Reading Cricket Cub

The wicket keeper is an essential and key part of the cricket team. Every team needs a reliable wicket keeper. As well as taking catches, stumping the batsmen and taking run outs, the wicket keeper is one of the team’s most important players: motivating and inspiring the bowlers and fielders to raise their game and WIN.

To be a wicket keeper you need fast reactions and precise judgement as you have very little time to react to such things as fast deliveries especially if there are changes and deviations in the balls line due to variations in swing, movement off the pitch and edges.

You need to be alert and have high levels of concentration. Like a top batsmen you want to be able to ‘switch on and off’ your concentration between deliveries and overs to avoid getting mentally tired, as it’s impossible to fully concentrate non-stop for hours at a time. High levels of fitness and flexibility are also very important for a wicket keeper as it can be very tiring because you are effectively doing hundreds of squats and diving around the field. So stay fit, warm up and down and stretch thoroughly to remain in peak condition and avoid injury.

Equipment for wicket keeping

-Wicket keeping gloves (and inner gloves),
-Box,
-Wicket keeping pads,
-Helmet.

Basic technique: Wicket keeping stance

You can stand up to spin bowlers and slower paced bowlers. The wicket keepers stance is quite straight forward, you need to stand about one step behind the stumps, making sure no part of your body or equipment is in front of the line of the stumps.

Crouch down with your left foot (reverse for left hand batsmen) inline with middle stump, therefore on you are crouched a little on off side. Try to keep your head still and eyes level during the delivery to help you judge the pace and line. You should be balanced and relaxed with your weight slightly forward on the balls of your feet. Be alert and ready to react to the delivery.

Catching the ball

When you are catching the ball, aim to get your headeyes above the line of the ball and your body behind the line of the ball. As the ball rises from the pitch, rise from the crouching position with the ball, so you mirror the height of the ball. Watch the ball into your hands and catch it with your fingers pointing downwards. You’ll need to cushion the impact of the ball hitting your gloves when catching by ‘giving’ with your hands. If the ball continues to rise as it reaches you, step with your outside foot backwards and across, rotating your body outwards, taking the ball on one side of the body. To catch a ball delivered on the off side or leg side, move your feet and body across immediately to get your head back into line with the delivery. (Move the outside foot first and follow with the inside.) Rise with the ball as discussed above and ‘give’ with hands to reduce the impact.

If you are standing back which you should be to medium and fast bowlers take your stance as discussed above, however stand in a position so that the ball is taken once it begins to drop.

Sometimes you may have to dive to take wide deliveries or thick edges, always try to take the ball in two hands if possible, roll after the dive if you can to reduce the impact of landing and changes of injury.

Stumping

You can attemp a stumping if the batsman is out of the crease after you have caught the delivery. Once you’ve taken the ball move your body weight towards stumps and move hands fast to break the wickets.

Gray Nicolls is a leading name in the world of sports; they are well known for their high quality range of cricket equipment and have been in business now for just less than three centuries. Founded by H.J Gray in 1855, Gray Nicolls, or H.J Gray and Sons as it was originally called, initially began making rackets. They are based in East Sussex, UK, and formed a partnership in the 1940s with L.J Nicolls to begin making cricket bats, hence the new name of Gray Nicolls. Nicolls himself actually began his career in 1876 making bats.

Gray Nicolls cricket equipment is used by sportsmen and women worldwide. Famous names to have used these cricket equipment include Trevor Goddard, Richie Benaud and Frank Worrell. One of the reasons the company has continued to flourish over the years is because they are continually evolving and updating the technology they use to make their cricket bats; the shoulder less Superlite and the Steel Spring bats are of Gray Nicolls creation. In addition to this, in the 1970s Gray Nicolls set the trend of using coloured cricket bat labels, becoming the first cricket company to ever do this. Shortly after this, in 1974, they created the scoop bat. This was a revolution in the world of cricket bats, as it had a weight reducing scoop design, and following on from this the demand for their range of cricket equipment rapidly grew. Australia and New Zealand became large markets for their products, and a factory was opened in Melbourne to accommodate this growth in sales.

