is called salicylic acid for that reason. In 1897 Felix Hoffmann created a synthetically altered version of salicin (in his case derived from the Spiraea plant), which caused less digestive upset than pure salicylic acid. The new drug, formally Acetylsalicylic acid, was named aspirin by Hoffmann's employer Bayer AG. This gave rise to the hugely important class of drugs known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Uses

- Agroforestry
- Basket weaving
- Biofiltration
- Biomass energy (bioenergy)
- Box, Veneer
- Charcoal
- Constructed wetland
- Cricket bat
- Cradle board
- Chair & furniture
- Doll, Toy, Whistle
- Ecological wastewater treatment system
- Energy forestry
- As part of the four species used on the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
- Fish trap
- Flute
- Land reclamation
- Landscaping
- Living Willow Sculpture
- Paper
- Phytoremediation
- Pole, Turnery, Tool handles
- punitive, as a switch or multiple rod (implements for corporal punishment; a traditional favorite, hence also used as a verb for its painful administration, from which the substantivation willowing derives, like birching)
- Rope
- Streambank stabilisation (bioengineering)
- Slope stabilisation
- Soil erosion control
- Soil building
- Shelterbelt & Windbreak
- Sweat lodge
- Wand, Broom
- Wattle fence
- Wattle and daub
- Wildlife habitat

External links

;Salix alba
- [http://caliban.mpiz-koeln.mpg.de/~stueber/thome/band2/tafel_010.html Salix alba image from 'Flora von Deutschland Österreich und der Schweiz']
- [http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Salix+alba Salix alba at plants for a future] ;Salix purpurea
- [http://caliban.mpiz-koeln.mpg.de/~stueber/thome/band2/tafel_012.html Image of Salix purpurea from 'Flora von Deutschland Österreich und der Schweiz']
- [http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Salix+purpurea Salix purpurea at plants for a future] Image:Willow (salix).JPG|Weeping Willow Image:Salixviminalis1web.jpg|Common Osier (Salix viminalis) leaves Image:Willow catkin 1 aka.jpg|Willow catkin Image:Willow catkin 2 aka.jpg|Willow catkin Category:Salicaceae Category:Trees Category:Herbal & fungal drugs/medicines ja:ヤナギ

Dismissal (cricket)

In the sport of cricket, a dismissal occurs when the batsman is out (also known as taking a wicket).

Ways of getting out

A batsman can be dismissed in a number of ways, the most common being bowled, caught, leg before wicket (LBW), stumped and run out. Much rarer are hit wicket, hit the ball twice, handled the ball, obstructing the field and timed out. The bowler only "gets credit" for a wicket if the batsman is out bowled, LBW, caught, stumped, or hit wicket. If the ball is a no ball then the batsman cannot be out in any of these ways. The batsman can, however, be out run out, handled the ball, hit the ball twice, obstructing the field, or timed out on any ball.

Law 2.9(b) : Retired

If any batsman leaves the field of play without the Umpire's consent for any reason other than injury or incapacity, he may resume the innings only with the consent of the opposing captain. If he fails to resume his innings, he recorded as being Retired - out. Only two players in Test history have ever been given out in this manner, Marvan Atapattu and Mahela Jayawardene - both in the same match playing for Sri Lanka against Bangladesh in September 2001.

Law 30 : Bowled

If a bowler's delivery hits the stumps and dislodges a bail, the striker (the batsman facing the bowler) is out. The ball can either have struck the stumps directly, or have been deflected off the bat or body of the batsman. However, the batsman is not out bowled if the ball is touched by a fielder before hitting the stumps.

Law 31 : Timed out

If a new player takes more than three minutes to enter the field of play after the previous batsman was ruled out, then the new player is out. In the case of extremely long delays, the umpires may forfeit the match to either team. This method of taking a wicket has never been employed in the history of Test cricket.

Law 32 : Caught

If the striker strikes the ball 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" indicates that a player was caught by the wicket-keeper.

Law 33 : Handled the ball

If the batsman touches the ball with his hand for any purpose other than, with the approval of the fielders, to return the ball to the bowler, he is out. Only seven batsman have been out handled the ball in the history of Test cricket (Russell Endean, Andrew Hilditch, Mohsin Khan, Desmond Haynes, Graham Gooch, Steve Waugh and, most recently, Michael Vaughan).

Law 34 : Hit the ball twice

If the batsman hits the ball twice, he is out. But the second hit must be an actual hit: the batsman may stop the ball a second time with his bat; this action is often performed to stop the ball from hitting the stumps. No batsman has been out hit the ball twice in Test cricket.

Law 35 : Hit wicket

If the batsman dislodges his own stumps with his body or bat, he is out. This law does not apply if he was avoiding a ball thrown back to the wicket by a fielder, or broke the wicket in avoiding a run out.

Law 36 : Leg before wicket (LBW)

If the ball strikes any part of the batsman's anatomy (not necessarily the leg), and, in the umpire's judgement, the ball would have hit the batsman's stumps had his anatomy not intervened, then the batsman is out. There are some subtleties, however, to do with where the ball pitches (bounces), whether the batsman intentionally hit the ball with his body or attempted to play a legitimate stroke with the bat, and exactly where it hits the batsman in relation to the line of the stumps. In any case, if it seems that the ball would not have struck the stumps, the batsman is not out.

