HISTORY OF CRICKET

The origins of cricket are not clearly documented. However, it is clear that from
earliest times people played games which involved striking an object with a stick.
Some of the more interesting or key dates are listed below. Further details may
be obtained by reference to texts included in Recommended Reading. Earliest
Recordings Date Event or Record 1300 Documented evidence that Prince Edward
played a game called Creag. 1344 A document in the Bodleian Library illustrates a
cricket-like game being played. The Saxon word “cricce” or “cric” (a staff or
crooked stick) may be the origin of the name. 1500 and 1598 Records at Guildford
mention “Creckett” and refer to playing “crecket and other plaies”. 1611
Chichester Court – two men fined for playing cricket on Sunday. 1624 The first
recorded fatality, when Jasper Vinall died after having been accidentally struck
with a cricket bat. 17th century some evidence that cricket may have been played
in public schools. The Start of the Modern Game 1744. The Laws of the game first
written down and printed. 1787 The formation of the Marylebone Cricket Club
(MCC). 1788 The MCC revised the laws. 1864 The modern over arm style of
bowling was made legal. The game was further developed following
improvements to the grounds as a result of the use of the “heavy roller”.
Additionally, between 1850-1855 mowing machines were first used. The latter
half of the 19th century was the era of W. G. Grace who, during his career, made
54,896 runs and took 2,864 wickets. He retired in 1908. The History of County
Cricket 1787. The first “county” club, Oxfordshire. 1853 The first county
champions, Nottinghamshire. NB: At this time the press decided who were the
champions. 1890 County Secretaries officially acknowledged the championships.
Test Cricket 1736 Sailors recorded as playing cricket near Lisbon. 1844 First
international between USA and Canada. 1859 First tour by England of USA and
Canada. 1861-62 First tour of Australia. 1876-77 First test matches played. 1878
Australians travel to England. 1880 First test match played in England. 1882
England beaten by Australia at the Oval. The Sporting Times reported “The body
will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia”. 1882-83 England beat
Australia in Melbourne. Some ladies burned a bail, sealed the ashes in an urn and
gave it to the English Captain. On his death the ashes were left to the MCC, and
this is the basis of the Ashes competition. 1909 Imperial Cricket Conference
established to administer cricket worldwide. 1965 The name was changed to the
International Cricket Conference. 1968 The Test and County Cricket Board was
established to run test cricket, and the National Cricket Association to foster
interest in coaching and the recreational game. The MCC administer the Laws
both at home and abroad. All three of the above form the Cricket Council, the
governing body of the sport. There are also the Minor Counties Association, the
Irish Cricket Union, the Scottish Cricket Union and the Welsh Cricket Association.
1989 The International Cricket Conference renamed the International Cricket
Council. 1992 South Africa re-admitted to international cricket.

NAME OF CRICKET
MODULE
Basic Skills Fielding, bowling, batting, wicket keeping
Game Play Skills Good basic skills, techniques. A good understanding of the
basic principles and tactics. Ability to vary strokes and bowling
techniques. Demonstrates good concentration and alertness
in the field
Tactical Skills Bowling: Encouraging dangerous strokes. Varying pace, flight,
length, spin and width of crease.
Batsmen: Judgement and decision making; looking for gaps in
the field; noting ability of fielders and exploiting weaknesses.
Fielders: Placing to 1) Catch batters 2) Stop runs. Adjusting
field according to batter.
Training Skills Aerobic endurance, anaerobic endurance, flexibility

Techniques and Skills

In order to play cricket to examination level, students should have a good

practical and theoretical grasp of the 4 major activities of the game:

• Fielding
• Bowling
• Batting
• Wicket keeping
1. Fielding: Essentially this involves catching and throwing in a variety of
circumstances both static or on the move.

Catching:

The High Catch Objective: To catch a ball this is dropping quickly.

Method: Sight the ball. Move quickly to where it will come down. Stand still with
hands up above eye level and palms facing ball, fingers spread out, little fingers
touching. Hands “give” as ball is caught. Finish close to chest.

2. Bowling: The first essential of effective bowling is that the student adopts the
correct grip.

THE BASIC GRIP:

Method: Seam vertical. Thumb on edge of seam; first two fingers slightly apart;
third finger bent and supporting ball. Having achieved this, the whole skill should
be introduced in a simplified form, using the following steps.

