Learning The Basics Of Cricket – The Rules And Skills

Cricket is almost every Indian’s favourite sport. You can see almost every street in the country filled with boys playing cricket as their evening pastime. And, when there is a cricket match, we can see Indian fans flocking to the stadiums to buy tickets, while the others who cannot make it enjoy the match on television. In fact, cricket is such a popular sport in our country that our national cricket team players are looked up to as no less than film stars! If your child is willing to learn this fun social game, or if you yourself have made up your mind to learn this sport now, it’s never too late. Cricket is easy to learn sport, and can be enjoyed by both girls and boys. Here are some of the basic rules of this game which may help you make a start.

Basic rules of cricket

• Cricket is a game played between two teams, each having 11 players. Junior competitions or friendly games may include 8 players in each team.
• The innings are decided upon, and each team takes turns to bat and bowl. The game involves one bowler, two batsmen, one wicket keeper, and other fielders on the field at one time.
• The bowler, wicket keeper, and fielders try to get the batsmen out as soon as possible one by one to clear off the entire team, while the batsmen try to score as much as possible by using the least number of players on their team.
• Batsmen can be made out in various ways such as hitting the wickets with the ball when bowling, catching the batsman’s shot before the ball hits the ground, hitting the wickets before the batsman can run to the other end of the pitch, or hitting the batsman’s leg in front of the wicket.
• Batsmen try to score as much as possible by hitting the ball and running between the wickets, and making it to the other end before the fielder can hit the wickets with the ball. Each time one pitch length is covered, it brings 1 run to the team’s score. Other ways to score include hitting the ball right to the boundary of the ground without the ball getting got, which brings 4 runs; or hitting the ball over the boundary on the full, which brings 6 runs.
• There could be extra runs or chances provided to the batting team in case of any bowling faults from the bowler’s side. Some of them include no ball, wide ball, bye, and leg bye. Penalty runs can also be awarded for various breaches of the laws, related to unfair play or player conduct.

Basic skills required for playing cricket

Now that you know about the basic rules of the game, you also need to know the skills that you should have if you want to play the game. The most basic skills that one must have to play the game of cricket include having a good ability to throw and catch the ball, having a good batting and bowling technique, having a good hand-eye coordination, having the ability to concentrate for longer periods of time, and having the ability to perform even when under pressure. So, how can one attain these skills? Here is a small guide to help you.

• Take a tennis or golf ball and stand 4 meters away from a concrete ball. Hit the ball into the wall, and when it rebounds, hit it again. Continue this exercise for as long as you can.
• Using the same technique, you can hit the ball with a bat. Face side on to the wall, feet shoulder width apart, with your bat lifted. When you hit the ball, keep your front elbow up and hit straight through the ball so that it bounces once before hitting the wall.
• Stand side on the wall side with your dominant hand at the back. Hold the ball with both hands under your chin, and turn your head sideways to face the wall. Rock back and forth, transferring weight from the front foot to the back, in a smooth consistent motion. As you rock back, extend your back arm; and as you rock front, extend your front arm. Pull down and let your back arm come over your head. Release the ball in the direction of the wall.
• Stand 3 meters away from a concrete wall. Throw a ball at the wall, clap your hands, and catch the ball with two hands as it rebounds off the wall. Using the same technique, you can try catching the ball with one hand; but do so while standing 10 meters away from the wall, instead of 3 meters.

With this basic knowledge, and these basic exercises, you should be good enough to start off with playing a simple cricket game. But remember, you need to patient and start slowly. Getting the technique right is important first, before you worry about the accuracy of your play. Also remember, consistent practice is important. Torq03 understands this, which is why it offers a special arena for indoor cricket in Bangalore in its huge all-in-one fun space that if full of a variety of games for both kids and adults. Every girl and boy can come here to play and practice with a team of friends, or individually to play with strangers, whether one is a beginner, amateur, county, or international skill-level player.