Law 37 : Obstructing the field

If the batsman, by action or by words, obstructs a fielder, then he is out. However, a batsman is allowed to obstruct the view of a fielder by standing in front of him. He may also stand in between the fielder and the stumps. The rule intends to prevent batsman from interfering with a fielder by, for instance, pushing him. Only one individual has ever been out obstructing the field in a Test match (when England's Len Hutton in 1951, playing against South Africa at The Oval in London, prevented the South Africans from catching him whilst knocking the ball away from his stumps).

Law 38 : Run out

If a fielder uses the ball to remove the bails from either set of stumps whilst the batsmen are running between the wickets (or otherwise away from the crease during the course of play), then the batsman (striker or non-striker) is out. The batsman nearest the set of stumps from which the bails were removed, but not actually in safe territory, is given out. If the batsman has any part of his body or his bat (if he's holding it) on the ground behind the line of the crease, then he cannot be run out (except if both batsmen are on the same side of a crease); frequently it is a close call whether or not a batsman gained his ground in this way before the bails were removed. (The difference between stumped and run out is that the wicketkeeper may stump a batsman who goes too far forward to play the ball, while any fielder, including the keeper, may run out a batsman who goes too far for any other purpose, including for taking a run.)

Law 39 : Stumped

If the striker steps in front of the crease to play the ball, leaving no part of his anatomy or the bat on the ground behind the crease, and the wicket-keeper is able to remove the bails from the wicket with the ball, then the striker is out. See stump for more information.

External links

- [http://www.lords.org/laws-and-spirit/laws-of-cricket/ The Laws of Cricket] Category:cricket laws and regulations Category:cricket terminology

Caught

Caught is a method of dismissing a batsman in the sport of cricket. Being out caught is the most common method of dismissal. This method of dismissal is covered by Law 32 of the Laws of cricket which reads: A batsman is out caught if a fielder catches the ball fully within the field of play without it bouncing once the ball has touched the striker's bat or glove holding the bat. If a batsman could be given out caught or by any other method except bowled, 'caught' takes precedence. This means that the batsman cannot be out if:
- The ball is called a no ball or dead ball.
- Batsman does not hit the ball with his bat or the gloved hand holding the bat.
- The hit ball makes contact with the field before a fielder catches the ball.
- The caught ball must be under the control of the fielder to be registered as a catch; if the fielder loses control of the ball, the batsman cannot be out — caught.
- If the ball is hit and lands beyond the boundary; (six runs).
- A fielder taking a catch makes contact with the boundary rope. If a batsman is out — caught, any runs score off that delivery are voided. If the catch is taken by the wicket-keeper, then informally it is known as a "caught behind". A catch by the bowler is known as a "caught and bowled" (this has nothing to do with the dismissal bowled). If the catch taken is pronounced or obvious, the players need not appeal to the umpire; the batsman normally chooses to acknowledge the dismissal himself. However, in the event that the ball brushes the edge of the bat, or the catch is taken very close to the ground or the ball appearing to come off the bat very close to the pitch surface (bump ball), or if the batsman is reluctant to accept that he has been dismissed, the fielding team has to appeal to the umpire for this decision. The bowler is credited to have taken the batsman's wicket (dismissed him) for this type. If the two batsmen cross each other, in attempting to take a run, before the catch was taken, the new incoming batsman becomes the non-striker.

Caught and bowled

Caught and bowled is a method of dismissal in the game of cricket. A batsman is given out caught and bowled when a bowler catches the ball off their own bowling to dismiss a batsman. This is a special case of being out caught. Annotated on scorecard as "batsman's name" c and b "bowler's name". For example - S. Tendulkar c and b A. Symonds 86 Category:Cricket dismissals Category:Cricket laws and regulations Category:Cricket terminology

Innings

An innings, or inning, is a segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably baseball and cricket – during which a side takes its turn to bat. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is always spelled and pronounced with the terminal "s". In baseball, the singular form is inning and only the plural takes an "s". In many other sports, the length of the game is dictated by a clock and teams swap offensive and defensive roles dynamically by taking possession of a ball or similar item. In cricket and baseball, however, one team known as the batting team attempts to score points (known as runs in both sports), while the other team, known as the fielding team, attempts to prevent the scoring of runs and get members of the batting team out. The teams switch places after the fielding team has succeeded in getting a fixed number of players out, making a clock unnecessary. In cricket, the term innings is also used to refer to the play of one particular player (Smith had a poor innings, scoring only 12). By extension, this term can be used in British English for almost any activity which takes a period of time (The Liberal government had a good innings, but finally lost office in 1972, or You've had a fair innings, now it's my turn, meaning "you have spoken for long enough, now let me speak"). It is also used in reference to someone who has died at a reasonably old age (Ah, well. John was 83. At least he had a good innings.). The parallel to this in baseball is an at bat.

Cricket

In cricket, a team's innings usually lasts until 10 of the 11 batsmen in the team are out, leaving the not out ba