I listen to the BBC online pretty much every day, and this question has been gnawing at me for months. Can anyone tell me what a “wicket” is? Yes, I know it has something to do with cricket, but I’ve searched the web, the SD archives, and these message boards and still can’t find anything. I’m hoping some altruistic soul will explain this to me. Those Brits on BBC sure get excited about wickets and I’m sick of being in the dark.
Bad start. Very bad start. This should have been posted in General Questions, not Great Debates. And, when you wish to know the meaning of a word, your best bet is the dictionary, not encylopedia or web.
From AHED:
4. Sports
In cricket: a. Either of the two sets of three stumps, topped by bails, that forms the target of the bowler and is defended by the batsman. b. A batsman’s innings, which may be terminated by the ball knocking the bails off the stumps. c. The termination of a batsman’s innings. d. The period during which two batsmen are in together.
If it’s the same wicket that is used in croquet, it’s a little wire thingamajig in a letter U shape. In croquet, these are placed at different areas on the grass, and the croquet player hits a ball through the wickets. I suspect that in cricket, the same kind of deal takes place.
[Moderator Hat ON]
Moving to General Questions, in case there’s still more explaining to do.
[Moderator Hat OFF]
I think what Opus1 meant to say is, “Welcome to the Boards, CarlyG”.
Yes, we have a few rules around here, but don’t worry. You’ll pick them up as you go along. Hope you like it here.
Glad you like Cricket too.
Ahem. British person here.
Opus1’s definition is correct. Having played both cricket and croquet in my time, I can assure you that the wickets involved are two different things. Wicket is also a word for a small gate… perhaps this is the original meaning and the sporting terms are derived from the similarity in shape?
Not a Brit but an Expat cum Aussie here. OK, yes a wicket has to do with cricket.
Now I do NOT claim to be an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I’ll tell ya what I know. Each wicket is composed of three stumps and two bales and there are two wickets on a pitch. Confused yet?
Well rather than confuse you more,
check out here , you’ll find out the basics.
But don’t even get me started on maidens and ducks…
…she was going to kill herself. Welcome Carly G!
Quasi
And just FYI: THe Netherlands are the reigning European Cricket Champions.
It can get confusing. The wickets are also called stumps, and the pitch is also called the wicket (particularly if the bowler is running on it or if it is sticky).
Serious cricket fan here…
In the game of cricket, the term “wicket” may refer to any of the following:
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the structure made of 3 stumps and two bails, which the batsman defends against being struck by the ball when it is bowled.
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the pitch on which the batsman stands and the bowler bowls the ball. The pitch is a 22 yard strip in the centre of the oval. It is usually made from specially cut and rolled turf, but can also be made from matting, mud or concrete (very common in Australia). The term wicket is used when comparing pitches of differing characteristics, such as: “the wicket at the WACA Ground in Perth is suited to fast bowling because it is hard and makes the ball bounce high, the wicket at the Sydney Cricket Ground is famous for spin bowling, and the wicket at the Adelaide Oval is renowned as a batsman’s paradise.”
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a partnership between two batsmen, until one of them is dismissed.
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the innings of a batsman, until he is dismissed. An example may be: “Tendulkar lost his wicket very cheaply”.
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the measure of a bowler’s success during an innings, as in: “the opening bowler took five wickets during the first innings”.
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a reference point for fielding positions from the point of view of the batsman, as in midwicket and wicket keeper.
If you know little about cricket, then I am afraid that my definitions may have only served to confuse you further. But then cricket it a British game - who said it has to make sense?