# Knowledge of cricket **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 20, 2005, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-cricket/304710 "2005-05-20T05:40:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Diehard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Diehard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diehard)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-cricket/304710/21 "2005-05-20T10:38:28Z")
> [@glee](#): > > I think you are exaggerating wildly. Canada follows cricket ‘like a religion’? Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia are ‘cricket mad’? > No. > > Cricket is played at international level between a small number of countries. It’s true it’s massively popular in India + Pakistan. Also the Australians, who are very keen on all sports, play it superbly. > But it is not very popular in England. County matches don’t attract crowds. There is probably more snooker on English TV than cricket. > > The game is very long-winded (international matches last 5 days and can easily be drawn). It requires a huge playing field, yet only 13 of the 22 players are ever in action. It is possible for nothing to happen for an hour, or even for one side to deliberately play badly to tempt the other side into avoiding a draw. > > Although the basic concept of the game is simple, I would like you to explain two key points as easily as ‘counting to 10’: > > - the LBW law > - a legal bowling action (do include Murilithian in your answer) Oh Man…thts soo simple… -the LBW law → Even my 6 year old cousin knows it perfectly… 😉 - Muralithran → The man is legal. If he gets prodigious spin, its not by chucking. If he had a faster ball it would ve been a different case. Law should be taken in the context . - Duckworth lewis → remeber log tables?? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-cricket/304710/22 "2005-05-20T10:47:31Z")
Cricket is a huge sport in maybe 7 or 8 countries, that too mostly at the international level only. League matches don’t draw the crowds, don’t generate much publicity, and don’t generate much loyalty either. ---
**Author:** ![Diehard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Diehard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diehard)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-cricket/304710/23 "2005-05-20T11:05:38Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > LBW law counting from one to ten, sort of: > > You’re out LBW if you use either your leg or any other part of your body to prevent the ball from hitting your wicket, provided that: > a) the ball would otherwise have hit it (duh) > b) you didn’t touch the ball with your bat first > c) the ball didn’t pitch outside leg stump > d) the ball didn’t hit you outside the line of off stump: _except_ that if you were making no attempt to hit the ball, this escape clause is inapplicable. I am failing to understand how this is very complicated !! :dubious: First and foremost if you write the rules of any modern game it would look like greek. If you’re batsman this would make perfect sense . What i am meaning to tell you is that , give it a chance…If aussies are perfecting the game imagine americans really getting in to it…it would be a big boost with all tht investment money. Imagine wating for the start NCA Super bat series… ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-cricket/304710/24 "2005-05-20T11:13:02Z")
> [@Diehard](#): > > First and foremost if you write the rules of any modern game it would look like greek. [These guys](http://www.cricketeurope.net/GREECE/index.shtml) would probably find that useful… ---
**Author:** ![Diehard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Diehard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diehard)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-cricket/304710/25 "2005-05-20T11:16:16Z")
> [@gouda](#): > > Cricket is a huge sport in maybe 7 or 8 countries, that too mostly at the international level only. League matches don’t draw the crowds, don’t generate much publicity, and don’t generate much loyalty either. True. Club criket hardly generate any interest…but talk abt internationals…! I am not sure of the europe, usa or au but in asia the whole country stops for a day atleast if there is a oneday match playing. If your coming to sri lanka or india to get some work done , check the match calendar . everybody glues to the TV. nobody will pay u any attention. 🆒 Having said that I would love if somebody start ice hockey or American football here… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-cricket/304710/26 "2005-05-20T11:56:10Z")
> [@Diehard](#): > > Gents/Ladies, > … > Most of the common wealth countries follow cricket like a relegion. … Not this one, thankfully. 🙂 But if I should ever get to visit Sri Lanka or India, I shall now know how to pick a time when everything wil be quiet. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-cricket/304710/27 "2005-05-20T12:51:45Z")