Step 1
Bowling from the Coil Position

Objective: To introduce the bowling action to beginners.

Method: Raise front arm. Look over shoulder. Bowling hand across chest, Lean
back, Lift front knee, Arch back slightly. Look down intended line of delivery,
Swing bowling arm downwards and then backwards. Swing front arm forwards.
Stamp down with front foot. Continue rotation of arms. Keep front arm close to
body. Straighten front leg. Keep head upright. Release ball as arm passes head.
Keep hand behind ball. Swing front arm high behind body. Follow-through with
bowling arm across body, bring back leg through, bent and close to other leg.
Bowling shoulder points to target, follow-through by taking steps forward.

Step 2
Run Up and Bound
Method: Concentrate on line of delivery. Smooth rhythmical approach.
Accelerate gradually. Control speed. Bound (spring) off left foot. Raise both arms.
Turn 90° in air, land in coil position leaning back from batsman. Repeat bowling
action. Practice bowling with a smooth and economical run-up and easy
rhythmical well balanced delivery, finishing with a deliberate and fluent follow-
through. Once players have mastered these steps they should be ready to
progress to more complex skills using swing and spin.

3. Batting:
Please note, throughout the module “batsman” also refers to “batswoman”.
Batting in cricket is probably the most popular of all skills. Firstly, it allows the
player to score, and secondly he has the full attention of not only both teams, but
also the spectators.
When teaching batting it is essential that staff exercise great care in selecting the
surface on which the skill is performed. At school level this is often a factor over
which neither staff nor students have any control. Nevertheless, staff should
remain on the side of caution and on bad pitches certain strokes should not be
taught. It is accepted that at least one Examining Board includes the hook within
the syllabus. The National Cricket Association (NCA) does not recommend that
this stroke be taught to inexperienced players, particularly if the pitch is suspect.
For this reason the hook and other advanced skills (lofted shots, the sweep and
the late cut) are omitted from this text.

BATTING SKILLS – THE BASIC ELEMENTS

The Grip Method: Hands close together towards top of handle. Top hand gripping
very firmly. Fingers and thumbs of both hands around handle. V’s formed by
thumb and forefinger are in line approximately half way between splice and
outside edge of bat.

The Stance Method: Feet slightly apart. Knees slightly flexed, weight evenly
distributed on balls of feet – not heels. Eyes level and square to line of delivery.
Toe of bat on ground.

The Backlift Method: Front shoulder and elbow pointing to bowler. Bat raised but
pushed back over middle-stump. Head still. Open face of bat to point. Top
forearm roughly parallel with ground. Back elbow away from body. No movement
of body backwards or forwards until selection of stroke to be played is made.
THE BASIC SHOTS:
The Pull: This stroke is played to a short pitched ball bouncing between knee and
chest height as it arrives at the batsman. This is known as a long hop. When
learning strokes, a firm level surface is required in order to achieve an even
predictable bounce from a tennis ball. Extreme care must be taken to ensure that
no batsman will hit a ball into an area where others are working. Sufficient space
must be allowed so that individual batsmen do not strike any person from
another group with the bat. No fielder is allowed nearer than 10 paces from the
batsman. If practicing inside, the batsman can strike the ball towards a wall and
the fielders can intercept the ball on the rebound from the wall at a position
nearer the striker but on the opposite side from the direction in which the ball
was struck.
Method: Start with high back lift. Step back and across, with both feet square to
the wicket. Fix eyes on ball and keep head still and forward of body. Hit ball at
arm’s length in line with body. Aim to hit ball in front of square-leg and
downwards. Transfer weight from back to front leg.

Hitting a Full Toss to Leg:

Objective: To play a ball which does not bounce before arriving at the batsman.
Method: High backlift. Lean forward, head and front shoulder leading on to line of
ball. Fix eyes on ball. Hit ball downwards at arm’s length. Aim in front of square
leg. Weight on front leg. Keep looking at place where contact was made in order
to keep head still and maintain balance.

