92-531: Cricket AM is a Saturday-morning cricket -based television programme that was broadcast in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports 1 . It began broadcasting in May 2006, and is largely based on its successful football -related counterpart Soccer AM , as a replacement during the football off-season. The show lasts for 90 minutes and is presented by Matt Floyd, who has taken over from Simon Thomas , and Sarah-Jane Mee ,
184-673: A cork core layered with tightly wound string. The earliest known definite reference to cricket is to it being played in South East England in the mid-16th century. It spread globally with the expansion of the British Empire , with the first international matches in the second half of the 19th century. The game's governing body is the International Cricket Council (ICC), which has over 100 members, twelve of which are full members who play Test matches. The game's rules,
276-456: A public school education who had then gone to one of Cambridge or Oxford University . Society insisted that such people were "officers and gentlemen" whose destiny was to provide leadership. In a purely financial sense, the cricketing amateur would theoretically claim expenses for playing while his professional counterpart played under contract and was paid a wage or match fee; in practice, many amateurs claimed more than actual expenditure, and
368-493: A splice . The handle is usually covered with a rubber grip. Bats incorporate a wooden spring design where the handle meets the blade. The current design of a cane handle spliced into a willow blade through a tapered splice was the invention in the 1880s of Charles Richardson , a pupil of Brunel and the first Chief Engineer of the Severn Railway Tunnel . Spliced handles had been used before this but tended to break at
460-402: A batter who is making batter's ground to avoid a run out , by holding the bat and touching the ground with it. The length of the bat may be no more than 38 inches (96.5 cm) and the width no more than 4.25 inches (10.8 cm). Its use is first mentioned in 1624. Since 1979, a law change has dictated that cricket bats can only be made from wood. The blade of a cricket bat is a wooden block that
552-512: A big seller and various scooped bats such as the GN500, Dynadrive and Viper have been released by Gray-Nicolls ever since, including a re-release of the Scoop itself for the 2012 English season. The removal of wood from the rear has been copied by many other companies without much critical acclaim. In 1979 Australian cricketer Dennis Lillee briefly used a ComBat aluminium bat . After some discussion with
644-561: A collared shirt with short or long sleeves; long trousers; woolen pullover (if needed); cricket cap (for fielding) or a safety helmet; and spiked shoes or boots to increase traction. The kit is traditionally all white, and this remains the case in Test and first-class cricket, but in limited overs cricket, team colours are now worn instead. i) A used white ball. White balls are mainly used in limited overs cricket , especially in matches played at night, under floodlights (left). The essence of
736-403: A cricket bat, "The blade shall consist solely of wood..." Since bamboo is grass, this Law would need to be changed to allow bamboo bats. The statement further read that the issue of bamboo bats and other alternatives to willow would be discussed in the next Laws sub-committee meeting. Several organisations have made giant cricket bats and claimed them as the largest bat in the world. According to
828-454: A fence, part of the stands, a rope, a painted line, or a combination of these; the boundary must if possible be marked along its entire length. In the approximate centre of the field is a rectangular pitch (see image, below) on which a wooden target called a wicket is sited at each end; the wickets are placed 22 yards (20 m) apart. The pitch is a flat surface 10 feet (3.0 m) wide, with very short grass that tends to be worn away as
920-493: A higher or lower centre of balance, and different "sweet spot" sizes and locations. One issue presented as the case against Kashmir willow is the warmer growing region. The timber is said to be firmer, with less spring. However, this is a common issue for English willow bats, too. Due to the shortage of stock and demand for English willow, many small plantations on private property have been established in ideal conditions, with trees maturing as young as 10 to 12 years. This has meant
1012-598: A highly popular format, putting the longer formats at risk. The new shorter format also introduced franchise cricket, with new tournaments like the Indian Premier League and the Australian Big Bash League . The ICC has selected the T20 format as cricket's growth format, and has introduced a T20 World Cup which is played every two years; T20 cricket has also been increasingly accepted into major events such as