> [@e-logic](#): > > Part of the appeal of cricket is the stats - you’ll often see kids at matches with special notepads, recording every ball bowled and run scored That’s because nothing’s happening for most of the time, so you have to amuse yourself _somehow_: “And it’s interesting to note, Keith, that this is the third-best scoring partnership for a fourth wicket stand with two left-handed batsmen since Smith partnered Jones at Edgbaston back in 1954.” Couldn’t agree more about American sports. though: baseball is cricket with all of the tedium and none of the subtlety; basketball is a game played by circus freaks for an audience who get bored if there are less than 2 points scored every minute; and American football? Take off the pads, helmets and tight pants, play with the same team for 90 minutes, stop stopping every 2 minutes, and I might take it seriously. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-cricket/304710/28 "2005-05-20T13:38:28Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > Couldn’t agree more about American sports. though: baseball is cricket with all of the tedium and none of the subtlety Now that’s just a complete load of bullshit. Just because you don’t understand baseball doesn’t mean it lacks subtlety. A good baseball game is like watching a strategic balet. I don’t get cricket but at least I can appreciate that there’s a lot to appreciate about it. > [@](#): > > basketball is a game played by circus freaks for an audience who get bored if there are less than 2 points scored every minute; All professional sports are played by freaks. You’re talking about a job where being in the 99.999th percentile in a small set of physical abilities is the prime requirement. > [@](#): > > and American football? Take off the pads, helmets and tight pants, play with the same team for 90 minutes, stop stopping every 2 minutes, and I might take it seriously. Yeah. American football is fucking stupid. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-cricket/304710/29 "2005-05-20T16:54:52Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > Couldn’t agree more about American sports. though: baseball is cricket with all of the tedium and none of the subtlety. Brit checking in here to say that you are talking bollocks. Baseball is a great game and full of subtlety. Like cricket, you have to understand the game to a certain level to get a feeling for the subtlety. I suggest you read Men at Work by George Will in which players talk about how they play the game. ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-cricket/304710/30 "2005-05-20T20:42:49Z")
Never mind those complicated versions of what cricket is about, here’s a simpler version. You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that’s in goes out, and when he’s out he comes in and the next man goes in until he is out. When they are all out, the side that’s been out comes in and the side that’s been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out. "When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out, he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who are all out all the time, and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have been out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game. See how easy it all is? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-cricket/304710/31 "2005-05-20T20:51:49Z")
> [@Diehard](#): > > Glenn McGrath,Michael Clarke,Nathan Bracken,Simon Katich,Stuart MacGill,Brett Lee…fair bit haaa? Since when are Brett Lee and MacGill in the Test side? When was the last time Lee played a Test, rather than being 12 th man? And Bracken? Dream on. Katich is a West Australian playing for NSW but I guess he lives in Sydney. I know that Sydneysiders like to claim they are the centre of the Universe, but you really should check your facts. ---
**Author:** ![keeper0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@keeper0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keeper0)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-cricket/304710/32 "2005-05-20T21:17:34Z")
I can follow cricket as it is played, largely because of the similarities to baseball. The scoring is as if baseball gave you points for every base you reached. You’ve got a bowler (like a pitcher) who tries to get a ball past the batsman (batter). If the ball hits the wicket the batsman is out, like a really small strike zone but you only get one strike. If the batsman hits it and it is caught on the fly, he’s out. If it hits the ground, he can run to the other wicket (ie. base) if he wishes. If it leaves the park, it counts for six on the fly (like a home run) or four on the bounce (like a ground rule double). He can be run out if he doesn’t get to the wicket before the ball. (Like being tagged or forced out in baseball) Leg before wicket (LBW) is like leaning into the strike zone to get hit by the pitch. The other guy running complicates things slightly, but it really isn’t that hard to pick up the rhythm. Whoever ends up opposite the bowler, bats. I was trying to follow the India vs. Pakistan scores via the web, and I didn’t understand the 5 day test. One of their matches ended up a draw despite the scores not looking very close. What was the deal with that? ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-cricket/304710/33 "2005-05-20T22:31:51Z")