Back Defensive Stroke

Objective: This stroke is played to a ball pitching short and bouncing knee high or
above.
Method: High back lift. Step back and across towards off side if ball is on off
stump. Back foot parallel with crease. Back of front shoulder turned slightly. Head
on line of delivery. Weight on back foot. Balance of body forward. Front foot
brought back naturally. Relax bottom hand to finger and thumb grip. Top hand in
control. Ball is played under head. Bat vertical but angled downwards so that ball
is not played upwards.

The Forward Defence Stroke

Objective: To prevent a good length ball from hitting the wicket. The ball should
not bounce as high as the knee.
Method: From a good straight backlift lead with head and front shoulder onto the
line of the ball. Top hand in control. Relax bottom hand to thumb and finger grip.
Front leg close to line of ball and bent at knee. Ease back foot onto inside of foot;
keep back leg straight. Do not follow-through. Maintain a good balance by
keeping head close to front shoulder and over the bat.

The Off Drive

Objective: To play to a half-volley, a ball which pitches close to the batsman and
does not bounce very high. It will be just on or outside the off stump.
Method: From a good high backlift, lead with head and front shoulder onto line of
ball. Top hand in control. Play ball under head close to bent front leg. Do not lift
head after contact. Arms follow-through along line ball was struck; top hand and
elbow high. Back leg straight; weight on front foot. The wrist can now ‘break’
allowing the bat to go over the shoulder, handle pointing roughly in direction of
ball.

The Straight Drive

Objective: To play to a half-volley which pitches approximately on the line of the
middle stump. Method: In all ways similar to off drive but the lead of head and
front shoulder is straight down the pitch.

The On Drive
Objective: This stroke is played to a half-volley, pitching on or just outside the leg
stump.
Method: Very similar to other drives. Lead with head and front shoulder onto line
of ball. Dip front shoulder while taking a shorter stride than for other drives.
Throw hands and arms out along line ball is intended to be struck. Keep head
close to shoulder. Top hand in control all the time.

4. Wicket Keeping:

There are 2 positions from which to keep wicket.

• Standing back from the wicket.
• Standing up to the wicket.
Standing Back Method: Position where ball can be taken as it drops between
waist and knee height after bouncing. Crouch to off side of stumps to get a clear
view of ball. Rise with bounce of ball. Palms facing ball, little fingers touching.
Hands forward to give as ball is taken. Eyes level; head as still as possible.

Standing up to the Wicket:

The Stance Method: Squat down just wide enough to obtain a good view of ball.
Safe distance behind stumps so that no part of keeper or his/her equipment
breaks back edge of bowling crease as ball is taken. Eyes level, weight on balls of
feet. Backs of fingers resting on ground, palms facing bowler.

Standing Up to the Wicket –

Taking a Straight Ball Method: Head and body behind line of ball. Rise with
bounce of ball. Fingers pointing down. Hands give and elbows clear of body as ball
is taken. Transfer weight to foot nearest stumps to commence bringing ball
towards wicket in case of stumping opportunity.

Standing Up to the Wicket –

Taking a Wide Offside Ball Method: Move quickly to offside with outside foot
turned in. Hands on line of ball. Give with hands. Transfer weight towards stumps
by pushing head towards them. Swing arms towards wicket. Knock bails off if
batsman is to be stumped.