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#17330853960611104-452: A key difference is the existence of a solid target structure, the wicket (originally, it is thought, a " wicket gate " through which sheep were herded), that the batter must defend. The cricket historian Harry Altham identified three "groups" of "club ball" games: the "hockey group", in which the ball is driven to and from between two targets (the goals); the "golf group", in which the ball is driven towards an undefended target (the hole); and
1196-506: A legacy of the game's reputed origins. Although the first forms of cricket are obscure, it may be that the game was first played using shepherd's crooks . The bat generally recognised as the oldest bat still in existence is dated 1729 and is on display in the Sandham Room at The Oval in London. When first purchased, most bats are not ready for immediate use and require knocking-in to allow
1288-445: A much wider grain in the wood, sometimes leading to bats with as few as 6 or even 4 grains. Bats with 8 or fewer grains are held to be harder and take longer to play well, but also to last longer. Bats with 16 or more grains are held to be softer and more playable immediately but with a reduced lifespan. 8 to 12 grains is commonly the desirable range. Australia is another country growing Salix alba var. caerulea for cricket bats, with
1380-658: A number of regular studio features on the show, including Ready Steady Freddie , a segment featuring prominent England all-rounder Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff competing against professionals in a number of different sports. Freddie has competed against Ricky Hatton at boxing, Joey Barton at football, and has played table tennis , tenpin bowling , archery , baseball , basketball and darts against world champion Phil "The Power" Taylor , with mixed success. Another regular feature has two animated characters ("Willow and "Stumpy") explaining unusual rules or jargon. 'Champagne Cork' features Hampshire's Dominic Cork looking back at
1472-456: A proportion of the total volume of the handle, materials other than cane, wood or twine are restricted to one-tenth " . Also in late 2008, SAFBats created a cricket bat with an offset edge. The edge offsetting allowed for an extended middle, better swing weight and increased performance without compromising the cricket bat's balance. The production models were available in 2009, and the bat won awards in 2010 and 2012. In 2004, Newbery created
1564-433: A set of 6 fair opportunities for the batting team to score) and the game generally lasts three to four hours. Traditionally, cricketers play in all-white kit , but in limited overs cricket , they wear club or team colours. In addition to the basic kit, some players wear protective gear to prevent injury caused by the ball, which is a hard, solid spheroid made of compressed leather with a slightly raised sewn seam enclosing
1656-517: A standard laminated cane and rubber handle. It was used by Newbery and Puma for three years before the concept was copied by Gray Nicolls with a hollow plastic tube. However, this provoked the MCC to change the law on materials in handles amid fears that the new technology would lead to an increase in the distance the ball was hit. Appendix B.2.3. in the Laws of Cricket concerns - Materials in handle and states that "As
1748-441: A traditional willow bat and hence, can be thinner and lighter than a willow bat, providing strength similar to a willow bat. The bamboo bat the researchers used was a specially made prototype laminated bat made by sticking layers of bamboo wood together. The sweet spot on the bamboo bat performed 19% better than that on a willow bat. Alternatives to willow, such as bamboo can further drive cricket's global expansion in regions where
1840-816: A trust exercise between the buyer and the brand, that the brand has not inflated their supply of "English willow" bats by sourcing blanks from India as well as England. This risk of substitution is a major hurdle for small brands looking to get bats manufactured in India. Resources are needed to ensure the integrity and custody of the English willow at all stages of production. English willow bats with minor visual defects such as grains that are not perfectly straight, or discolourations, are also cheaper. Former England captain Geoffrey Boycott has stated that such bats will play just as well as better-looking ones and that players ought to buy
1932-402: A wicket with the ball before a batter can cross the crease line in front of the wicket. When ten batters have been dismissed, the innings (playing phase) ends and the teams swap roles. Forms of cricket range from traditional Test matches played over five days to the newer Twenty20 format (also known as T20 ), in which each team bats for a single innings of 20 overs (each "over" being
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#17330853960612024-416: A winner or tie.) The wicket-keeper (a specialised fielder behind the batter) and the batters wear protective gear because of the hardness of the ball, which can be delivered at speeds of more than 145 kilometres per hour (90 mph) and presents a major health and safety concern. Protective clothing includes pads (designed to protect the knees and shins), batting gloves or wicket-keeper's gloves for
