Physical Education
Project Report
On
“Cricket”
Under Supervision of Submitted by
Mr. Ram Lal Abhinav Kahra
Lecturer in Physical Education Roll No.
Class XII (Non-Medical)
D.A.V. Public School,
Pehowa
Session: 2018-19
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I express my deep sense of gratitude to Mr. Ram Lal, Lecturer of Physical
Education, D.A.V. Public School, Pehowa for his inspiration, valuable guidance
and constant encouragement in the completion of this project. Without him it
would have been an impossible task for me. I have put my sincere effort to make
this project interesting. I have fully consulted all the available books on this
subject and I am thankful to esteemed authors.
Abhinav Kahra
Class 10+2
Non-Medical
Roll No.
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the project report entitled “Cricket” has been carried
out by Abhinav Kahra under my guidance.
This project has been carried out as a part of Physical Education projects as
described by the Central board of Secondary Examination.
Mr. Ram Lal
Lecturer in Physical Education
Introduction
Cricket is a bat-and-ball team sport. Many variations exist, with its most popular form
played on an oval-shaped outdoor arena known as a cricket field at the centre of which is a
rectangular 22-yard (20.12 m) long pitch that is the focus of the game. A game (or match) is
contested between two teams of eleven players each. One team bats, trying to score as
many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and
thus limit the runs scored by the batting team. A run is scored by the striking batsman hitting the
ball with his bat, running to the opposite end of the pitch and touching the crease there without
being dismissed. The teams switch between batting and fielding at the end of aninnings.
There are also variations in the length of a game of cricket. In professional cricket this ranges
from a limit of 20 overs per side (Twenty20) to a game played over 5 days (Test cricket, which is
the highest level of the game). Depending on the form of the match being played, there are
different rules that govern how a game is won, lost, drawn or tied. The rules of two-innings
games are known as the Laws of Cricket and maintained by the ICC and the Marylebone Cricket
Club (MCC); additional Standard Playing Conditions for Test matches and One Day
Internationals augment these laws. In one version of Indoor Cricket, matches include just 6
players per side and include two 12-over innings.
Cricket was first documented as being played in southern England in the 16th century. By the
end of the 18th century, it had developed to the point where it had become the national sport of
England. The expansion of the British Empire led to cricket being played overseas and by the
mid-19th century the first international matches were being held. Today, the game's governing
body, the International Cricket Council(ICC), has 105 member countries. With its greatest
popularity in the Test playing countries, cricket is the world's second most popular sport
after Association football.
History
The Royal Grammar School, Guildford, was the site for cricket's earliest definite reference
Early cricket was at some time or another described as "a club striking a ball (like) the
ancient games of club-ball, stool-ball, trap-ball, stob-ball". Cricket can definitely be traced back
to Tudor times in early 16th-century England. Written evidence exists of a game known
as creag being played by Prince Edward, the son of Edward I (Longshanks), at Newenden, Kent
in 1301 and there has been speculation, but no evidence, that this was a form of cricket.
A number of other words have been suggested as sources for the term "cricket". In the
earliest definite reference to the sport in 1598, it is called creckett. Given the strong medieval
trade connections between south-east England and the County of Flanders when the latter
belonged to the Duchy of Burgundy, the name may have been derived from the Middle
Dutch krick(-e), meaning a stick (crook); or the Old English cricc or cryce meaning a crutch or
staff. In Old French, the word criquet seems to have meant a kind of club or stick. In Samuel
Johnson'sDictionary, he derived cricket from "cryce, Saxon, a stick". Another possible source is
the Middle Dutch wordkrickstoel, meaning a long low stool used for kneeling in church and
which resembled the long low wicket with twostumps used in early cricket.[12] According to
Heiner Gillmeister, a European language expert of Bonn University, "cricket" derives from the
Middle Dutch phrase for hockey, met de (krik ket)sen (i.e., "with the stick chase"). Dr Gillmeister
believes that not only the name but the sport itself is of Flemish origin.
