As difficult as it may sound, you are going to learn to play cricket in 5 steps today. A cricket team has a total number of eleven players. Bowling and batting are the responsibilities of these players. Some of these players are either specialists in batting or bowling, while few can do both well. The batsman's responsibility is to score as many runs as he can. He has to do this in a limited amount of overs. The number of overs depends upon the format of cricket.
There are essentially three forms of cricket: namely, one-day internationals (50 overs), T-20 cricket (20 overs), and test match cricket (90 overs per day for five days). Bowlers are responsible for restricting batsmen of the opposing teams to the lowest score possible. They can prevent conceding runs either by dismissing batsmen or bowling dot balls.
A lot of people have started to play cricket these days. This is evident from the fact that even non-cricket playing nations are showing interest in the sport. The following are some steps if you want to learn how to play this beautiful sport.
1. Where to Play
There are several places where you can play cricket. If you are a beginner, booking a cricket ground would not be a wise choice. Choose a smaller area where you can practice your bowling and batting with a few friends. You can keep matches once you notice improvements in your game. A ball, bat, and stumps are all you will need to practice how to play this sport. Begin practicing with a tennis ball instead of a hard one.
2. Overs and Team Selection
The number of overs in professional cricket is extremely high for beginners. Judge the number of overs you want to play according to your and your teammates' skill levels. 5 to 10 overs are ideal for people who are starting out. You can eventually increase the number when you play higher stake games. Team selection in cricket is quite simple. Make sure that you have a good balance of bowlers and batsmen. Teams have more batsmen than bowlers mostly.
3. Strategy for Making Runs
Note that whenever you play cricket, if you choose for your team to bat first, you will need to send players in rows of 2. One player will be on the batting side, while the other will be on the opposite side, which is for running. It is on the batsman to hit the ball and make runs by switching places with the other batsman on the other side.
The two batsmen change positions once they run across the pitch for a run. They can also run twice and thrice for scoring more. Or, the batsman can also hit the ball past the boundary rope of the field to score 4 or 6 runs. If the ball reaches the boundary without touching the ground, it'll be four runs; however, if it crosses the boundary while remaining in the air, he’ll score six runs.
4. Wickets
Every team works on strategies to dismiss the opposing batsmen at the lowest score possible. They set their players all across the field to achieve this target and are called fielders. The fielders are there to catch the ball whenever the batsman tries to strike it.
The batsman can also be dismissed if the bowler's delivery hits the wicket behind the batsman. He can also be out if one of the fielders hits the wicket with the ball if they fail to reach their crease when they are running. You can't play cricket without wickets.
5. Learning the Rules
You have to follow the rules and regulations strictly when you play cricket. It will help you to play professionally and help you avoid mistakes. Watching cricket matches helps greatly to learn the rules of the game. Moreover, you should also remember them when you are playing matches or practicing.
If you play cricket with all the tips mentioned above in mind, you'll find it to be an exhilarating game. Also, remember to practice regularly and remain hopeful despite initial failure. Learn more about sports here.