Today, the range of Gray Nicolls cricket equipment continues to grow and expand. They also offer repair work on their products if the retailer the products were bought from cannot help with the problem. One of their latest products for 2009 is the Xiphos bat, which has a chrome effect look and a unique groove design to enhance the balance and pick up of the bat.

With the amount of products offered from the company, many sportsmen and women decide to use these cricket equipment to further their skill and prowess in the sport. Likewise, parents of children or teenagers hoping to make a name for themselves in the field may choose to buy their offspring cricket equipment from the Gray Nicolls range, as it is well known to be of good quality and will last a long time, thus ensuring they have value for money. Buying these cricket equipment is very easy, as many high street and online retailers stock it due to it’s popularity and reliable reputation. However, it is very important to compare prices between different stockists, as these may differ from one to the other. Gray Nicolls do feature an online stockist list on their own website, which can be used as reference for anyone looking to buy from the Internet.

Gray Nicolls has come a long way since their rather humble beginnings, but their primary goal of producing high quality cricket equipment has not been diminished.

Established in 1973, Morrant Group Ltd is a family run business with over 35 years experience in mail order team sports equipment. Father, Daughter, Son and staff are working hard every day to ensure that our company achieves its aim. We sell a range of sports gear, including Gray Nicolls cricket equipment and other goods. Please visit our website at http://www.morrant.com.

There inevitably comes a time in our lives where we find ourselves wanting or needing to meet new people, whether for friendship or something more.

If you’re new to the Reading area, or simply looking to meet activity partners to share your hobbies and interests with, where do you go to find new friends?

Reading, situated on the banks of the River Thames, is the vibrant county town of Berkshire and is packed with bars, restaurants, sports clubs, museums and lovely outdoor spaces, offering plenty of opportunities for social gatherings and events and plenty of places to meet new people.

As home to some of the largest businesses in the IT industry and with its close proximity to London, Reading has a transient population with large numbers of people relocating here and wanting to meet people for social events and activities.

The Oracle Shopping Centre lies at the heart of Reading town centre and offers an amazing choice of places to eat alongside the Kennet & Avon canal, including the award-winning London Street Brasserie, LSQ2, Pizza Express, Giraffe, The Slug and Lettuce, Wagamama, Yo! Sushi, Strada, Cafe Rouge and the most recent addition, Jamie’s Italian, an authentic Italian family restaurant and the brainchild of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver.

Reading has a restaurant for every occasion – many of them located within a short walk of the town centre. However, venture a few miles to the south and you will find the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Reading, L’Ortolan, where a delightful culinary experience awaits you.

Whatever your taste, there is a plenty of choice for you and your new friends in Reading to relax over a bite to eat!

For movie fans, Reading Vue Cinema, also located at The Oracle, boasts 10 screens and seats 1,800 people. An easy night out for both groups of friends or a couple of mates.

Enjoy a drink at one of the Reading town centre bars and pubs including Revolution, The Walkabout, and the famous Purple Turtle bar on Gun Street, usually good for a bit of local celebrity spotting!

If you’re looking for a bit of culture in Reading, you won’t be disappointed.

The Hexagon stages a wide variety of music, theatre and comedy events and you’re sure to find something to suit your taste, classical music fans will be at home at Reading Concert Hall, located in the Town Hall Complex in Blagrave Street, and South Street Arts Centre presents a diverse range of performing arts from both professional and community groups.

During October, many venues throughout the town play host to acts who are participating in the Reading Comedy Festival, showcasing some of the very best comedy acts in the UK.

The annual Reading Festival is held in August and sees thousands of music fans making their way to the Richfield Avenue Thames-side site from all over the UK, Europe and further afield for the Bank Holiday weekend, come rain or shine!

If sport is your thing, the many parks and leisure centres across Reading borough offer a wide range of facilities. 5-a-side football pitches are available for hire at Prospect Park and Palmer Park Stadium, where you will also find an athletics stadium for both track and field events.

Caversham Lawn Tennis Club, Reading Cricket Club and Reading Hockey Club all provide opportunities to play your sport and meet new friends at the same time.