In 1598, a court case referred to a sport called creckett being played by boys at the Royal
Grammar School, Guildford around 1550. This is the sport's earliest definite mention. It is
believed that it was originally a children's game but references around 1610 indicate that adults
had started playing it and the earliest reference to inter-parish or village cricket occurs soon
afterwards. In 1624, a player called Jasper Vinall was killed when he was struck on the head
during a match between two parish teams in Sussex.
The first English touring team on board ship at Liverpool in 1859
During the 17th century, numerous references indicate the growth of cricket in the south-
east of England. By the end of the century, it had become an organised activity being played for
high stakes and it is believed that the first professionals appeared in the years following
the Restoration in 1660. A newspaper report survives of "a great cricket match" with eleven
players a side that was played for high stakes in Sussex in 1697 and this is the earliest known
reference to a cricket match of such importance.
The game underwent major development in the 18th century and became the national
sport of England. Betting played a major part in that development with rich patrons forming their
own "select XIs". Cricket was prominent in London as early as 1707 and large crowds flocked to
matches on the Artillery Ground in Finsbury. The single wicket form of the sport attracted huge
crowds and wagers to match. Bowling evolved around 1760 when bowlers began to pitch the ball
instead of rolling or skimming it towards the batsman. This caused a revolution in bat design
because, to deal with the bouncing ball, it was necessary to introduce the modern straight bat in
place of the old "hockey stick" shape. The Hambledon Club was founded in the 1760s and, for
the next 20 years until the formation of MCC and the opening of Lord's Old Ground in 1787,
Hambledon was both the game's greatest club and its focal point. MCC quickly became the
sport's premier club and the custodian of the Laws of Cricket. New Laws introduced in the latter
part of the 18th century included the three stump wicket and leg before wicket (lbw).
Don Bradman had a Test average of 99.94 and an overall first-class average of 95.14,
records unmatched by any other player.
The 19th century saw underarm bowling replaced by first roundarm and then overarm
bowling. Both developments were controversial. Organisation of the game at county level led to
the creation of the county clubs, starting withSussex CCC in 1839, which ultimately formed the
official County Championship in 1890. Meanwhile, the British Empire had been instrumental in
spreading the game overseas and by the middle of the 19th century it had become well
established in India, North America, the Caribbean, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In
1844, the first international cricket match took place between the United
States and Canada (although neither has ever been ranked as a Test-playing nation).
In 1859, a team of England players went on the first overseas tour (to North America)
and in 1862, an English team made the first tour of Australia. In 1876–77, an England team took
part in the first-ever Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia.
W G Grace started his long career in 1865; his career is often said to have revolutionised
the sport.[18] The rivalry between England and Australia gave birth to The Ashes in 1882 and this
has remained Test cricket's most famous contest. Test cricket began to expand in 1888–89
when South Africa played England. The last two decades before the First World War have been
called the "Golden Age of cricket". It is a nostalgic name prompted by the collective sense of
loss resulting from the war, but the period did produce some great players and memorable
matches, especially as organised competition at county and Test level developed.
The inter-war years were dominated by one player: Australia's Don Bradman, statistically
the greatest batsman of all time. It was the determination of the England team to overcome his
skill that brought about the infamousBodyline series in 1932–33, particularly from the accurate
short-pitched bowling of Harold Larwood. Test cricket continued to expand during the 20th
century with the addition of the West Indies, India, and New Zealand before theSecond World
War and then Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh in the post-war period. However, South
Africa was banned from international cricket from 1970 to 1992 because of its
government's apartheid policy.
Cricket entered a new era in 1963 when English counties introduced the limited
overs variant. As it was sure to produce a result, limited overs cricket was lucrative and the
number of matches increased. The first Limited Overs International was played in 1971. The
governing International Cricket Council (ICC) saw its potential and staged the first limited
overs Cricket World Cup in 1975. In the 21st century, a new limited overs form, Twenty20, has
made an immediate impact.
Rules and Game-play
A typical cricket field.