2116-449: Is certain that cricket was being played c. 1550 by boys in Surrey . The view that it was originally a children's game is reinforced by Randle Cotgrave 's 1611 English- French dictionary in which he defined the noun " crosse " as "the crooked staff wherewith boys play at cricket", and the verb form " crosser " as "to play at cricket". One possible source for the sport's name
2208-423: Is drawn four feet in front of the bowling crease and parallel to it; although it is drawn as a 12 ft (3.7 m) line (six feet on either side of the wicket), it is, in fact, unlimited in length. The return creases are drawn at right angles to the popping crease so that they intersect the ends of the bowling crease; each return crease is drawn as an 8 ft (2.4 m) line, so that it extends four feet behind
2300-401: Is generally flat on the striking face and with a ridge on the reverse (back) which concentrates wood in the middle where the ball is generally hit. The bat is traditionally made from willow wood, specifically from a variety of white willow called cricket bat willow ( Salix alba var. caerulea ), treated with raw (unboiled) linseed oil , which has a protective function. This variety of willow
2392-635: Is known, through numerous references found in the records of ecclesiastical court cases, to have been proscribed at times by the Puritans before and during the Commonwealth . The problem was nearly always the issue of Sunday play, as the Puritans considered cricket to be "profane" if played on the Sabbath , especially if large crowds or gambling were involved. According to the social historian Derek Birley , there
2484-556: Is the Old English word " cryce " (or " cricc " ) meaning a crutch or staff. In Samuel Johnson 's Dictionary , he derived cricket from " cryce , Saxon, a stick". In Old French , the word " criquet " seems to have meant a kind of club or stick. Given the strong medieval trade connections between south-east England and the County of Flanders when the latter belonged to the Duchy of Burgundy ,
2576-460: Is the earliest mention of adult participation in cricket and it was around the same time that the earliest known organised inter-parish or village match was played, at Chevening, Kent . In 1624, a player called Jasper Vinall died after he was accidentally struck on the head during a match between two parish teams in Sussex. Cricket remained a low-key local pursuit for much of the 17th century. It
2668-438: Is used as it is very tough and shock-resistant, not being significantly dented nor splintering on the impact of a cricket ball at high speed , while also being light in weight. The face of the bat is often covered with a protective film by the user. In 1900 Percy Stuart Surridge developed a reinforced toe. The blade is connected to a long cylindrical cane handle , similar to that of a mid-20th-century tennis racquet , using
2760-430: Is used, rather than boiled linseed oil , as the raw form is also a drying oil but very slow "drying", and so the surface remains tacky. Applied regularly, this has a protective effect on the wood and makes it less sensitive to humidity changes in the atmosphere, which could cause warping or splitting. Another important factor is that it increases the surface friction of the ball to the bat surface, giving better control of
2852-787: The Laws of Cricket , are maintained by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in London . The sport is followed primarily in South Asia , Australia , New Zealand , the United Kingdom , Southern Africa , and the West Indies . Women's cricket , which is organised and played separately, has also achieved international standard. The most successful side playing international cricket is Australia , which has won eight One Day International trophies, including six World Cups , more than any other country, and has been
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2944-567: The Asian Games . The resultant growth has seen cricket's fanbase cross one billion people, with 90% of them in South Asia. T20's success has also spawned even shorter formats , such as 10-over cricket (T10) and 100-ball cricket , though not without controversy. Outside factors have also taken their toll on cricket. For example, the 2008 Mumbai attacks led India and Pakistan to suspend their bilateral series indefinitely. The 2009 attack on
3036-629: 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 Australia , the Caribbean , British India (which includes present-day Pakistan and Bangladesh ), New Zealand , North America and South Africa . In 1862, an English team made the first tour of Australia. The first Australian team to travel overseas consisted of Aboriginal stockmen who toured England in 1868 . In 1876–77, an England team took part in what