For golfers there is a choice of superb golf courses in and around Reading including Calcot Park Golf Club and Wokefield Park to the south and Reading Golf Club, Caversham Heath and The Club at Mapledurham to the north.

Gyms can be a great way to meet new people and there is certainly no shortage of health and fitness clubs in the Reading area. The Rivermead Leisure Centre on the banks of the River Thames at Caversham (recently refurbished with a full range of facilities including a state of the art gym, lagoon swimming pool, squash and badminton courts and a dance studio), Rivers Health and Fitness in Tilehurst, David Lloyd at Thames Valley Park and the recently re-launched Nuffield Health Fitness & Wellbeing (formerly Canons) at Green Park, are all conveniently situated for those wanting to work out before or after work.

Football and rugby fans are well catered for with the Madejski Stadium being home to both Reading FC and London Irish Rugby Club and Reading is also has a well-supported basketball team, the Reading Rockets, who play their home games at The Rivermead Leisure Complex.

With such a wide choice of things to do and places to go in Reading, wouldn’t it be nice to have some friends to go along with?

If you want to make new friends in the Reading area or find an activity buddy or sports partner to share your interests, SPIONEER takes social networking to another level – you can find and create events online and then meet up with new people in the real world. It’s free to join and free to use and is a fun way to find real people and real events in the Reading area. SPIONEER helps people find both single serving friends and lifetime friendships. Try us and see!

Jo Parker

Playing cricket is a great pastime that many people enjoy. If you are just getting into it then you may need to find some cheap cricket equipment. There are many different places that you can look for this equipment, which is just as well as there are a lot of items that you will need to get started.

There are many things that you may need when you first start out in cricket. Some of these include cricket whites and protective clothing. You may not need a helmet if you are over eighteen but when you are first learning to play they are good to own just in case. You will want to make sure that the items that you choose are good quality so that you do not have to keep buying the same equipment over and over again.

If you have your own set of whites then that would also be great. Many games will require that you have your own. Make sure that you get a good set because it can get rather cold during some parts of the year.

Borrowing cheap cricket equipment is also an alternative that can work. Many clubs have some available for rent. You do not know what condition these items are in, though, so it is best to get yourself is at least a good cricket bat. You may want to play a few games with borrowed bats initially so that you will know what you want and what you will need. Finding an appropriate cricket bat is very important and may take some time.

Once you have these important items you should look into getting good cricket batting pads so that you can protect your legs and you will be comfortable. You do not want to be playing when you are uncomfortable. It goes without saying that feeling discomfort will not help you to play better!

When you begin to get really serious you will want to buy a great pair of cricket shoes. You want to make sure that you are comfortable and that your feet do not end up hurting. The right shoes can really make all of the difference in the world of cricket. Hurt feet are not fun to play cricket with.

If you wish to invest in some great cheap cricket equipment you may want to start by looking online. There are many websites where you can get great deals and some where you can get gear that is slightly used. This is a great way to save money. You will love your cheap cricket equipment once you start really playing as long as you take your time and get the right things. Remember, sometimes it is worth paying a little bit more money to buy quality products so that they will last for years to come.

For those new to the game of cricket there may be quite some research involved in finding the right cheap cricket equipment. Good suppliers will be happy to answer any queries you might have and can usually help you to make informed decisions.

Established in 1973, Morrant Group Ltd is a family run business with over 35 years experience in mail order team sports equipment. Father, Daughter, Son and staff are working hard every day to ensure that our company achieves its aim. We sell a range of sports gear, including cheap cricket equipment and goods. Please visit our website at http://www.morrant.com.

There is a range of cricket ground equipment needed to play a successful game of cricket. The equipment used must fulfill specific requirements in regards to the rules and regulations of the game of cricket.

When setting up the cricket ground equipment the first few basic items required are the boundary and the sight screen. The boundary has 2 primary uses within cricket. Firstly the boundary is simply used to mark out the edge of the playing field, marking out the area of play. Secondly the boundary is used for the scoring of runs within the game of cricket, where a four is when the ball reaches the boundary, but a six is when the ball is hit clean over it. A sight screen is another very important piece of cricket ground equipment that must be set up before playing a game of cricket. The purpose of a cricket sight screen in crickets is to aid the visibility of the ball. The sight screens are placed at each end of the cricket ground opposite to the wickets, the colour of the sight screens makes seeing the cricket ball easier for the batsman. The sight screen also helps block out any distractions through light or otherwise that the bowler or batsman may face, which in turn help improve player performance.

