Cricket: everything you need to know

What is cricket?

How to play cricket?

Cricket is a sport played between two teams of 11 players each. The goal is simple: score more runs (points) than the opposing team.

Cricket is the second most popular sport in the world. It’s especially big in countries like India, England, Australia, Pakistan, and South Africa. During major matches, especially during tournaments like the Cricket World Cup, people will watch all the matches together.

With its unique rules, traditions, and matches that can last for days, cricket might seem complicated at first. But when you break it down, it’s surprisingly logical.

What does a cricket field look like?

Cricket is played on a round or oval-shaped field. The boundary is marked with a rope laid along the ground. In the center of the field is the pitch, a rectangular strip of closely cut grass or artificial turf. At both ends of the pitch are three wooden posts stuck into the ground. Together, these are called the wickets.

How does cricket work?

Cricket is a bit like baseball, but calmer and with more tea. The basic idea is similar: one team is “on the attack” and scores points by hitting the ball (batting). The other team bowls the ball and tries to defend. Then they switch roles.

The game starts with one team batting. Two players are on the pitch at the same time, each standing near their own wicket. They try to score as many runs as possible by hitting the ball and running back and forth between the wickets.

If they hit the ball over the boundary without it touching the ground (a bit like a home run), they score six points. If the ball rolls or bounces over the boundary, they score four points. Unlike in baseball, where a batter gets just one swing, cricket batters can continue batting as long as they’re not out.

The bowling and fielding team tries to get the batters out by hitting the wicket with the ball, catching a shot in the air, or using other strategies. When ten batters are out, or a set number of balls (overs) have been bowled, the teams switch. The second team then tries to beat the first team’s score.

The team with the most runs wins the match.

Some matches last just a few hours, but others can go on for five whole days. More on that later.

Cricket fielding positions

Each fielding team has 11 players on the field with a specific position. For instance, there is a wicketkeeper, who stands behind the batsman and tries to catch the balls the batsman misses. There are also positions such as slip, gully, point and cover, all protecting different parts of the field and trying to either stop or catch the ball.

Cricket match

There are three different types of cricket matches, test matches, one-day internationals (ODI) and Twenty20 (T20) matches. The biggest difference per format is the duration of the match. Test matches are traditionally the longest matches and last five days. ODI matches are played in one day and T20 matches are the shortest form of a cricket match and last only three hours. A good rule of thumb: the shorter the match, the more action-packed it is. Longer matches, on the other hand, tend to be much more tactical.

Cricket score

The score in cricket is kept by counting runs. Every time the batting team players run past each other between the wickets on the pitch, they score a run. If the ball leaves the field, for instance, because the batsman has hit it over the boundary, the batting team gets extra points depending on where and how the ball left the field. If the ball leaves the field rolling, the batting team scores 4 runs and if the ball leaves without touching the ground they score 6 runs.

Tournaments & Rivalries

Cricket is full of unique tournaments and great competitions. This is mainly because of the rich history of the game. For example, years of battles have created fierce rivalries between India & Pakistan and England & Australia. These rivalries continue in cricket’s biggest tournaments today. Read more about the biggest tournaments and rivalries in cricket below.

ICC Cricket World Cup
The biggest, and therefore most famous, cricket tournament is the ICC Cricket World Cup. The game format for this tournament is the ODI (One Day International). The match takes place over one day with 50 overs. Like other World Cups, the ICC Cricket World Cup is organized every four years. The previous edition took place in India, with the eventual winner being Australia.

T20I Series

In 2025, South Africa will visit England for three thrilling T20 matches. The Proteas will take on England from the 10th of August to the 14th, with games scheduled in Cardiff, Manchester, and Nottingham.

The Ashes
One of the greatest rivalries in the sport of cricket is The Ashes, a match between the national cricket teams of England and Australia. Since the first match in 1882, England and Australia have played each other 73 times, with England winning 32 series and Australia winning 34. Only seven series have ended in a draw. The Ashes take place every two years, alternating between England and Australia as the host country. The next edition is scheduled from November 21, 2025, to January 8, 2026, and will take place in Australia. The five Test matches will be played in Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney.

Previous editions in England have been held at iconic venues such as The Oval in London, Edgbaston in Birmingham, and Old Trafford in Manchester.