Cricket Game Rules

Cricket Ground :

                             The ground has no set dimensions. It may be circular or oval and must be limited to a maximum of 75 yards (69 meters) in any direction from its center.

Boundaries may be marked by a line or a fence. The main action takes place in the middle of the ground on a pitch, a strip 66 feet (20 meters) long and 10 feet (30 meters) wide.

Centered at either end of the pitch is a 9-inch- ((23-cm-) wide wicket composed of three thin 28-inch- (71-cm-) long poles, or stumps, placed upright in the ground and of sufficient size to prevent the ball from passing between them.

On top of the stumps are two 43/8-inch (11-cm) crosspieces, or bails, balanced in grooves in the stumps. A dislodged bail retires the batsman. There are three limiting markings at each wicket. The bowling crease is in line with the stumps and is 8 feet 8 inches (22 cm) long.

The return crease is formed by 4-foot (1 meter) arms at right angles to the bowling crease, two extending away from and two toward the opposite wicket. The popping crease is a 12-foot (3.5 meter) line parallel with and 4 feet in front of each bowling crease; this line designates the extent of the batsman's safe ground. In bowling, the bowler's front foot must not land beyond the popping crease and his back foot must remain completely within the return crease or its forward extension.

Player: Official Cricket Rules

Cricket is a game played between two teams made up of eleven players each. There is also a reserve player called a "twelfth man" who is used should a player be injured during play.

The twelfth man is not allowed to bowl, bat, wicket keep or captain the team. His sole duty is to act as a substiture fielder.

The original player is free to return to the game as soon as they have recovered from their injury.

To apply the law and make sure the cricket rules are upheld throughout the game there are two umpires in place during games. Umpires are responsible for making decisions and notifying the scorers of these decisions.

Two umpires are in place on the playing field while there is also a third umpire off the field who is in charge of video decisions.

This is where the call is too close for the on field umpires and they refer it to the third umpire who reviews slow motion video replays to make a decision.