3128-461: The Dukes of Richmond , exerted their honour code of noblesse oblige to claim rights of leadership in any sporting contests they took part in, especially as it was necessary for them to play alongside their "social inferiors" if they were to win their bets. In time, a perception took hold that the typical amateur who played in first-class cricket, until 1962 when amateurism was abolished, was someone with
3220-811: The Dwayne Leverock (2007) and the Jesse Ryder Pavilion for the 2008 season. In 2011, it has been renamed the Douglas Jardine Pavilion. The pavilion is filled by the members of a club cricket team, who compete in a bowl-out in the outdoor car park at the end of the show. Throw Time , a feature in which county cricket teams were visited and contested to throw a ball at the stumps with their "wrong" hand, closely resembled Soccer AM' s Crossbar Challenge . In 2009, two weekly features called 'Ultimate Sportsman' and 'Brain + Brawn' were introduced. In 'Ultimate Sportsman', three county professionals all from
3312-430: The batting team, the striker and nonstriker, stand in front of either wicket holding bats , while one player from the fielding team, the bowler, bowls the ball toward the striker's wicket from the opposite end of the pitch. The striker's goal is to hit the bowled ball with the bat and then switch places with the nonstriker, with the batting team scoring one run for each of these exchanges. Runs are also scored when
3404-402: The top-rated Test side more than any other country. Cricket is one of many games in the "club ball" sphere that involve hitting a ball with a hand-held implement. Others include baseball (which shares many similarities with cricket, both belonging in the more specific bat-and-ball games category ), golf , hockey , tennis , squash , badminton and table tennis . In cricket's case,
3496-569: The "cricket group", in which "the ball is aimed at a mark (the wicket) and driven away from it". It is generally believed that cricket originated as a children's game in the south-eastern counties of England, sometime during the medieval period . Although there are claims for prior dates, the earliest definite reference to cricket being played comes from evidence given at a court case in Guildford in January 1597 ( Old Style , equating to January 1598 in
3588-414: The "sweet spot" of the blade providing more power to each stroke, whilst still having good balance and light "pick up". This style of the bat was made famous by Lance Cairns 's six sixes in a match played in 1983. The 1970s saw double-sided bats from Warsop Stebbing. With the advent of Twenty20 cricket, double-sided bats are experiencing renewed interest. In 1974 the first GN100 Scoop was released; this
3680-546: The 1820s. The industry combines traditional tools with modern technology. Some of the districts where these bats are made in Kashmir are Anantnag , Baramula , and Pahalgam . The species is identical ( Salix alba var. caerulea ) to English willow. Kashmir willow bats play well and no evidence has been presented that the wood or finished product has different properties or plays any differently. However, Kashmir willow bats sell for significantly lower prices than English willow, on
3772-448: The 1980s Stuart Surridge & Co developed the Turbo. Designed by John Surridge, the bat was formed from two pieces of willow which reduced the flex and increased the transfer of power. The bat was used by Graham Gooch for his record 333 against India in 1990. In 2005 Kookaburra released a new type of bat that had a carbon fibre-reinforced polymer support down the spine of the bat. It
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3864-651: The 2010 version of the IPL . Gareth Andrew , the Worcestershire all-rounder, scored his maiden 100 with an MMi3 in professional cricket when he hit 100 off 58 balls at the Oval in 2010 against Surrey. In 2008, Lekka Cricket launched a T20 format bat, the Big Hitter. Black Cat Cricket then launched a T20 format bat, the Joker, in 2009. These worked on a similar principle to other T20 bats with
3956-544: The English willow ( Salix alba var. caerulea ) trees diminishing in numbers across England, researchers have tried to invent modern alternatives to cricket bats made of wood from the willow tree. According to a study published in The Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology by Dr Darshil Shah and Ben TInkler-Davies of the University of Cambridge , cricket bats made of wood from the bamboo plant provide higher strength than
4048-571: The Middle Dutch phrase for hockey, " met de (krik ket)sen " ("with the stick chase"). Gillmeister has suggested that not only the name but also the sport itself may be of Flemish origin. Although the main object of the game has always been to score the most runs , the early form of cricket differed from the modern game in certain key technical aspects; the North American variant of cricket known as wicket retained many of these aspects. The ball
4140-513: The Sri Lankan team during their tour of Pakistan led to Pakistan being unable to host matches until 2019. In 2017, Afghanistan and Ireland became the 11th and 12th Test nations. In cricket, the rules of the game are codified in The Laws of Cricket (hereinafter called "the Laws"), which has a global remit. There are 42 Laws (always written with a capital "L"). The earliest known version of