A cricket match is played between two teams (or sides) of eleven players each on
a field of variable size and shape. The ground is grassy and is prepared by groundsmen whose
jobs include fertilising, mowing, rolling and levelling the surface. Field diameters of 137–150
metres (150–160 yd) are usual. The perimeter of the field is known as the boundary and this is
sometimes painted and sometimes marked by a rope that encircles the outer edge of the field.
The Laws of Cricket do not specify the size or shape of the field but it is often oval – one of
cricket's famous venues is called The Oval.
The key action takes place in a specially prepared area of the field (generally in the
centre) that is called the pitch. A run is scored when the batsman has run the length of the pitch
after hitting the ball with his bat, although as explained below there are many ways of scoring
runs. If the batsmen are not attempting to score any more runs, the ball is dead and is returned to
the bowler to be bowled again.
Before play commences, the two team captains toss a coin to decide which team
shall bat or bowl first. The captain who wins the toss makes his decision on the basis of tactical
considerations which may include the current and expected field and weather conditions.
The bowling side seeks to dismiss the batsmen by various means until the batting side is
all out, whereupon the side that was bowling takes its turn to bat and the side that was batting
must take the field. In professional matches, there are 15 people on the field while a match is in
play. Two of these are the umpires who regulate all on-field activity. Two are the batsmen, one
of whom is the striker as he is facing the bowling; the other is called the non-striker. The roles of
the batsmen are interchangeable as runs are scored and overs are completed. The fielding side
has all 11 players on the field together. One of them is the bowler, another is
the wicketkeeper and the other nine are called fielders. The wicketkeeper (or keeper) is nearly
always a specialist but any of the fielders can be called upon to bowl.
Objectives
The objective of each team is to score more runs than the other team and to
completely dismiss the other team. In limited overs cricket, winning the game is achieved by
scoring the most runs, even if the opposition has not been completely dismissed. In Test cricket,
it is necessary to score the most runs and dismiss the opposition twice in order to win the match,
which would otherwise be drawn.
Pitch, wickets and creases
The cricket pitch dimensions
At either end of the pitch, 22 yards (20 m) apart, are placed the wickets. These serve as a
target for the bowling (aka fielding) side and are defended by the batting side which seeks to
accumulate runs. The pitchis 22 yards (20 m) or one chain in length between the wickets and is
10 feet (3.0 m) wide. It is a flat surface and has very short grass that tends to be worn away as the
game progresses. The "condition" of the pitch has a significant bearing on the match and team
tactics are always determined with the state of the pitch, both current and anticipated, as a
deciding factor.
Each wicket consists of three wooden stumps placed in a straight line and surmounted by
two wooden crosspieces called bails; the total height of the wicket including bails is 28.5 inches
(720 mm) and the combined width of the three stumps is 9 inches (230 mm).
Four lines, known as creases, are painted onto the pitch around the wicket areas to define
the batsman's "safe territory" and to determine the limit of the bowler's approach. These are
called the "popping" (or batting) crease, the bowling crease and two "return" creases.
A wicketconsists of threestumps that are hammered into the ground, and topped with
two bails.
The stumps are placed in line on the bowling creases and so these must be 22 yards (20
m) apart. A bowling crease is 8 feet 8 inches (2.64 m) long with the middle stump placed dead
centre. The popping crease has the same length, is parallel to the bowling crease and is 4 feet
(1.2 m) in front of the wicket. The return creases are perpendicular to the other two; they are
adjoined to the ends of the popping crease and are drawn through the ends of the bowling crease
to a length of at least 8 feet (2.4 m).
When bowling the ball, the bowler's back foot in his "delivery stride" must land within the two
return creases while his front foot must land on or behind the popping crease. If the bowler
breaks this rule, the umpire calls "No ball".
The importance of the popping crease to the batsman is that it marks the limit of his safe
territory for he can be stumped or run out (see Dismissals below) if the wicket is broken while he
is "out of his ground".
Bat and ball
A cricket bat, front and back.
The essence of the sport is that a bowler delivers the ball from his end of the pitch
towards the batsman who, armed with a bat is "on strike" at the other end.
