Cricket is a bat-and-ball game that is 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 balanced on three stumps. Two players from the batting team (the striker and nonstriker) stand in front of either wicket holding bats, with one player from the fielding team (the bowler) bowling the ball towards 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 exchange. Runs are also scored when the ball reaches or crosses 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 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 in front of the wicket. When ten batters have been dismissed, the innings ends and the teams swap roles. Forms of cricket range from Twenty20 (also known as T20), with each team batting 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 lasting three to four hours, to Test matches played over five days.
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 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 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 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.
Rules of the game
Here are some basic rules of cricket. There are many other intricacies to the game that can vary based on the format of the game and the level of play.
Players: Each team has eleven players, including a captain, and they take turns playing offense (batting) and defense (fielding).
Innings: In cricket, each team takes turns batting and fielding. A full game (test match) consists of two innings per team, with the exception of some shorter formats of the game such as ODIs and T20s. (see types of cricket)
Equipment: The equipment used in cricket includes a bat, a ball, and wickets. The bat is flat on one side and can be no more than 38 inches in length. The ball is typically made of cork, covered in leather, and weighs between 5.5 and 5.75 ounces. Wickets are made of three wooden stumps and two bails.
Scoring: The basic way to score runs is by hitting the ball and running to the opposite end of the pitch. If the ball is hit to the boundary, a four or six runs are awarded depending on whether it bounces before crossing the boundary or not. The team with the highest score at the end of the game wins.
Bowling: The bowling team takes turns bowling the ball to the batsmen, and the objective is to hit the wickets or get the batsmen out in another way (see ways of getting out). The bowler must not throw the ball but instead bowl it overhand with a straight arm.
Batting: The batting team tries to score runs while protecting their wickets. Each batsman takes turns facing the bowler, and the objective is to hit the ball and score runs. A batsman is out if they hit the ball in the air and it is caught by a fielder, or if the ball hits the wicket and the bails are dislodged (there are other less common ways of getting out too).
Extras: If a no-ball or a wide ball is bowled, the batting team is awarded an extra run (but the score is not credited to the batsman). Other extras are byes and leg byes, and penalty runs.
Fielding: The fielding team tries to take wickets and prevent the batting team from scoring runs. Fielders can catch the ball or stop it and throw it to the wickets to get a run-out.