The ManicaPost
On the point with Aubrey Kamba —
ALTHOUGH there are many rules in cricket than in many other sports, it is important to know them as it is a very rewarding sport. Whether you want to play cricket or just enjoy watching the game, learning the rules will help you to enjoy.
The game is ever popular with many fans attending to watch their local and national teams. With a number of big tournaments like The Ashes, the Big Bash, IPL League, the ICC World Cup Cricket and the T20 World Cup, one will be fascinated by the sport.
Cricket is a game played with a bat and a ball on a large field, known as a ground, between two teams of 11 players each. The object of the game is to score runs when at bat and to put out, or dismiss, the opposing batsmen when in the field.
Cricket rules displayed on this page are for the traditional form of cricket which is called: “Test Cricket”. If you remember how to play hwishu, it is the same as cricket. In the words of the millennials, cricket is hwishu that went to a private school.
However, there are other formats of the game e.g. 50 over matches, Twenty20 Cricket etc. where the rules differ slightly.
After Zimbabwe played their 100th Test match last week, I decided to look at what is required in a match or how a Test match is played. Test cricket is the highest level of cricket playing, winning the Cricket World Cup has less prestige than being the Number One test playing nation. Some will wonder how it is like that. Well, Test cricket is very demanding than the other formats.
Test cricket matches are played over five days and within the five days the teams play two innings each. In two innings games, the sides bat alternately unless the follow on law is enforced (which is explained later).
The captain who wins the coin toss elects to bat or bowl first. The end of an innings is reached when:
a) All batsmen are dismissed
b) No further batsmen are fit to play
c) The innings is declared or forfeited by the captain
d) The agreed time or over limit has been reached.
What is follow on? In a match of two innings, if one side scores far fewer runs than the other side, the side that batted second can be put in to bat again immediately. The margin of runs that the side batting first need to be ahead by to make the other team ‘follow on’ varies with the length of the match.
For example, in a five-day match the side batting first needs to be ahead by 200 runs to make the other team follow on.
For a three or four-day game, it is reduced to 150 runs, for a two-day game 100 runs and for a one-day game 75 runs. The length of the game depends on the number of scheduled days play left when the match actually begins.
Declaration and forfeiture
An innings can be ended by the batting captain when the ball is dead. The captain can also forfeit the innings before it begins.
Intervals
Because cricket matches are extremely lengthy there are many breaks at different stages of the match. These breaks could occur between:
a) The end of each day and the start of the next
b) The end of an innings and the beginning of a new innings
c) Intervals for lunch or tea
d) Intervals for drinks.
The extent of these intervals and the duration of play for each day are agreed upon before the coin toss. An exception to the law is when nine wickets have fallen when the set time for tea has been reached, in such circumstances the break is delayed till either that wicket is taken or 30 minutes elapsing, whichever is earlier.
Beginning and end of play
After an interval, play begins with the umpire’s announcement of ‘Play’ and the session ends with the announcement of ‘Time’.
Like the ‘kick-off’ in other sports, the very first ball of the day’s play is called the ‘ball off’. At least 20 overs have to be bowled on the final hour of the match. The final hour may even be extended to fit in this number.
However, if the game is coming close to a close and it looks like they will not be able to bowl the other team out, this could be an option. If one team is not bowled out twice and a winner determined in the five days of play, the game is declared a draw.
I hope to see many readers of this column at the Mutare Sports Club one of these good days when the franchise league is back. Thank you for your feedback when we meet on the streets of our beautiful city. God bless you all.
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