I don’t know which match you’re referring to of course but even if the scores are completely uneven e.g England 700 for 2 (dec) and 650 for 1 (dec) and Australia 99 all out and 100 for 9 then that would be a draw. I know that is an unlikely score (Australia probably wouldn’t score that many runs) but you do have to bowl out the other side out twice to win. Except in 1 day games where the rules are different. Thank goodness there aren’t any Aussie members of this message board otherwise I might be in trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Airblairxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Airblairxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airblairxxx)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-cricket/304710/34 "2005-05-20T23:48:26Z")
> [@mittu](#): > > Well, you will almost certainly qualify for the World Cup in Germany, more to do with how weak your group is than anything else though 😉 Afterall you did get beaten by the only decent team in your group (Mexico), the rest of your group is (at the risk of sounding rude) making up numbers. > > See you in Germany when we sort the men from the boys!! 😃 > > P.S. it is good that America are starting to take football more seriously, I just feel you have quite a way to go before the American public really gets behind the team and feels they can achieve something. Ooh, this pisses me off. Deep breaths, it’s Friday afternoon . . . . . . OK, here we go. In WC2002 we **beat** Mexico. 2-0, it wasn’t that close. They’re not the “only decent team in our group” (CONCACAF); it’s insulting to say that. We American soccer fans HATE Mexico. We would only grudgingly concede they’re maybe our equals, although we’ve learned to say “2-0!” in Spanish if they argue too loudly. Yeah, I can’t wait for Germany. We owe the hosts a little somethin’-somethin’ for knocking us out last time around. I’m sorry, what was this thread about again? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-cricket/304710/35 "2005-05-20T23:57:16Z")
> [@keeper0](#): > > I was trying to follow the India vs. Pakistan scores via the web, and I didn’t understand the 5 day test. One of their matches ended up a draw despite the scores not looking very close. What was the deal with that? Basically, it’s a draw if there isn’t an outright win. Such draws don’t have much meaning, unless they’re part of a test series. If it’s five matches, and (for example) Australia have won the first two, a draw for the third match dramatically changes things. ---
**Author:** ![hawkeyejo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e19b73/32.png) [@hawkeyejo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawkeyejo)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-cricket/304710/36 "2005-05-21T00:07:27Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > Brit checking in here to say that you are talking bollocks. Baseball is a great game and full of subtlety. Like cricket, you have to understand the game to a certain level to get a feeling for the subtlety. I suggest you read Men at Work by George Will in which players talk about how they play the game. I don’t think there is a lack of subtlety in strategy or a lack of finesse in planning in Baseball. It is certainly a tedious game, just as Cricket would seem to an ‘outsider’. Having said that, the one place where Cricket definitely scores big over Baseball is the sheer beauty of the sport. Watching a Gavaskar straight-drive, Gilchrist or Lara square-cut or a Tendulkar cover-drive - sheer poetry. Ganguly in his prime playing on the off, or Gower in his prime. You will never find that in the brute force of Baseball. I haven’t in four years of watching it (never followed it, but watch on the telly sometimes). ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-cricket/304710/37 "2005-05-21T12:39:53Z")
> [@Diehard](#): > > Oh Man…thts soo simple… > > -the LBW law → Even my 6 year old cousin knows it perfectly… 😉 > > - Muralithran → The man is legal. If he gets prodigious spin, its not by chucking. If he had a faster ball it would ve been a different case. Law should be taken in the context . > > - Duckworth lewis → remeber log tables?? 😃 Your explanation of the LBW law is ‘that your 6 year old cousin knows it’? :rolleyes: As for a ‘legal delivery’, perhaps you could explain more about **why** Muralithran is legal, and what ‘context’ the law should be taken in. Don’t forget to explain ‘spin’, ‘chucking’ and why ‘speed of delivery’ matters. Give reasons for Muralithran being suspended from international cricket, then reinstated. And why all this is ‘so simple’. Yes I do remember log tables. And they were **not** as simple as ‘counting from 1 to 10’. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-cricket/304710/38 "2005-05-21T12:54:38Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Basically, it’s a draw if there isn’t an outright win. Such draws don’t have much meaning, unless they’re part of a test series. If it’s five matches, and (for example) Australia have won the first two, a draw for the third match dramatically changes things. In league play does a draw determine how many points are earned ? To clarify matters (!) : if both scores end up the same then it is a tie. If they just run out of time then it is a draw. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-cricket/304710.md?page=1)