Intro to Cricket

[StumpMic]

You guys are doing a fantastic job of explaining the game in clear language.

One thing that I'd like to point out to Moe is that there is no limit to the number of overs in a test match. Basically the side that is bowling has to bowl as many deliveries as it needs to until:

• It gets all the opposition batsmen out OR
• The opposition chooses to end its innings even though not all its batsmen are out (called a declaration) OR
• The 5 day time limit for a test is reached

Regarding declaration often batting sides declare their innings when they feel they have scored enough runs to be able to beat the other side.

 

[Craig]

Also for Moe, there have been cases a batsman has retired, a bowler hasn't got himself out or been run out, but had decided to end his own innings (it has happened only once that I know of ).

 

[Dasa]

Also for Moe, there have been cases a batsman has retired, a bowler hasn't got himself out or been run out, but had decided to end his own innings (it has happened only once that I know of ).

Although in those cases the batsman is considered 'out', as opposed to being considered 'not out' when a batsman retires injured. There's only been one case I know of where a batsman was permitted to retire 'not out' - Gordon Greenidge in this match. That was in extraordinary circumstances though.

 

[Moe_Syzlak]

OK guys so far your explanations are excellent and I'm understanding alot better than I ever have before. The one thing I am a bit fuzzy on is the rotation of the two batsman. Does the bowler always bowl facing the same direction?

 

[GIMH]

Although in those cases the batsman is considered 'out', as opposed to being considered 'not out' when a batsman retires injured. There's only been one case I know of where a batsman was permitted to retire 'not out' - Gordon Greenidge in this match. That was in extraordinary circumstances though.

What were the special circumstances?

 

[Dasa]

What were the special circumstances?

I believe his daughter was sick so he went to see her....she sadly passed away during the Test match I think, so he obviously wasn't going to resume his innings.

 

[Perm]

OK guys so far your explanations are excellent and I'm understanding alot better than I ever have before. The one thing I am a bit fuzzy on is the rotation of the two batsman. Does the bowler always bowl facing the same direction?

Bowler A will bowl his over from one end, then when that is complete Bowler B will bowl his over from the opposite end.

 

[GIMH]

Oh right, well they definitely are special circumstances. I clicked on the link and it says he retired hurt underneath the scorecard tbh, so I thought it must have been a mistake

 

[Moe_Syzlak]

Bowler A will bowl his over from one end, then when that is complete Bowler B will bowl his over from the opposite end.

So in some cases, the batsman receiving will change upon change of bowlers, irregardless of the result on the last ball bowled. Upon a single, the batsman change, because they have run to opposite ends of the whatchamacallit (I already forgot the name of the strip) where the stumps/ wickets are at, but on 4, 6 and no action (?) the batsman remains the same)

 

[Stefano]

So in some cases, the batsman receiving will change upon change of bowlers, irregardless of the result on the last ball bowled. Upon a single, the batsman change, because they have run to opposite ends of the whatchamacallit (I already forgot the name of the strip) where the stumps/ wickets are at, but on 4, 6 and no action (?) the batsman remains the same)

Me and you are the two batsmen. At the start of the over, I am the striker so I receive the ball.

1st ball: I hit a single.
2nd ball: You have become the striker. You hit a double.
3rd ball: You are still the striker. No runs.
4th ball: You are still the striker. Four
5th ball: You are still the striker. Three
6th ball: I have become the striker. I hit a double.

New over. New bowler comes and he will bowl from the opposite end. You will be the striker. But let's go back to the 6th ball of the previous over. Instead of hitting a double (or a four, a six or no runs), I hit a single (or 3 runs or 5 runs). New over. New bowler comes. I will be the striker.

 

[Moe_Syzlak]

Me and you are the two batsmen. At the start of the over, I am the striker so I receive the ball.

1st ball: I hit a single.
2nd ball: You have become the striker. You hit a double.
3rd ball: You are still the striker. No runs.
4th ball: You are still the striker. Four
5th ball: You are still the striker. Three
6th ball: I have become the striker. I hit a double.

New over. New bowler comes and he will bowl from the opposite end. You will be the striker. But let's go back to the 6th ball of the previous over. Instead of hitting a double (or a four, a six or no runs), I hit a single (or 3 runs or 5 runs). New over. New bowler comes. I will be the striker.