Standing Up to the Wicket –

Taking a Leg side Ball Method: Sight and judge ball from normal stance. Move
quickly to leg side. Transfer weight from left foot which has turned in slightly, to
right. Take ball just outside line of body. Push head towards wicket to assist swing
of arms to break wicket if necessary.
 UMPIRING
Umpiring Signals:
 RULES AND REGULATIONS
● All matches will be played according to the Standard Twenty20 International
Match Playing Conditions established by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Each team will have a maximum of twenty (20) overs. The umpire will have the
authority to reduce the number of overs. All adjustments in terms of maximum
over by a bowler or field restrictions will be adjusted accordingly.
● A bowler can bowl a maximum of four (4) overs
● If the bowler delivers the ball without some part of his front foot (either
grounded or raised) behind the popping crease, or if his back foot does not “land
within and not touch the return crease”, this delivery is ruled a no ball. It costs
one (1) run and his next delivery is designated a “free hit”, from which the
batsman can only be dismissed through a run out, as is the case for the original
“no ball”. Cricket Rules
● If a bowler delivers a ball above waist height and is considered as no ball as per
the ICC rules, batting team will get one run and the following delivery will be
considered as “free hit” from which the batsman can only be dismissed through a
run out.
● A bowler can bowl only one (1) bouncer in an over. The next bouncer in the
same over will be a no ball. A bouncer is a fast short-pitched delivery and is
defined as a ball which passes or would have passed above the shoulder height of
the striker standing upright at the crease in a normal standing position
● The umpire at the bowlers end shall advise the bowler and the batsman on
strike when each fast short-pitched delivery has been bowled
● A runner for a batsman when batting shall not be permitted under any
circumstances. A substitute may be brought on for an injured fielder. However, a
substitute may not bat, bowl, wicket-keep or act as captain. The original player
may return if he has recovered. A batsman may retire hurt or ill, and may return
later to resume his innings if he recovers. Returning injured players may bat, bowl
or wicket-keep after the minimum time required as per ICC rules
● A maximum of two (2) fielders can be outside the thirty (30) yard circle in the
first six (6) overs. These overs are known as Power Play. ● Minimum 6 players
including bowler and wicket keeper should be inside the 30- yard circle for the
remaining 14 overs.
● Only five (5) fielders can field on the leg side at any point of time
● At the instant of the bowler's delivery there shall not be more than two (2)
fielders, other than the wicket-keeper, behind the popping crease on the on side,
commonly referred to as being "behind square leg"
● A new batsman has to come to the crease within ninety (90) seconds after
dismissal of previous batsman Cricket Rules
● After a batter is out caught, the incoming batter shall be walking to the striker's
end, irrespective of whether the batters crossed prior to the catch being taken.
● The practice of running out the non-striker when the batter leaves the crease
during bowler's runup or before the ball is bowled, will be legal now. The method
of dismissal will now be considered as run out rather than 'Unfair Play'.
● If a Twenty20 match ends in the opponents having identical scores in the
preliminary rounds the match will be considered a tie
● If a Twenty20 match ends in a tie in the playoffs, the tie shall be broken with a
one (1) over per side "Eliminator” or "Super Over”
● A team must have a minimum of twelve (12) players and a maximum of
eighteen (18) players
● A match will consist of two (2) teams with eleven (11) players including a team
captain. A match may not start if either team consists of fewer than eleven (11)
players.
● When a team is reduced to less than six (6) players (irrespective of the reason)
and a substitute is unavailable, the offending team shall forfeit the game
● There will be two (2) innings of one (1) hour twenty-five (25) minutes in
duration with a maximum of twenty (20) minutes interval between innings
● Teams will also receive a two (2) minute interval break after seven (7) overs and
one after fourteen (14) overs
● The blade of the bat shall have a conventional flat face
● A 156 g white ball will be used for all competitions.

THE PITCH

In a cricket match the cricket pitch is the central part of the cricket field. It is 22
yards (20.12 m) long and 10 feet (3.05 m) wide. The surface is very flat, so the ball
can bounce on it when bowled to the batsman. At each end of the pitch there is a
batsman's ground and a wicket.
The pitch is the area between sets of stumps, the bowling return creases and the
offside lines at the striker's end. A wicket line is marked in line with the stumps at
each end, and is 1.83m wide at the batting end and 2.47m at the bowling end,
with the stumps in the centre and the middle stumps 20m apart.

Uses of the pitch:

The pitch has one popping crease at each of its ends, with these dividing the field
into the two batter's grounds, and the area in between (including the creases) in
which the ball must be bowled and the batsmen run.

• Bowling: Bowlers can bowl the ball by throwing it and making it bounce on the
ground of the pitch. The return creases, which follow almost directly from the
edges of the pitch down the field, restrict the angle the bowler may bowl
from.
• Batting: Batters may occasionally move around the pitch (particularly
their crease in an effort to make contact with the ball). They may also make
small marks on the pitch to indicate where they will stand, and while batting,
they sometimes swing the bat in such a way that it hits some of the dirt in the
pitch in the air.
• Running: The two batters may run along the sides of the pitch, between the
batter's grounds, to score runs.
• Fielding: Occasionally fielders (often the bowler) may run on the pitch to run
out a batter.
• Practice Session: Before a live cricket match, players have practice sessions
with their official coach. They cannot use the main pitch, but are allowed to
check the surface of the original pitch where the match will be played.