The third piece of cricket ground equipment that is needed before starting to play cricket is the stumps and bails. The stumps are 3 wooden polls that are placed vertically in the ground directly behind the batter at each end of the pitch. Stumps are no more than 28 inches tall and have a spike at the end to be easily put into the ground. The bails are two small pieces of wood that sit on top of the stumps to link them together. In a game of cricket the batter is out when the stumps are broken apart, with one or both of the bail’s leaving the stumps. This can happen through the ball hitting the wicket, the batter hitting the wicket with their bat or if a fielder hits the wicket with the hand the ball is in.

The final two pieces of cricket ground equipment needed to begin your game of cricket is a ball and a bat. A regulation cricket ball has a cork base, and is wrapped in twine which is covered with leather. Cricket balls are also normally red or white, and very hard making them a potentially dangerous object when playing a game. A regulation cricket bat is often made from either Kashmir or English willow. A cricket bat has a long handle and on smooth face, with the other face in a triangular shape. Regulations also state that bats can be no longer than 38 inches and no wider than 4.25 inches.

With the amount of cricket ground equipment needed it is very important not only to purchase high quality items that will last but also affordable to save on major costs. Should you have any questions about the equipment available always to be sure to ask a customer representative at your cricket ground equipment supplier and they will always be willing to help.

Established in 1973, Morrant Group Ltd is a family run business with over 35 years experience in mail order team sports equipment. Father, Daughter, Son and staff are working hard every day to ensure that our company achieves its aim. We sell a range of sports gear, including cricket ground equipment and other goods. Please visit our website at http://www.morrant.com.

Cricket is a ball and bat sport which was first enjoyed through the earlier 16th century within Southern England. It was eventually identified as the national sports of England during the 18th century. People around the world soon discovered the exhilaration of this game when it was introduced to various parts on the planet throughout the 19th century by the British empire. This particular game has many resemblances with baseball but the mind-boggling sales records of cricket tickets demonstrates that the cricket game has more followers as compared to baseball.

Based on the International Cricket Council (ICC), this fascinating game has been played in over 104 countries on earth. This organization firmly believes that this quantity will keep growing within the coming years. Plus, this sport is also anticipated to rule the world of sports entertainment in a short time. These days, cricket has been regarded as the second most popular sport on the globe.

A lot of people are really dying to watch their favorite cricket team play. But most of these enthusiasts aren’t lucky enough to come into possession of their own cricket tickets. The arena seats are extremely constrained when compared to the number of people that wish to watch live cricket games. Because this game carries a huge amount of followers, obtaining cricket tickets is very tough especially for those people who have no time to wait in lengthy queues in ticket booth lines.

However, there are other techniques which might enable you to obtain your much desired cricket tickets without under-going the hassles of submitting yourself to long and boring ticket booth lines. All you need to accomplish is to find an authorized ticket broker who you trust to make bookings or to acquire last minute game tickets for you. An authorized broker is a member with the National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB).

Obtaining a broker from the NATB may be the best way to get authentic events and sports tickets without overpricing since ticket brokers follow a set of standards or code of ethics. There are many licensed ticket brokers out there who are prepared to help you. You may get to them through their contact numbers which you can simply find within your phone directories. It’s also possible to check out their own websites for additional details about the upcoming events and sports ticket rates. You don’t want to miss your favorite cricket game so buy your tickets from legitimate sellers or deal simply with licensed ticket brokers.

Before you decide to purchase any tickets online, make sure to check out these two great websites Concert Tickets, and Cricket Tickets. No matter what kind of event you’re looking for, visit these sites for speedy, safe, and guaranteed satisfaction!

When you watch cricket on television, it can appear to be quite an easy and simple sport, but under the helmet of the batter, there is a whole different game going on inside the batters mind in an attempt to banish any possible distractions, and focus every bit of mental energy on the ball as it is released from the bowlers hand, this is the psychological side to batting.

