by Antony J Waller

Created on: July 09, 2009   Last Updated: March 18, 2011

With the Cricket World Cup currently being played in India and following England's magnificent Test Series and recent Ashes success in Australia the sport of cricket is well and truly in the spotlight at the moment.

To those unfamiliar with the sport cricket must at first seem a puzzling mix of a game played on many levels and in differing guises. In its oldest form it is the battle for The Ashes played out between England and Australia on the hallowed turf of Lord's, the home of cricket. In its more recent form a fast and furious game played under floodlights. Cricket, a game whose origins are thought to date back to Saxon or Norman times, has developed from rather rudimentary beginnings in the C16th and via the Victorians in the days of the British Empire into the game watched and played by millions all over the world.

There are two different forms of the game. 'First Class' cricket and 'Limited overs' cricket.

'First Class' cricket is typically a match played over a pre-determined duration of two to five days with both teams, time permitting, having two innings each. Matches which fall into this category include Test Cricket, matches played between international teams; and County or National or State Cricket played between domestic teams. The winner is the team who scores the most runs over the course of their two innings and bowls the opposing side out for a lesser total. Frequently time or even weather constraints mean the result may be a draw, with no clear winner.

'Limited overs' cricket on the other hand is a one innings match played over a specific time frame, each side bowling a set number of overs. This may vary from as few as 10 overs to as many as 60 overs. The winning team is the side who scores the most runs, bowling the opposition out for a lesser score. This form of cricket has become more popular over recent years. 'Limited overs' cricket is the format of World Cup cricket, one day international cricket, and many domestic cricket competitions played by not only professional cricketers, but by amateur 'Sunday afternoon' cricketers. The last few years have also seen the introduction and growing popularity of 20/20 cricket, a match played over just 20 overs per side.

Mention should be made of a few other types of more informal cricket played, although these are not always 'cricket matches' in the true meaning of the word. These include beach cricket, indoor cricket and kwik (quick) cricket, a fast and flexible format of the game designed to introduce children to cricket. There is also French cricket, a game played by children holding a bat to defend their legs from the ball, whilst trying to avoid being caught out by the fielders.

Whatever your cricket preferences and whether watching as a spectator or playing, enjoy the game.

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