4232-547: The Uzi, with a truncated blade and elongated handle for the new Twenty20 format of the game. This change allowed more wood to be placed in the middle, as more attacking shots are played in the shorter version of the game. In 2009, an extreme version of the Newbery Uzi shape named the Mi3 was launched by Mongoose. The design is unusual in that the blade is 33% shorter than a conventional bat and
4324-418: The ball reaches the boundary of the field or when the ball is bowled illegally . The fielding team tries to prevent runs from being scored by dismissing batters (so they are "out"). Means of dismissal include being bowled , when the ball hits the striker's wicket and dislodges the bails, and by the fielding side either catching the ball after it is hit by the bat but before it hits the ground, or hitting
4416-449: The batting team are on the field at any given time. The order of batters is usually announced just before the match, but it can be varied. The main objective of each team is to score more runs than their opponents, but in some forms of cricket, it is also necessary to dismiss all but one of the opposition batters (making their team 'all out') in their final innings in order to win the match, which would otherwise be drawn (not ending with
4508-530: The belief that the English willow bats are superior. Kashmir willow bats are widespread in social and amateur competitions, although English willow is seen as a more "serious" cricketer's bat. Much of the English Willow cricket bat market consists of bats that are made in India from imported English willow blanks. It would be virtually impossible to detect "counterfeit" English willow bats made from Kashmir willow. The marketing of English willow bats is, therefore,
4600-711: The best moments of the past seven days, also there is a Stat of the Week, presented by the Sky Sport Statistician Benedict Bermange , while one of the Sky Sports commentary team is sitting behind him looking distinctly unimpressed. The show mirrors Soccer AM very closely in many regards; the Luther Blissett Stand was renamed as the Gary Pratt cricket pavilion , (2006). It was subsequently renamed as
4692-511: The blade length reduced by one inch and an inch longer handle, but uniquely reduced the width of the bat to 4 inches in an adult bat. Modern bats are usually hand-made in the Indian sub-continent (India or Pakistan) due to the low cost of labour. However a few specialists in England, Australia, and New Zealand still make bats, mostly with use of a CNC lathe . Traditional Indian cricket bats are made in
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#17330853960614784-507: The body. Time ends when the weight cannot be held for any longer. Cricket First-class cricket One Day International Limited overs (domestic) Twenty20 International Twenty20 (domestic) Other forms Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field , at the centre of which is a 22-yard (20-metre; 66-foot) pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails (small sticks) balanced on three stumps . Two players from
4876-421: The bowling crease, but is also, in fact, unlimited in length. Before a match begins, the team captains (who are also players) toss a coin to decide which team will bat first and so take the first innings . "Innings" is the term used for each phase of play in the match. In each innings, one team bats, attempting to score runs , while the other team bowls and fields the ball , attempting to restrict
4968-453: The cheaper ones to get the same performance at a better price. It is unlikely that any difference in performance can be noted by most players from imperfections unless they are severe. Provided the willow has been handled and prepared competently after felling and during the bat's creation, the much more important factor is the pickup (or weight distribution) of the bat, and its suitability to the player's style. Different shaping techniques create
5060-479: The code was drafted in 1744, and since 1788, it has been owned and maintained by its custodian, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in London . Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played on a cricket field (see image of cricket pitch and creases) between two teams of eleven players each. The field is usually circular or oval in shape, and the edge of the playing area is marked by a boundary , which may be
5152-432: The corner of the join. The taper provides a more gradual transfer of load from the bat's blade to the handle and avoids this problem. The edges of the blade closest to the handle are known as the shoulders of the bat, and the bottom of the blade is known as the toe of the bat. Bats were not always this shape. Before the 18th century, bats tended to be shaped similarly to modern hockey sticks . This may well have been