As a batter, your aim is to score runs, stay in and help your team reach a certain particular target. To achieve this, you need to be in the correct mental state. To help reach this state of fierce concentration there are several things that you must do.

Firstly, you need to be clear your mind of any possible distractions, distractions can come in many forms; these may be concerns about the pitch, fielder’s comments, being scared of the ball, fear of getting out etc. These matters need to be cleared out of the head prior to the start of the bowlers run up to allow for the stages of concentration that will soon follow, this is vital, if there are distractions floating around your mind, you are sure not to be focussing to your optimum level and are more likely to male a mistake.

Every ball requires you to concentrate at your highest possible levels, and in so you should have a strategy to help you concentrate. I was taught by a prominent cricketing figure this following method that I find extremely useful in exploiting my maximum concentration levels. Firstly, after clearing all distractions from your mind, as the bowler starts to run up, you should enter a state of fine focus, in this state, your mind should have no negative thoughts and be concentrating on the top half of the bowler, you vision should be like a television, only focussed in on the top half of the bowler as her approaches, in this period you should have constructive positive thoughts, for example I say to myself over and over “Focus, watch the ball, focus, watch the ball” etc… By doing this and saying positive statements, it stops negative thoughts entering the mind and also stops any possible distractions drifting into your thoughts.

As the bowler enters his final steps your focus level should increase to what is commonly known as a state of fierce focus, in this stage all mental powers should be focusing on the ball and the ball only, your mental screen should now just be the size of the ball. This allows your brain to compute and work out the line, length and flight of the ball and so gives you the maximum amount of time to help you get your feet and body into position as early as possible helping giving you the best possible chances of making a good decision and playing a good shot.

This should be applied to nets as well as matches as this will get you well trained and so it becomes second nature.

The Mental and Psychological side to Cricket – Bowling

As a bowler, like batting, to gain optimum results, there are certain thought processes that need to take place. Again, like batting you need to eradicate possible distractions from your mind as you prepare to bowl, such distractions include worries about the batsmen “hitting out”, fear of making mistakes e.g. bowling down the leg sidea wide etc. With negative thoughts running through your mind, you are much more likely to tense up and make mistakes, your thought patterns should always remain positive.

Bowlers need a game plan (I discuss game plans in the free e-book), and they should plan their next ball as they are walking back to their mark. If you are deciding what ball you are going to ball while you run up, then you are likely to get caught in two minds and make mistakes. If you decide prior to starting your run up what type of ball you are going to bowl, e.g. slower ball, it gives you the opportunity to really focus and concentrate on how and where you want to pitch the ball. How you go about deciding where about you focus on e.g. the base of off stump, or where you want to pitch the ball is very much a personal matter which should be worked out in nets as everyone is different.

Cricket, the ‘wonder sport’, is one of the fastest evolving games in the world today. It’s custodians, namely the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), set the laws for this ever evolving sport which has the support of close to 3 billion fans all over the world. Today, it is played in various formats ranging from Test Cricket, One Day Cricket (ODI), Twenty20 (T20), Inter Cricket, Indoor Cricket, and the Kwik Cricket.

Of these, Test cricket is the longest form of the game played between Test playing teams. The ICC has conferred the ‘Test Status’ upon a cricket playing country or a group of cricket playing countries. The teams not conferred with the test status are allowed to play only a shortened version of cricket.

Today, there are 10 Test playing teams of which a majority is individual nation. The 10 Test playing teams eligible to play test cricket are:

· England: This team comprises of players from England and the Wales.
· South Africa.
· Australia.
· New Zealand.
· India: Before India’s partition of 1947, the Indian team comprised of players also from the now Pakistan and Bangladesh.
· West Indies: This team comprises of players from the Caribbean nations and its dependencies.
· Pakistan: Prior to Bangladesh’s independence in 1971, the Pakistan team consisted of some Bangladesh players too.
· Zimbabwe: This team was suspended from playing Test cricket between the 10th of June 2004 and the 6th of January 2005 and has been currently suspended since 18th January 2006.
· Srilanka.
· Bangladesh.

