Cricket Thread

[Clinton Huxley]

England going to have a below-par score 1st innings, now. Think Botham is going to lose his money on that 10-0 whitewash bet....

[Clinton Huxley]

England on verge of full-on collapso here.....on a supposedly innocuous batting track.

[redunderthebed]

Just made a last minute transfer to my fantasy team with the inclusion of Ashton "the plate" Agar. Swapped him in for Lyon who was one of the four required Australians in the team. About to find out if the ABC have sent a radio broadcast team over, cos there ain't no free to air tv broadcast

Incorrect it's on channel GEM i'm sitting here atm watching it FTA.

It is a direct feed from sky sports which sometimes the cheerleading is making me a bit nauseous.

Australia are doing well so far bit it is only the first innings.

[Magicziggy]

Never heard of GEM.

But there it is. thanks red.

[Clinton Huxley]

Bairstow needs to earn his keep here or England looking at being out for 250 or something.

[Coito ergo sum]

Is anyone here able to give a quick summation of the rules and object of the game?

I see there is a guy who throws the ball and toward a batter who stands in front of the wicket. The bowler guy wants to knock over the wickets. The batter wants to hit the ball.

But, does the batter run somewhere after hitting the ball? Is the ball in play if it is hit in any direction? Or are their "foul" balls, like in baseball?

How is a run/point scored? If the ball is caught on the fly, is the batter out?

I don't feel like reading the rules -- can someone just give a plain-English quick sketch of the basic concepts?

[Clinton Huxley]

Cricket has laws, old chap.

1. Number of players

A match is played between two sides, each of eleven players, one of whom shall be captain.

By agreement a match may be played between sides of fewer than, or more than, eleven players, but not more than eleven players may field at any time.

2.Nomination of players

Each captain shall nominate his players in writing to one of the umpires before the toss. No player may be changed after the nomination without the consent of the opposing captain.

3. Captain

If at any time the captain is not available, a deputy shall act for him.

(a) If a captain is not available during the period in which the toss is to take place, then the deputy must be responsible for the nomination of the players, if this has not already been done, and for the toss. See 2 above and Law 12.4 (The toss).

(b) At any time after the nomination of the players, only a nominated player can act as deputy in discharging the duties and responsibilities of the captain as stated in these Laws.

4. Responsibility of captains

The captains are responsible at all times for ensuring that play is conducted within the spirit and traditions of the game as well as within the Laws. See The Preamble - The Spirit of Cricket and Law 42.1 (Fair and unfair play - responsibility of captains).

[Coito ergo sum]

So, 11 pompous asses on each side walk about the lawn knocking croquet balls here and there, and shouting tally-ho?

[Clinton Huxley]

So, 11 pompous asses on each side walk about the lawn knocking croquet balls here and there, and shouting tally-ho?

No, that's you and compatriots on a Friday night.

[Clinton Huxley]

1.Substitutes and Runners

(a) If the umpires are satisfied that a nominated player has been injured or become ill since the nomination of the players, they shall allow that player to have,

(i) a substitute acting for him in the field.

(ii) a runner when batting.

Any injury or illness that occurs at any time after the nomination of the players until the conclusion of the match shall be allowable, irrespective of whether play is in progress or not.

(b) The umpires shall have discretion to allow, for other wholly acceptable reasons, a substitute fielder or a runner to act for a nominated player, at the start of the match, or at any subsequent time.

(c) A player wishing to change his shirt, boots, etc. shall leave the field to do so. No substitute shall be allowed for him.

2.Objection to substitutes

The opposing captain shall have no right of objection to any player acting as a substitute on the field, nor as to where the substitute shall field. However, no substitute shall act as wicket-keeper. See 3 below.

3.Restrictions on role of substitutes

A substitute shall not be allowed to bat, bowl or act as wicket-keeper. Note also Law 1.3(b) (Captain).

4.A player for whom a substitute has acted

A nominated player is allowed to bat, bowl or field even though a substitute has previously acted for him.

5.Fielder absent or leaving the field

If a fielder fails to take the field with his side at the start of the match or at any later time, or leaves the field during a session of play,

(a) the umpire shall be informed of the reason for his absence.

(b) he shall not thereafter come on to the field of play during a session of play without the consent of the umpire. See 6 below. The umpire shall give such consent as soon as is practicable.

(c) if he is absent for 15 minutes of playing time or longer, he shall not be permitted to bowl thereafter, subject to (i), (ii) or (iii) below, until he has been on the field for at least the length of playing time for which he was absent.

(i) Absence or penalty for time absent shall not be carried over into a new day’s play.