5244-548: The derisive term "shamateur" was coined to describe the practice. The game underwent major development in the 18th century to become England's national sport . Its success was underwritten by the twin necessities of patronage and betting. Cricket was prominent in London as early as 1707 and, in the middle years of the century, large crowds flocked to matches on the Artillery Ground in Finsbury . The single wicket form of
5336-405: The earliest known contest that is generally considered a First Class match. The patrons and other players from the gentry began to classify themselves as " amateurs " to establish a clear distinction from the professionals, who were invariably members of the working class , even to the point of having separate changing and dining facilities. The gentry, including such high-ranking nobles as
5428-615: The entire Australian stock descended from staves sent to Australia in the 1930s from the then-England captain to his Australian counterpart. Australia grew its willow for decades until Slazenger bought the company which owned most of the plantations. Slazenger's only interest was in apparel and the plantations were mostly sold and destroyed. In the 1990s a project was launched to again commercially grow cricket bat willow. There are now plantations in Victoria and New South Wales, but not Queensland, where all forms of willow cultivation are banned. With
5520-456: The existence of players like him who were nominally amateur but, in terms of their financial gain, de facto professional. Grace himself was said to have been paid more money for playing cricket than any professional. 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
5612-631: The first limited overs Cricket World Cup in 1975 . Sri Lanka joined the ranks in 1982. Meanwhile, South Africa was banned by the ICC due to apartheid from 1970 until 1992. 1992 also brought about the introduction of the Zimbabwe team . The 21st century brought with it the Bangladesh Team , who made their Test debut in 2000. The game itself also grew, with a new format made up of 20-over innings being created. This format, called T20 cricket , quickly became
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#17330853960615704-450: The game at county level led to the creation of the county clubs , starting with Sussex in 1839. In December 1889, the eight leading county clubs formed the official County Championship , which began in 1890. The most famous player of the 19th century was W. G. Grace , who started his long and influential career in 1865. It was especially during the career of Grace that the distinction between amateurs and professionals became blurred by
5796-424: The game progresses (cricket can also be played on artificial surfaces, notably matting). Each wicket is made of three wooden stumps topped by two bails . As illustrated, the pitch is marked at each end with four white painted lines: a bowling crease , a popping crease and two return creases . The three stumps are aligned centrally on the bowling crease, which is eight feet eight inches long. The popping crease
5888-432: The game quickly grew from 500 tests in 84 years to 1000 within the next 23. 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, and the governing International Cricket Council (ICC), seeing its potential, staged
5980-421: The greatest Test batter of all time. To curb his dominance, England employed bodyline tactics during the 1932–33 Ashes series . These involved bowling at the body of the batter and setting a field, resulting in batters having to choose between being hit or risk getting out. This series moved cricket from a game to a matter of national importance , with diplomatic cables being passed between the two countries over
6072-409: The handle is 43% longer. Launched with a fanfare of publicity, it proclaimed the idea of not defending the ball in the T20 format and purely playing attacking shots. On 11 March 2010, Mongoose launched its range in India with the announcement of Matthew Hayden as the brand ambassador. Stuart Law , the former Australian Test player, called it "a half-brick on a stick". The bat was used by Hayden in
6164-529: The hands, a safety helmet for the head, and a box for male players inside the trousers (to protect the crotch area). Some batters wear additional padding inside their shirts and trousers such as thigh pads, arm pads, rib protectors and shoulder pads. The only fielders allowed to wear protective gear are those in positions very close to the batter (i.e., if they are alongside or in front of him), but they cannot wear gloves or external leg guards. Subject to certain variations, on-field clothing generally includes
6256-515: The incident. During this time, the number of Test nations continued to grow, with the West Indies , New Zealand and India being admitted as full Test members within a four-year period from 1928 to 1932. An enforced break during the Second World War stopped Test Cricket for a time, although the Partition of India caused Pakistan to gain Test status in 1952. As teams began to travel more,