Kenya, a probable candidate for Test status in 2003, has the likelihood of being replaced by Ireland in the near future.

For more information please visit: http://cricketfreaks.contentcreatorz.com

Cricket, like most other sports of today, is governed by a strict code of Laws. Any breach of that code can result in serious penalties at individual, as well as team, level. To be able to play the game in its true spirit and according to the laws, one must have the knowledge of its basic rules. These rules are regarding the game, code of conduct for players, for umpires, for development program events, penalties for breach of conduct and other penalties.

Some of the main rules of the game are:

Before the Game

Two teams play the game of cricket. Each team has 11 players and a substitute fielder called twelfth man. The team is finalized, and the list is submitted to the umpires, before the toss of coin.

A captain and a vice-captain are nominated for each team. The captain is taken to be the team’s leader on the field. For any transgression of the laws, he is held responsible along with the transgressing player.

Before the start of the game both the captains and the match referee go on to the ground for the toss. The winning captain decides whether he would like to bat or bowl first.

The Ball

The new ball should be between 155.9g and 163g. Its measurement should be between 22.4cm and 22.9cm in circumference.

The balls should be approved by the umpires and captains before play.

During the course of the game, umpires have to make sure that the ball is not tampered with. Ball tampering means using any illegal manner or substance to change the state of the ball.

Each team gets a new ball at the start of an innings and they have to complete the innings with the same ball during a One-day match. A ball can only be changed if it is lost or if the umpires are convinced that it has either lost its shape or color. In such instances a different ball which is in relatively similar condition can be taken.

During the test Matches, balls can be changed at the discretion of the bowling captain at the completion of 80 overs in an innings, or after that.

The Bat

The cricket bat has no weight restrictions by law. It should be no longer than 38 inches in length (handle included), and no more than 4.25 inches in width. It must be made of wood.

Recently the ICC declared the titanium reinforcements in Ricky Ponting’s bat illegal. Therefore, the blade can be covered with materials for protection and strengthening, but the material should not be more than 1.56mm in thickness and should not cause damage to the ball.

While batting the hand and glove of the batsman in which the bat is held is considered a part of the bat.

The Pitch

The pitch has a measurement of 22 yards in length and 10 ft in width.

It has bowling creases on each side and an imaginary line on the longer sides. The placement of stumps and the distance between the popping crease and the bowling crease are also standard.

The umpires are considered final authority to decide whether a certain pitch is fit to play or not. Any type of tampering of the pitch during the match by the players is a breach of conduct. If proven, the player can be fined and banned for a limited number of games.

If they deem necessary, the umpires, can suspend the play due to adverse playing conditions or weather and light. A match is supposed to be played on a single pitch.

The Wickets

The wickets are placed on either sides of the pitch and they are parallel to each other and at a distance of 22yards.Each set of wickets has three stumps which are 9 inches in width. The top of each stump is 28 inches above the playing surface and has a standard shape.

The bails also have a standard SHAPE AND SIZE AND SHOULD FIT PROPERLY ON TOP OF THE STUMPS WITHOUT MAKING THEM GO OUT OF THE VERTICAL.

In strong windy conditions, if the umpires feel that the bails will not stay on the stumps properly, they can remove them on both the ends until conditions become suitable for putting them back, or they can use a heavier set of bails.

The Innings

An ‘Innings’ is a term used to describe a team’s stint with the bat.

All 11 players bat (2 at a time) and try to score runs.

The innings comes to an end after the dismissal of the 10th batsman or when the complete quota of overs is bowled (in limited overs game) or when the batting captain decides to ‘declare’ the innings and make the fielding team bat.

The number of innings in a cricket match determined by the type of cricket in progress. Test matches have 2 innings per side while the Limited Overs Cricket (One Day matches) allow for one innings per team.

The fielding captain is responsible for nominating the bowlers that will bowl the overs. Each bowler can bowl only 10 overs per match in Limited overs games while there is no restriction for Test matches.

In a Test Match each side gets two innings and takes their innings alternately unless there is a case of follow-on or forfeiture. These matches are played over a period of 5 days and there is no limit of overs to be bowled in a single innings. At the end of the 5 day period if there is no winner than the match is considered a draw.