The bat is made of wood (usually White Willow) and has the shape of a blade topped by
a cylindrical handle. The blade must not be more than 4.25 inches (108 mm) wide and the total
length of the bat not more than 38 inches (970 mm).
The ball is a hard leather-seamed spheroid with a circumference of 9 inches (230 mm).
The hardness of the ball, which can be delivered at speeds of more than 90 miles per hour (140
km/h), is a matter for concern and batsmen wear protective clothing including pads (designed to
protect the knees and shins), batting gloves for the hands, a helmet for the head and a box inside
the trousers (to protect the crotch area). Some batsmen wear additional padding inside their shirts
and trousers such as thigh pads, arm pads, rib protectors and shoulder pads.
Umpires and scorers
The game on the field is regulated by two umpires, one of whom stands behind the
wicket at the bowler's end, the other in a position called "square leg", a position 15–20 metres to
the side of the "on strike" batsman. When the bowler delivers the ball, the umpire at the wicket is
between the bowler and the non-striker. The umpires confer if there is doubt about playing
conditions and can postpone the match by taking the players off the field if necessary, for
example rain or deterioration of the light.
An umpire
Off the field and in televised matches, there is often a third umpire who can make
decisions on certain incidents with the aid of video evidence. The third umpire is mandatory
under the playing conditions for Test matches and limited overs internationals played between
two ICC full members. These matches also have a match referee whose job is to ensure that play
is within the Laws of cricket and the spirit of the game.
Off the field, the match details including runs and dismissals are recorded by two
official scorers, one representing each team. The scorers are directed by the hand signals of an
umpire. For example, the umpire raises a forefinger to signal that the batsman is out (has been
dismissed); he raises both arms above his head if the batsman has hit the ball for six runs. The
scorers are required by the Laws of cricket to record all runs scored, wickets taken and overs
bowled. In practice, they accumulate much additional data such as bowling analyses and run
rates.
Innings
The innings (ending with 's' in both singular and plural form) is the term used for the
collective performance of the batting side. In theory, all eleven members of the batting side take
a turn to bat but, for various reasons, an "innings" can end before they all do so.
Depending on the type of match being played, each team has one or two innings apiece. The
term "innings" is also sometimes used to describe an individual batsman's contribution ("he
played a fine innings").
The main aim of the bowler, supported by his fielders, is to dismiss the batsman. A
batsman when dismissed is said to be "out" and that means he must leave the field of play and be
replaced by the next batsman on his team. When ten batsmen have been dismissed (i.e., are out),
then the whole team is dismissed and the innings is over. The last batsman, the one who has not
been dismissed, is not allowed to continue alone as there must always be two batsmen "in". This
batsman is termed "not out".
Overs
The bowler bowls the ball in sets of six deliveries (or "balls") and each set of six balls is
called an over. This name came about because the umpire calls "Over!" when six balls have been
bowled. At this point, another bowler is deployed at the other end, and the fielding side changes
ends while the batsmen do not. A bowler cannot bowl two successive overs, although a bowler
can bowl unchanged at the same end for several overs. The batsmen do not change ends and so
the one who was non-striker is now the striker and vice-versa. The umpires also change positions
so that the one who was at square leg now stands behind the wicket at the non-striker's end
and vice-versa.
Team structure
A team consists of eleven players. Depending on his or her primary skills, a player may
be classified as a specialist batsman or bowler. A well-balanced team usually has five or six
specialist batsmen and four or five specialist bowlers. Teams nearly always include a
specialist wicket-keeper because of the importance of this fielding position. Each team is headed
by a captain who is responsible for making tactical decisions such as determining the batting
order, the placement of fielders and the rotation of bowlers.
A player who excels in both batting and bowling is known as an all-rounder. One who excels as
a batsman and wicket-keeper is known as a "wicket-keeper/batsman", sometimes regarded as a
type of all-rounder. True all-rounders are rare as most players focus on either batting or bowling
skills.