6348-568: The latter taking over from Anita Rani . During the English Cricket Season either an England test or game or a County Cricket game followed the programme. The programme was last broadcast in 2013, and Sky confirmed it would not return for the 2014 season. The show features a range of regular cricket-related programming features. Studio guests include past and present cricketers, and musicians with an interest in cricket. Aside from results, previews and commentary on ongoing cricket, there are
6440-421: The legality of the bat at any time. Bats are available in a range of sizes, with some manufacturers offering unique variations. Commonly found are children's sizes 0 to 6, youth size Harrow and adult sizes. SH (Short Handle) is the most common adult size, whilst long handle and long blade options are also available. Children's sizes increase in length and width as the size increase. Although most adult bats will be
6532-418: The maximum width permitted (4.25 inches), no generally available cricket bat is a maximum length of 38 very few exceed 35 inches. Various companies have over the years tried new shapes that come within the laws of the game to make a name for themselves and to improve sales. In the 1960s the first shoulderless bats appeared from Slazenger . This allowed more of the weight to be redistributed to
6624-413: The modern calendar). The case concerned ownership of a certain plot of land, and the court heard the testimony of a 59-year-old coroner , John Derrick , who gave witness that: Being a scholler in the ffree schoole of Guldeford hee and diverse of his fellows did runne and play there at creckett and other plaies. Given Derrick's age, it was about half a century earlier when he was at school, and so it
6716-541: The name may have been derived from the Middle Dutch (in use in Flanders at the time) " krick " ( -e ), meaning a stick (crook). Another possible source is the Middle Dutch word " krickstoel " , meaning a long low stool used for kneeling in church that resembled the long low wicket with two stumps used in early cricket. According to Heiner Gillmeister, a European language expert of Bonn University , "cricket" derives from
6808-538: The regions of Jammu and Kashmir , Punjab , Haryana , Gujarat , Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan . In Kashmir they are made out of willow found in northern India. Some bats made in Kashmir are of international standards and are/were used by national players in India Sunil Gavaskar , Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh . The willow used in making bats in Kashmir was brought in by the British, who ruled India, during
6900-423: The same team compete to become the ultimate sportsman. A penalty shootout, a golf pitching challenge and a 3 dart throw are completed, and the player with the most points after this is the winner. In 'Brain + Brawn', two players from the same team attempt to score as many points as possible. One player has to answer quiz questions, while the other must hold a 5 kg dumbbell with their arm straight and horizontal to
6992-412: The scoring and dismiss the batters. When the first innings ends, the teams change roles; there can be two to four innings depending upon the type of match. A match with four scheduled innings is played over three to five days; a match with two scheduled innings is usually completed in a single day. During an innings, all eleven members of the fielding team take the field, but usually only two members of
7084-499: The shot. A worn surface can be noticed by the player, indicating that re-oiling is needed. Law 5 of the Laws of Cricket state that the length of the bat may be no more than 38 in (965 mm), the width no more than 4.25 in (108 mm), the overall depth no more than 2.64 in (67 mm) and edge no more than 1.56 in (40 mm). Appendix B of the Laws of Cricket set out more precise specifications. This rule
7176-420: The soft fibres to strike a hard new cricket ball without causing damage to the bat, and allowing full power to be transferred to the shot. Knocking-in involves striking the surface with an old cricket ball or a special mallet . This compacts the soft fibres within the bat and reduces the risk of the bat snapping. The bat may also need raw linseed oil , which fills in the gaps between the fibres. Raw linseed oil
7268-443: The sport attracted huge crowds and wagers to match, its popularity peaking in the 1748 season . Bowling underwent an evolution around 1760 when bowlers began to pitch (bounce) the ball instead of rolling or skimming it towards the batter. 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
7360-413: The sport is that a bowler delivers (i.e., bowls) the ball from their end of the pitch towards the batter who, armed with a bat , is "on strike" at the other end (see next sub-section: Basic gameplay ). The bat is made of wood, usually Salix alba (white willow), and has the shape of a blade topped by a cylindrical handle. The blade must not be more than 4.25 inches (10.8 cm) wide and
