Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players. The game takes place on a field with a 22-yard pitch at the center, which has a wicket at each end. The wicket consists of three stumps and two bails. The objective of the batting team is to score runs by striking the ball bowled at the wicket and running between the wickets. The bowling and fielding team aims to dismiss the batsmen and prevent them from scoring runs.
The batsmen can be dismissed in various ways, such as being bowled when the ball hits the stumps and dislodges the bails, or by the fielding team catching the ball after it is hit by the bat but before it touches the ground. Another way is to get the ball to hit the wicket before the batsman can cross the crease in front of it. When ten batsmen are dismissed, the innings ends, and the teams switch roles.
The game is officiated by two on-field umpires, with the assistance of a third umpire and a match referee in international matches. Two off-field scorers record the statistical information of the match.
Cricket is played in various forms, including Twenty20, where each team bats for a single innings of 20 overs, and Test matches that can last up to five days. The sport is traditionally played in all-white attire, but in limited overs cricket, teams wear colored clothing. Players also wear protective gear, such as helmets and pads, to prevent injuries caused by the hard cricket ball.
The origins of cricket can be traced back to the mid-16th century in South East England. The game spread globally with the expansion of the British Empire, and the first international matches took place in the late 19th century. The International Cricket Council (ICC) governs the sport, and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in London maintains the Laws of Cricket.
Cricket is primarily followed in South Asia, Australasia, the United Kingdom, Southern Africa, and the West Indies. Women’s cricket is also played internationally, with Australia being the most successful team, having won multiple World Cups in One Day International cricket.
The game of cricket shares similarities with other bat-and-ball games in the “club ball” sphere, such as baseball, golf, hockey, tennis, and more. However, cricket is unique with its solid target structure, the wicket, which the batsmen must defend. The game is believed to have originated as a children’s game in southeastern England during the medieval period. The earliest recorded evidence of cricket being played dates back to 1597 in Guildford, England.