Bowling
A typical bowling action
Sri Lankan bowler Muttiah Muralitharan, the highest wicket taker in
both Test and ODIforms of cricket bowls to Adam Gilchrist.
The bowler reaches his delivery stride by means of a "run-up", although some bowlers
with a very slow delivery take no more than a couple of steps before bowling. A fast bowler
needs momentum and takes quite a long run-up, running very fast as he does so.
The fastest bowlers can deliver the ball at a speed of over 90 miles per hour (140 km/h)
and they sometimes rely on sheer speed to try and defeat the batsman, who is forced to react very
quickly. Other fast bowlers rely on a mixture of speed and guile. Some fast bowlers make use of
the seam of the ball so that it "curves" or "swings" in flight. This type of delivery can deceive a
batsman into mistiming his shot so that the ball touches the edge of the bat and can then be
"caught behind" by the wicketkeeper or a slip fielder.
At the other end of the bowling scale is the "spinner" who bowls at a relatively slow pace
and relies entirely on guile to deceive the batsman. A spinner will often "buy his wicket" by
"tossing one up" (in a slower, higher parabolic path) to lure the batsman into making a poor shot.
The batsman has to be very wary of such deliveries as they are often "flighted" or spun so that
the ball will not behave quite as he expects and he could be "trapped" into getting himself out.
In between the pacemen and the spinners are the "medium pacers" who rely on persistent
accuracy to try and contain the rate of scoring and wear down the batsman's concentration.
All bowlers are classified according to their looks or style. The classifications, as with much
cricket terminology, can be very confusing. Hence, a bowler could be classified as LF, meaning
he is a left arm fast bowler; or as LBG, meaning he is a right arm spin bowler who bowls
deliveries that are called a "leg break" and a "Googly".
During the bowling action the elbow may be held at any angle and may bend further, but may
not straighten out. If the elbow straightens illegally then the square-leg umpire may call no-ball:
this is known as "throwing" or "chucking", and can be difficult to detect. The current laws allow
a bowler to straighten his arm 15 degrees or less.
Fielding
All eleven players on the fielding side take the field together. One of them is the wicket-
keeper aka "keeper" who operates behind the wicket being defended by the batsman on strike.
Wicket-keeping is normally a specialist occupation and his primary job is to gather deliveries
that the batsman does not hit, so that the batsmen cannot run byes. He wears special gloves (he is
the only fielder allowed to do so), a box over the groin, and pads to cover his lower legs. Owing
to his position directly behind the striker, the wicket-keeper has a good chance of getting a
batsman out caught off a fine edge from the bat. He is the only player who can get a batsman
out stumped.
Apart from the one currently bowling, the other nine fielders are tactically deployed by
the team captain in chosen positions around the field. These positions are not fixed but they are
known by specific and sometimes colourful names such as "slip", "third man", "silly mid on" and
"long leg". There are always many unprotected areas.
The captain is the most important member of the fielding side as he determines all the
tactics including who should bowl (and how); and he is responsible for "setting the field", though
usually in consultation with the bowler.
In all forms of cricket, if a fielder gets injured or becomes ill during a match,
a substitute is allowed to field instead of him. The substitute cannot bowl, act as a captain or
keep wicket. The substitute leaves the field when the injured player is fit to return.
Batting
English cricketer W.G. Grace"taking guard" in 1883. His pads and bat are very similar to
those used today. The gloves have evolved somewhat. Many modern players utilise more
defensive equipment than was available to Grace, notably helmets and arm guards.
At any one time, there are two batsmen in the playing area. One takes station at the
striker's end to defend the wicket as above and to score runs if possible. His partner, the non-
striker, is at the end where the bowler is operating.
Batsmen come in to bat in a batting order, decided by the team captain. The first two
batsmen – the "openers" – usually face the hostile bowling from fresh fast bowlers with a new
ball. The top batting positions are usually given to the most competent batsmen in the team, and
the non-batsmen typically bat last. The pre-announced batting order is not mandatory and when a
wicket falls any player who has not yet batted may be sent in next.
