all about cricket
Cricket is an exciting sport played with a wooden implement and a ball. However, the hitting instrument is quite different from the popularly known baseball bat. Furthermore, it is a less popular game globally, as it is usually associated with high society and nobility.
To win a cricket match, you need to score more runs than the opposing team, which is a goal similar to baseball. However, both the origin of cricket and the way it is played are very particular, so it is worth learning more about its history.
origin of cricket
The beginning of cricket is quite confusing and difficult to determine for most historians, but it is said that in the year 1300 Prince Edward II of England played a sport similar to cricket, so it may be the oldest antecedent regarding cricket. origin of this sport.
Other theories claim that the true creators of cricket were children living in the British South East in the Middle Ages, who used to play a game similar to cricket in their spare time. Also, there is a letter from 1478 that describes an activity similar to cricket and that took place near the city of Saint-Omer.
In the 16th century, this discipline began to be practiced by the lower classes, who were generally despised by the wealthy. It was not until the middle of the 17th century that the aristocracy began to take an interest in this sport in order to maintain a good relationship with the population and increase its prestige. However, the men of high society did not always play , as they used to hire gamekeepers and grooms who were considered above all to be good cricketers, thus forming different teams.
Social classes and the development of cricket
Years later, in 1820, the sport developed and divided into two versions, one for working-class people, who used to play it on their country estates, and one for clubs that excluded representatives of the lower class. Subsequently, this exclusive practice caught the attention of the petty bourgeoisie, who added professionalism to cricket.
One of the most important clubs that controlled the game was the Marylebone Cricket Club, which was a very aristocratic place founded in London in 1788. In this place the problem of the presence of the working class began and the roles in the game began to be assign depending on the social level of each person. In this way, the batsman came from a high social class, since it was a role that required showing skill and personality, while the places for the pitchers and ball catchers were assigned to members of the working class.
Afterwards, a series of national matches were held involving England against the countries of the British Empire. In this way, cricket rose to fame and quickly became the most important national sport of the summer. However, unlike rugby and other sports developed in Europe, cricket as a professional game is hardly appreciated outside the British lands.
How long is a cricket match?
If you are wondering how long a cricket match lasts, you should know that there are two official ways. One of them is that of international matches, also called test matches , where the game takes place in 4 rounds, 2 for each team. In this case, the game can last up to 5 days with a limit of 6 hours per day. However, at the World Cup, this version is reduced to just one day.
On the other hand, the other way of playing cricket is called twenty20 , which is played in a single round with 20 bowls for each team, so it only lasts a couple of hours.
The rules of cricket
It is normal to wonder what cricket is, as it is a game with a certain level of exclusivity. It mainly consists of two teams of 11 members who must take turns as batsmen. The rules of cricket specify that the designated batsman at the time must be the only one of the team on the cricket ground. The batter then hits the ball and members of the opposing team must try to catch it.
In this case, the ball is very hard and is made of rope and cork covered with red leather. It weighs approximately 172g and measures 23cm in circumference, making it no bigger than a tennis ball. As for the cricket bat , it is generally made of willow and has a length of no more than 97 cm.
The bowler’s main objective is to hit the wicket with the ball, which is made up of 3 wooden sticks and 2 small pieces called bails. The pitcher can get as much momentum as he needs before throwing the ball, as long as he stays in the area behind the pitcher’s line. Each team must have 2 pitchers per game and throw 6 pitches. When the thrower exhausts his throws, then the so-called over round is over and the next thrower gives way, who throws the ball from the other end of the field.
If you’re wondering how cricket is played, you should know that to defend stumps, batsmen have to hit the ball hard enough to send it out of bounds or as far as possible to run the other end. When the batsman leaves his post to run, his partner replaces him and so on until all eleven players have passed .
To conclude, we can say that cricket is essentially a British national sport, which was later adopted by the nations that make up the Commonwealth. However, it is based on a universal theme, such as teamwork, since during every game the relationships between the players are strengthened.