An innings is considered complete, both in one-day and Test match if a side is bowled out. If the captain decides to declare his teams innings the innings ends, also a captain can forfeit their innings.

During a test match the sides that bats first and leads by at least 200 at the end the first innings of both teams, can force a follow-on on the other team which would make the other side follow their innings (bat again).

The captain of the batting side can at any time during the match, when the ball is dead, declare his team’s innings. He can also at any time forfeit his innings, which is considered as a completed innings.

Illegal deliveries

In order to bowl a legal delivery, the bowler has to bowl over arm, and there should be not bending or straightening of the elbow during the delivery action. A suspect action can be reported by the match officials and the bowler can be penalized with a life ban if the action is not corrected in the given time period.

During the delivery stride, some part of the bowler’s front foot has to remain behind the popping crease. The line belongs to the umpire, if the bowler goes over it the umpire will declare it a *no-ball.

If the umpire deems a delivery to be so far out of reach that the batsman can not play an orthodox shot, he can declare it a *wide-ball. Even the widest of deliveries can not be declared wide if the batsman somehow touches it with his body/bat

If the fielding side fail to stop the ball and the batsmen run singles or the ball crosses the ropes, the runs are added to the original penalty for the wide ball. ie, a boundary off a wide ball yields 5 runs.

A ball that bounces over the shoulder height of the batsman is considered a ‘bouncer’. A bowler is allowed to ball two such balls in an over for Test matches. However, for the One Day game, the limit is one bouncer per over. If the ball goes over the head of a batsman the umpires can call it a no-ball. Similarly if a bowler bowls more than the allowed number of bouncers per over, the umpires can no-ball him as well.

A legal delivery in cricket usually bounces on its way to the batsman. If a bowler fails to bounce the ball before it reaches the batsman, anything over waist height can be deemed a no-ball by the umpire. If the umpire considers the bowl dangerous, he can give the bowler an official warning. After two warnings the umpires ask the captain to take the bowler off the attack and another bowler completes the over.

There are certain fielding restrictions applied to stop the game from becoming overly defensive. If a fielding side violates these restrictions, any delivery bowled can be deemed a no-ball by the umpire.

Scoring Runs

A run is considered to be scored when two batsmen cross each other and make their ground on the other side.

Apart from that runs are scored when the ball crosses the boundary after bouncing within the playing field (four runs) and also if a ball crosses the boundary without touching the ground after being hit by the batsman (six runs).

Runs are also awarded as for different types of penalties such as no-balls, wide balls, byes and leg byes.

An umpire can disallow a run if the batsman doesn’t ground his bat inside the crease while trying to take another run. If the umpire judges that the batsman did not try to play a shot or he was not taking evasive action, he can disallow any runs scored on that ball.

Ways of getting out

For a batsman to be given out, the fielding side is required by law to appeal to the umpire. An umpire is not supposed to give a player out if there is no appeal. A batsman can get out:

If the ball hits the wicket and the bails are dislodged.

If the batsman hits the ball in the air and it is *caught by a fielder before touching the ground.

If the ball hits the batsman’s pads or body and the umpire is sure that it would have hit the stumps if the batsman had not come in the way (*lbw).

If a batsman is caught out of his ground at anytime when the ball is in play (*run out or stumped)

If the batsman hits the wickets, himself, and the bails are dislodged. (only out during the execution of a shot)

If the batsman is found guilty of obstructing the field or handling the ball he can be given out.

Cricket is also called ‘Gentlemen’s game’, that is why a great emphasis is placed on proper conduct and maintaining the spirit of the game.

By law the responsibility of making sure that the game is played in its true spirit lies on the captain. The umpires are the sole judge of fair or unfair play and they can intervene at anytime if they consider it necessary. No player is allowed to show dissent or argue with the umpires regarding any decision or show any conduct that might bring the game into disrepute. It’s against the spirit to use abusive language or to cheat in any manner. Players are supposed to show respect towards all other players and the officials.

Explanatory Notes:

*No-ball:

The only acceptable mode of dismissal off a no-ball is a run out/stumping.

