Cricket
What is it?     What you need     Getting started     Find out more

 

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What is it?

  • This is a game for two teams of eleven people, played mostly outdoors and in the summer, using a wooden bat and a fairly small hard ball on a large pitch. 

  • A reduced version of the game is played in some indoor centres. 

  • The rules of cricket are quite complex and most games last at least a half day.   

  • Competitions are an important part of the sport, as well as friendly matches.  The fixture list is a key aspect of team life.

Find out more

Organisations

England & Wales Cricket Board  www.ecb.co.uk/

 

Magazines

Extra Cover

The Cricketer International

Getting started

  • Find a local cricket group or club (see organisations above).

  • See if there are introductory sessions at your local club or sports centre.

  • Consult books or magazines on the basics of cricket.

  • Check in your local library/paper or sports centre for more information.

What you need

Skills and people
  • You can practice some cricketing skills on your own, but serious practice really requires other people, and 22 of them are needed for a proper game.  

  • Cricket teams are usually single sex, but both sexes do play.  Skill is as important as physical ability and teams often comprise a wide range of age groups, especially at the local level. 

  • Most people belong to some form of local group or club, and the social aspect of cricket life is important to many of them.  

  • It is less essential than in many other sports that the people you play with should be of the same standard as yourself, but the two teams overall need to be reasonably matched.

Equipment or clothing
  • A bat and ball, plus various forms of protective clothing, are essential equipment;  some or all of them may be provided by the group or club with whom you play.  

  • Traditionally white clothing and special cricket boots were the normal wear, but some local teams are more flexible about this.

A place or facilities
  • Played outdoor, cricket requires a substantial area, usually of grass, with a marked central strip and "wickets".  

  • There are facilities in many schools, parks and villages, as well as attached to some sports centres.  

  • Many local clubs use these facilities, but some have their own grounds.

Have a go - get started now

 

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