GOT IT!! Thanks. I understood how the batman changed during the same over, but was unclear about at the end of the over/ switch of bowlers.

 

[Moe_Syzlak]

What about draws? I understand the difference between a draw and a tie. Draw is when no more time is available to complete the match and runs have not been met, wickets have not been made out, the side was not retired. Suppose England is 70 runs short of a tie, 71 to win. However the captain does not feel he has the batsmen capable of scoring them. Can he instruct the batsman not to swing away and risk an out, but simply defend the wicket until time has expired? Flip it around, England has started to catch up, and the Aussies are bowling. Is there "delay of game" that they can employ to stall the game? Are there rules to prevent this?

 

[Richard]

Yes, you can "bat for a draw", people do quite often.

And yes, people do try to slow the game down and bowl less overs if someone's chasing a target against the clock - there are rules which try to prevent it, but they're not 100% effective.

 

[Moe_Syzlak]

Man you guys are quick about answering questions. Um, is there a way to PM a member here? Some message boards have that.

 

[Richard]

Yeah, 'fraid they were disabled here loooooooong ago, there was too much abuse of them.

Email maybe an alternative?

 

[Moe_Syzlak]

I wanted to ask a question that I was afraid would turn into a bunch of arguing, but I will give it a try: What DVD (available to download online or buy in the States) would you recommend for a newcomer. A little bit of everything, good batting, good bowling, exciting finishes. It would be like watching it live, cause I have no idea about the results. Except I know Australia won the last Ashes.

 

[PhoenixFire]

I suggest the Australia v India 2001 series in India, I have that on DVD and I watched it over and over again.

 

[Moe_Syzlak]

A running question: Is there a 'point of no return' after which the batsman must continue and try to reach the other return crease and can't turn back to where he started? Say he starts running but feels he wont make it before the ball returns? Can he and his partner turn back? Can they do this only on the first run, or can it be done (or can't be done at all) at any point?

 

[Richard]

I wanted to ask a question that I was afraid would turn into a bunch of arguing, but I will give it a try: What DVD (available to download online or buy in the States) would you recommend for a newcomer. A little bit of everything, good batting, good bowling, exciting finishes. It would be like watching it live, cause I have no idea about the results. Except I know Australia won the last Ashes.

Can't really go past The Ashes 2005 IMO. There's DVDs of it everywhere, there was some absolutely magnificent bowling, an occasional good bit of batting, and the terrible catching on view pretty well throughout will most likely mostly be edited out. Certainly you can't beat it for the exciting finishes IMO - 4 in a row.

Hard to avoid knowing what happened, but it doesn't really matter. I have a heart-sinking "it's going for four" feeling every time I watch that final stroke from Lee at Edgbaston, even though that's probably now numbering in the 30s for number-of-times watched.

As Sam said - India-Australia in 2000\01 was pretty damn good as well and it'd also be incredibly easy to find on DVD, but it was very much one-way stuff - India had the spinner, and Australia had a few seamers. It also featured one of the greatest bowlers the game's ever known having a shocker. The Ashes '05, on the other hand, demonstrated him doing what he does best - bowling at Englishmen.

You could also try 4 of the 7 series between England and South Africa since South Africa were readmitted (don't know if you know the story behind that?) - if you got them all on DVD (admittedly that'd be all but impossible) you'd have the best advertisment Test cricket could possibly wish for IMO.

Oh, yeah - if you wanted one for ODIs, you'd do well to try the South Africa - Australia WC semi in 1999. Whatever you do, don't try the more recent, equally famous, game between the two. If you did that, your first impressions might be that bowlers are only there to be hit.

 

[Richard]

A running question: Is there a 'point of no return' after which the batsman must continue and try to reach the other return crease and can't turn back to where he started? Say he starts running but feels he wont make it before the ball returns? Can he and his partner turn back? Can they do this only on the first run, or can it be done (or can't be done at all) at any point?

No, they can do that any time. If you wanted to, you could cross and then uncross - but once you've crossed there's no point going back, as that would be turning 1 run into 0, or 2 into 1, etc.

A batsman can be halfway down the pitch (while his partner doesn't move) and then be sent back, and can still get back to his ground if no-one breaks the wicket.