Cricket: A Game That Fascinates Millions Of People

If you have been countries to outside of North America you may have noticed a major sport in places such as England and
Wales, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and the Caribbean that is known as "Cricket". Cricket is
extremely popular in many countries of the world and is considered to be one of the most popular spectator's sports
in the regions it is played in.

Cricket is a bat and ball sport that is in some ways similar to baseball, although there are significant differences
between the two sports that at first glance may seem very similar. To the untrained eye that is unfamiliar with the
sport of cricket the confusion can be great.There are many things common to both these games. Just as is
the case in baseball, the game is divided into halves called 'innings'. As is the case in baseball, during the 'inning'
one team bats while the other team 'fields' and 'bowls'.

In cricket, the team who bats first sets a target score that the other team must try to match. The team that is
bowling (or playing the field) tries to limit the number of points or "runs" that the opposing team scores. Unlike
baseball, when a team is at bat they always have two batters (or batsmen) on the field. The innings is not over
until 10 batsmen are declared out. When there are 10 outs, this is referred to as "taking their wickets" and results
in the inning ending.

At the end of the game the winner is declared by counting the runs. If the losing team bats last, the team is said to
have "lost by (the number of runs) that is the difference in their scores", while if the winning team is the team that
bats last, they are said to have "won by (the amount of) runs". A cricket match can also result in a "tie" or "draw".

One of the most obvious differences between baseball and cricket is the cricket bat. A cricket bat is shaped more
like a wooden paddle, while a baseball bat is round and basically tube shaped. The cricket bat is made up of a
long handle and a flat surface, very similar in appearance to a boat paddle. The batting style or stance is similar
to the baseball stance, but not exactly the same. Pitching and fielding also bear similarities to baseball, with some
subtle differences.

When the batsman hits the ball in cricket it's called a stroke (or shot). Occasionally, the batsmen will hit the
ball with the side of the bat (hit with the edge of the bat) as opposed to hitting it with the flat surface. Using
this method of hitting is called a "snick". Batting order is may be changed prior to the beginning of the game (in
order to get a strategic advantage) but after the game starts the batting order is set.

The chief factor that makes cricket so compelling for some is the subtle differences in strategy. These differences
attract both spectators and participants, and these differences contribute to the vastly difference in
experience between playing and watching the game.

If you have an opportunity, you should see if you can find a cricket match, especially if you are visiting one of the
countries in which it is a popular pastime. Cricket is great fun once you decipher the jargon, rules and
nomenclature of the sport. With a little bit of a primer on the sport, you can enjoy the game as much as others who
love the game.

About the author: Jeremy Rearden is the chief editor for Focus on Cricket, a fantastic website to visit if you're looking for accurate up to date advice and discussion about Cricket.

For more articles on Cricket visit: http://www.focuscricket.com/articles.

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