A no ball gives the batting side one extra run and the ball has to be rebowled.

Any runs scored off a no ball are added to the batsman’s tally.

*Wide-ball:

Even the widest of deliveries can not be declared wide if the batsman somehow touches it with his body/bat

A wide-ball gives the batting side one extra run and the ball has to be rebowled.

*Caught: A catch is only considered complete if the player manages to keep the ball in his grasp until he has complete control over the ball. A catch is not compete if

the player goes over the boundary rope while holding the ball. (results in 6 runs)

the player fumbles the ball and it falls before the umpires reckon he had complete control over it.

it is taken off a no-ball.

*LBW: the term LBW denotes ‘leg before wicket’. It is used to curb a batsman from protecting his wicket with the body rather than the bat. Some of the finer rules of LBW are

A batsman cannot be out if the ball hits any part of the batsman’s glove or bat before hitting the pad.

A batsman cannot be out if the ball pitches outside the leg stump.

A batsman cannot be out if the ball hits him outside the line of off stump, while playing a shot.

If not offering a shot, the umpire can give the batsman out even if the ball hits him outside the line of off stump.

In cases where the ball does not pitch before hitting the batsman, the umpire has to assume that the ball would have continued straight and he has to give his decision based on that.

*Run out or Stumped:

some part of the batsman foot has to be behind the crease to be safe. If the foot it on the crease, the batsman can be declared out.

if in doubt, the umpires rule in favor of the batsman.

if the bails are off (due to any reason) before the fielder / Wicketkeeper tries to run a batsman out, he has to take a stump out of the ground with the ball in his hand to complete the play.

In cases where the field umpires are unsure, the umpires can ask the 3rd umpire (TV Umpire) to look at the replays and adjudge the batsman safe/out).

jemile al-darraji

Cricket bats are the key tool used in cricket other than the ball. Bats are described as paddle shaped, flat on one side but V shaped on the opposite side. This is said to improve airflow around the bats making them swing faster and with more power. The material bats are made from is willow wood, this is the wood of choice for the bats because it is tough, light weight and shock resistant. The bats are also treated with linseed oil, this is used to provide additional protection and also creates more friction on the ball giving batters more control while playing cricket.

Before the 18th century cricket bats were shaped similarly to current day hockey sticks. This suggests that early games of crickets were played using shepherds crooks as the bats. Although there is not a great deal of evidence about the very early cricket there is still a bat in existence from 1729 and this is representative of the early shape of the cricket bat.

When purchasing new cricket bats it is imperative that proper care is taken to ensure the bat is well prepared for the game of cricket to last a great deal of time. Before a brand new cricket bat is ever used it should be knocked in. The process of knocking a bat in is done by hitting the bat with either a cricket ball repeatedly are using a special cricket mallet. The process of knocking in a cricket bat will compact the fibres in the willow wood making it stronger, so when it first used it will not break. The process of knocking in can take anything from 3 to 6 hours and will often consist of the bat being hit 8000 to 9000 times. Pre-knocked bats are available on the market at a slightly higher price but this saves the time of the player having to knock the bat in, installing confidence when playing that the bat will stand up to the task in hand.

Law 6 of cricket says that cricket bats must be no more than 97 centimetres in length and no more than 10.8 centimetres in width. Importantly it states that the hand holding the bat is considered part of the bat, therefore the hand hits the ball it counts as a hit. Also the rule states that bats may be made of no material other than wood.

When selecting the type of cricket bats you wish to use you must carefully consider the type of player you are, whether it is a big hitter or someone who likes to pick and choose their strokes while batting. Also you must consider the size and weight of the cricket bats before purchase as all too often players performances are hindered by picking a bat the is too small or large or that weighs too much. It is recommended that a lighter bat be used, especially at a young age, to help with the control of the ball when playing.

Established in 1973, Morrant Group Ltd is a family run business with over 35 years experience in mail order team sports equipment. Father, Daughter, Son and staff are working hard every day to ensure that our company achieves its aim. We sell a range of sports gear, including cricket bats and other goods. Please visit our website at http://www.morrant.com.