If a batsman "retires" (usually due to injury) and cannot return, he is actually "not out" and his
retirement does not count as a dismissal, though in effect he has been dismissed because his
innings is over. Substitute batsmen are not allowed.
A skilled batsman can use a wide array of "shots" or "strokes" in both defensive and
attacking mode. The idea is to hit the ball to best effect with the flat surface of the bat's blade. If
the ball touches the side of the bat it is called an "edge". Batsmen do not always seek to hit the
ball as hard as possible, and a good player can score runs just by making a deft stroke with a turn
of the wrists or by simply "blocking" the ball but directing it away from fielders so that he has
time to take a run.
There is a wide variety of shots played in cricket. The batsman's repertoire includes
strokes named according to the style of swing and the direction aimed: e.g., "cut", "drive",
"hook", "pull".
Note that a batsman does not have to play a shot and can "leave" the ball to go through to
the wicketkeeper, providing he thinks it will not hit his wicket. Equally, he does not have to
attempt a run when he hits the ball with his bat. He can deliberately use his leg to block the ball
and thereby "pad it away" but this is risky because of the leg before wicket rule.
In the event of an injured batsman being fit to bat but not to run, the umpires and the
fielding captain may allow another member of the batting side to be a runner. The runner's only
task is to run between the wickets instead of the injured batsman. The runner is required to wear
and carry exactly the same equipment as the incapacitated batsman. It is possible for both
batsmen to have runners.
Runs
The directions in which aright-handed batsman intends to send the ball when playing
various cricketing shots. The diagram for a left-handedbatsman is a mirror image of this one.
The primary concern of the batsman on strike (i.e., the "striker") is to prevent the ball hitting the
wicket and secondarily to score runsby hitting the ball with his bat so that he and his partner have
time to run from one end of the pitch to the other before the fielding side can return the ball. To
register a run, both runners must touch the ground behind the crease with either their bats or their
bodies (the batsmen carry their bats as they run). Each completed run increments the score.
More than one run can be scored from a single hit; but, while hits worth one to three runs are
common, the size of the field is such that it is usually difficult to run four or more. To
compensate for this, hits that reach the boundary of the field are automatically awarded four runs
if the ball touches the ground en route to the boundary or six runs if the ball clears the boundary
on the full. The batsmen do not need to run if the ball reaches or crosses the boundary.
Extras
Additional runs can be gained by the batting team as extras (called "sundries" in Australia) due
to errors made by the fielding side. This is achieved in four ways:
1. No ball: a penalty of one extra that is conceded by the bowler if he breaks the rules of
bowling either by (a) using an inappropriate arm action; (b) overstepping the popping
crease; (c) having a foot outside the return crease. In addition, the bowler has to re-bowl
the ball. In limited overs matches, a no ball is called if the bowling team's field setting
fails to comply with the restrictions. In shorter formats of the game (20–20, ODI) the free
hit rule has been introduced. The ball following a front foot no-ball will be a free-hit for
the batsman, whereby he is safe from losing his wicket except for being run-out.
2. Wide: a penalty of one extra that is conceded by the bowler if he bowls so that the ball is
out of the batsman's reach; as with a no ball, a wide must be re-bowled.
3. Bye: extra(s) awarded if the batsman misses the ball and it goes past the wicketkeeper to
give the batsmen time to run in the conventional way (note that one mark of a good
wicketkeeper is one who restricts the tally of byes to a minimum).
4. Leg bye: extra(s) awarded if the ball hits the batsman's body, but not his bat, while
attempting a legitimate shot, and it goes away from the fielders to give the batsmen time
to run in the conventional way.
When the bowler has bowled a no ball or a wide, his team incurs an additional penalty because
that ball (i.e., delivery) has to be bowled again and hence the batting side has the opportunity to
score more runs from this extra ball. The batsmen have to run (i.e., unless the ball goes to the
boundary for four) to claim byes and leg byes but these only count towards the team total, not to
the striker's individual total for which runs must be scored off the bat.