7452-433: The total length of the bat not more than 38 inches (97 cm). There is no standard for the weight, which is usually between 2 lb 7 oz and 3 lb (1.1 and 1.4 kg). Cricket bat A cricket bat is a specialised piece of equipment used by batters in the sport of cricket to hit the ball , typically consisting of a cane handle attached to a flat-fronted willow -wood blade. It may also be used by
7544-537: The umpires, and after complaints by the English team that it was damaging the ball, which was later proved untrue, he was urged by the Australian captain Greg Chappell to revert to a wooden bat as Chappell believed it was not delivering the same amount of power to the ball as a regulation wooden bat. The rules of cricket were shortly thereafter amended, stating that the blade of a bat must be made entirely of wood. In
7636-523: The war, but the period did produce some great players and memorable matches, especially as organised competition at county and Test level developed. In 1844, the first-ever international match took place between what were essentially club teams, from the United States and Canada , in Toronto ; Canada won. In 1859, a team of English players went to North America on the first overseas tour . Meanwhile,
7728-414: The willow tree does not grow, such as China and South-East Asia , where bamboo thrives. This would make cricket bats made of bamboo substantially cheaper than traditional willow bats and thus make the sport more accessible. The Marylebone Cricket Club issued a statement saying that a bat made from bamboo would be illegal under the current set of laws, as Law 5.3.2 of the Laws of Cricket states that in
7820-651: Was bowled underarm by the bowler and along the ground towards a batter armed with a bat that in shape resembled a hockey stick ; the batter defended a low, two-stump wicket ; and runs were called notches because the scorers recorded them by notching tally sticks. In 1611, the year Cotgrave 's dictionary was published, ecclesiastical court records at Sidlesham in Sussex state that two parishioners, Bartholomew Wyatt and Richard Latter, failed to attend church on Easter Sunday because they were playing cricket. They were fined 12 d each and ordered to do penance . This
7912-538: Was a "great upsurge of sport after the Restoration " in 1660. Several members of the court of King Charles II took a strong interest in cricket during that era. Gambling on sport became a problem significant enough for Parliament to pass the 1664 Gambling Act, limiting stakes to £ 100, which was, in any case, a colossal sum exceeding the annual income of 99% of the population. Along with horse racing , as well as prizefighting and other types of blood sport , cricket
8004-592: Was founded in the 1760s and, for the next twenty years until the formation of Marylebone Cricket Club (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 include the three-stump wicket and leg before wicket (lbw). The 19th century saw underarm bowling superseded by first roundarm and then overarm bowling . Both developments were controversial. Organisation of
8096-478: Was introduced following the Monster Bat Incident 1771. The 2017 update to the Laws saw no changes to the maximum length of the bat, which is still 38 inches/96.52 cm, but a new specification stated that the edge of the bat cannot be more than 1.56 inches / 4 cm while the depth cannot be more than 2.64 inches / 6.7 cm. The umpires are now given a bat gauge so they can check
8188-490: Was perceived to be a gambling sport. Rich patrons made matches for high stakes, forming teams in which they engaged the first professional players. By the end of the century, cricket had developed into a major sport that was spreading throughout England and was already being taken abroad by English mariners and colonisers—the earliest reference to cricket overseas is dated 1676. A 1697 newspaper report survives of "a great cricket match" played in Sussex "for fifty guineas apiece",
8280-510: Was put on the bat to provide more support to the spine and blade of the bat, thus prolonging the life of the bat. The first player to use this new bat in international cricket was Australian Ricky Ponting . Kookaburra withdrew it after advice was received by the ICC from MCC that it was illegal under Law 6. In 2005 Newbery created a carbon fibre handle, the C6 and C6+, which weighed 3 ounces/85 grams less than
8372-471: Was retrospectively recognised as the first-ever Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia . The rivalry between England and Australia gave birth to The Ashes in 1882, which remains Test cricket's most famous contest. Test cricket began to expand in 1888–89 when South Africa played England. The inter-war years were dominated by Australia 's Don Bradman , statistically
8464-406: Was the first bat to turn to shape on its head by removing the wood from the centre of the rear of the bat. By removing this wood, the bat became lighter, its sweet spot grew and its pick-up improved. Even though there is less material, strong strokes are still possible if well-timed. It allows weaker players to play many strokes they would otherwise omit from their repertoire. This bat quickly became
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