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Cricket
Cricket is a game that originated in England centuries ago and is still played throughout the world today. It is a bat and ball sport involving runs, outs, and innings and is the precursor to Baseball.
The sport is considered a "Gentleman's Game", with most international matches still requiring teams to wear white uniforms. There is also a scheduled "tea time" during each day of play. However, Cricket requires a great amount of coordination and speed not only by the batsmen, but also the fielders who must cover a great deal of space on defense and must catch the hard ball bare-handed. Padding and gloves are worn only by batsmen and wicketkeepers.
Players
Teams consist of eleven players. Players are assigned positions based on their primary skills.
- Batsmen: A player whose speciality is batting. There are normally five to six specialized batsmen on each team.
- Bowler: A player whose speciality is bowling. Bowlers are the equivalent of pitchers in baseball. There are usually four to five bowlers per team.
- All-Rounder: A player whose speciality is both batting and bowling. These players are rare and valuable.
- Wicket-keeper: A player who stands behind the batsmen. They are the equivalent of catchers in baseball. There is normally at least one specialized wicket-keeper per team.
- Captain: Each team is headed by a captain who makes important decisions. Captains are in charge of important tasks such as deciding the batting order.
- Umpires: Two on-field umpires watch over the game of cricket. One stands behind the bowler's wicket. The other stands with a side view of the batsman. In professional matches there may be a third umpire who assists in calls which are not agreed upon by the two on-field umpires. The third umpire has the assistance of video replay.
- Scorers: Two scorers are appointed, one by each team. They are in charge of recording all aspects of the game, including runs, wickets, and overs. They also keep track of the statistics of a player and team. If a scorer makes a mistake, he or she is allowed to fix it after the event.
| Cricket Gear | ||
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For Batsmen and Wicketkeepers
| Helmets | |
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Cricket helmets are designed specifically for batsmen, though it is recommended that wicketkeepers wear them, particularly when keeping for a pace (speed) bowler. The helmets have a hard shell and face mask to prevent injury from the very hard ball which can travel as fast as a baseball pitch and, after a bounce on the pitch, is redirected upwards at the batter. The band inside the helmet should fit snugly like a cap and should not move around too much. Helmets should also have a chin strap which should be secured. Traditionally, helmets are blue. However, depending on uniform color or trim, other colors such as this red helmet at left, have become popular. |
| Batting Gloves | |
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Batsmen's gloves consist of a soft leather palm, not unlike a golf or baseball batting glove, but have a heavily padded back. The batter's dominant hand thumb is heavily padded as well as it is facing front while batting. The non-dominant thumb is typically covered but not padded so as to improve the grip on the bat. Gloves should have an elastic wrist band with an adjustable straps and should fit snugly while allowing for a firm grip around the bat handle. While stiff at first, gloves will become broken in with use and should last a longtime if treated well. |
| Batsmen's Pads | |
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Another important piece of equipment for batsmen, is a pair of leg guards. Leg guards protect the knee, shin, ankle, and the top of the foot and should extend straight up over a bent knee. Leg pads should not shift too much while swinging the bat or running and can be adjusted by two or three strap around the calf. It is also recommended that batsmen wear a forearm guard on their leading arm. |
| Wicketkeepers | |
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Wicketkeepers stand directly behind the wicket and the batsmen. They direct the flow of play and talk to the fielders and bowlers about field-position and delivery of the ball. Wicketkeeper gloves have webbing between thumb and forefinger, a padded palm and cuff, and a textured throwing surface. Wicketkeepers typically also wear batsmen's pads on their legs to prevent against balls that glance off the bat's flat face. |