Cricket

Cricket

Cricket is a very interesting outdoor game. It is not our national game. It was introduced into this country by the English. It is the national game of the English. But now it is played in some countries of the world.
This game is played between two teams. Each team consists of eleven players. It is played on a large plot of ground. The ground must not be rough. Two bats, two sets of stumps and two pair of bails and a small leather ball, called the duce ball, are required. One set of stumps, which are three in number, is fixed just opposite to the other. The distance between them is twenty-two yards. The bails are placed on these stumps, which are called wickets. There are two judges. They are called umpires.
Of the two teams, at first one bats and the other bowls and fields. When the batting of the first team is over, the second team bats and the first one bowls and fields. At the beginning of the play, two batsmen of one party stand at the front of each set of the wickets. Of the eleven players of the other party one stands behind one set of wickets and another bowls from near the other set of wickets. The rest stand in different positions. Then the play begins.
The bowler throws the ball. He tries to hit the stumps opposite to him. The batsman resists it by trying to strike the ball hard with the bat. If he succeeds, he and the other batsman run from wicket to wicket until the bowler can catch hold of the ball. These runs are counted. If the ball touches any of the stumps, the batsman is out. If the batsman strikes the ball and if this ball is caught by a fielder while it is in the air, then also the batsman is out. He may be out in other ways as well. When one batsman is out, he retires and another goes in to bat. The batting continues till the tenth man is out.
The other party then takes bat. The play then goes on as before. The party that scores the greater number of runs wins the game.Cricket is one of the best outdoor game. Many schools have cricket teams. It is a good physical exercise. All the muscles are exercised. It makes a young man hardy and steady. It teaches us patience, and obedience. It also teaches us the value of co-operation and fellow-feeling. Professional cricketers earn a lot of money if they play well. Test matches are played between two countries. This helps to develop fellow-feeling between the people of those two countries. Thus Indians have played cricket matches with England, Australia, New Zealand, West Indies, Pakistan, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.
It is a good game, no doubt. But it is very costly. Some Indians have earned a great reptation all over the world as excellent cricketers. Our Government has conferred titles on some players in recognition of their skill in games