(ii) If, in the case of a follow-on or forfeiture, a side fields for two consecutive innings, this restriction shall, subject to (i) above, continue as necessary into the second innings, but shall not otherwise be carried over into a new innings.

(iii) The time lost for an unscheduled break in play shall be counted as time on the field of play for any fielder who comes on to the field at the resumption of play after the break. See Law 15.1 (An interval).

6.Player returning without permission

If a player comes on to the field of play in contravention of 5(b) above and comes into contact with the ball while it is in play,

(a) the ball shall immediately become dead and the umpire shall award 5 penalty runs to the batting side. Additionally, runs completed by the batsmen shall be scored together with the run in progress if they had already crossed at the instant of the offence. The ball shall not count as one of the over.

(b) the umpire shall inform the other umpire, the captain of the fielding side, the batsmen and, as soon as practicable, the captain of the batting side of the reason for this action.

(c) the umpires together shall report the occurrence as soon as possible after the match to the Executive of the fielding side and to any Governing Body responsible for the match, who shall take such action as is considered appropriate against the captain and the player concerned.

7.Runner

The player acting as a runner for a batsman shall be a member of the batting side and shall, if possible, have already batted in that innings. The runner shall wear external protective equipment equivalent to that worn by the batsman for whom he runs and shall carry a bat.

8.Transgression of the Laws by a batsman who has a runner

(a) A batsman’s runner is subject to the Laws. He will be regarded as a batsman except where there are specific provisions for his role as a runner. See 7 above and Law 29.2 (Which is a batsman’s ground).

(b) A batsman who has a runner will suffer the penalty for any infringement of the Laws by his runner as if he had been himself responsible for the infringement. In particular he will be out if his runner is out under any of Laws 33 (Handled the ball), 37 (Obstructing the field) or 38 (Run out).

(c) When a batsman who has a runner is striker he remains himself subject to the Laws and will be liable to the penalties that any infringement of them demands.

Additionally, if he is out of his ground when the wicket at the wicket-keeper’s end is fairly put down by the action of a fielder then, notwithstanding (b) above and irrespective of the position of the non-striker and the runner,

(i) notwithstanding the provisions of Law 38.2(e), he is out Run out except as in (ii) below. Sections (a), (b), (c) and (d) of Law 38.2 (Batsman not Run out) shall apply.

(ii) he is out Stumped if the delivery is not a No ball and the wicket is fairly put down by the wicket-keeper without the intervention of another fielder.

However, Law 39.3 (Not out Stumped) shall apply.

If he is thus dismissed, runs completed by the runner and the other batsman before the wicket is put down shall be disallowed. However, any runs for penalties awarded to either side shall stand. See Law 18.6 (Runs awarded for penalties). The non-striker shall return to his original end.

(d) When a batsman who has a runner is not the striker

(i) he remains subject to Laws 33 (Handled the ball) and 37 (Obstructing the field) but is otherwise out of the game.

(ii) he shall stand where directed by the striker’s end umpire so as not to interfere with play.

(iii) he will be liable, notwithstanding (i) above, to the penalty demanded by the Laws should he commit any act of unfair play.

9.Batsman retiring

A batsman may retire at any time during his innings when the ball is dead. The umpires, before allowing play to proceed shall be informed of the reason for a batsman retiring.

(a) If a batsman retires because of illness, injury or any other unavoidable cause, he is entitled to resume his innings subject to (c) below. If for any reason he does not do so, his innings is to be recorded as ‘Retired - not out’.

(b) If a batsman retires for any reason other than as in (a) above, he may resume his innings only with the consent of the opposing captain. If for any reason he does not resume his innings it is to be recorded as ‘Retired - out’.

(c) If after retiring a batsman resumes his innings, it shall be only at the fall of a wicket or the retirement of another batsman.

10.Commencement of a batsman’s innings

Except at the start of a side’s innings, a batsman shall be considered to have commenced his innings when he first steps on to the field of play, provided Time has not been called. The innings of the opening batsmen, and that of any new batsman on the resumption of play after a call of Time, shall commence at the call of Play.

[Coito ergo sum]

So, 11 pompous asses on each side walk about the lawn knocking croquet balls here and there, and shouting tally-ho?

No, that's you and compatriots on a Friday night.

I never realized we were playing cricket...

[Clinton Huxley]

Well, you ARE American......

[Coito ergo sum]

Can you simplify this a bit, since you follow the sport?

Like, if I was to explain American football to a Yerpeein, I'd not just cut and paste all the rules since they can be hard to follow.

[Clinton Huxley]

The laws of cricket are irreducibly complex. They are what they are.

[Clinton Huxley]

180-6. England playing terrible shots, getting themselves out.