Questions on Cricket? Ask Here!

[Craig the Aussie]

* means captain, + means wicketkeeper

[MasterShake29]

What are these university matches that English county teams play? Do they count for anything?

Middlesex recently lost to Cambridge UCCE (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/counties/middlesex/4605963.stm) (whatever that stands for) but the report and their declarations seem to indicate the result didn't matter much.

[comme]

No the University games are just friendlies for the counties, but they do count as first class games I believe.

[MasterShake29]

No the University games are just friendlies for the counties, but they do count as first class games I believe.

What does "count as first class games" mean?

[Craig the Aussie]

What does "count as first class games" mean?

To state the obvious a First Class game is a game between two First Class teams (not including limited over games).

First Class teams are generally those that play in the top domestic competition of a full ICC Test class country. Therefore the English county, Australian state, South African provincial etc teams are considered "First Class". Any games played by them against one another or against a touring Test team are considered First Class fixtures. Test matches are also included as First Class.

It mainly matters from a statistical perspective. When you look at players statistics they are generally reported in various sections - Test, First Class, Other.

The University teams are not really First Class, but continue to hold this standing for historical reasons.

[Lanesra]

I think the following sums the game up nicely, it's not my own work, but comes fronm a T-Towel I once saw


The Rules of Cricket

You have two sides, one out in the field and one in.

Each man that's in the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out.

When they are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side thats been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out.

Sometimes you get men still in and not out.

When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in.

There are two men called umpires who stay out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out.

When both sides have been in and all the men have out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game!

[Caesar]

I gave up trying to explain cricket to a German friend when she asked me to explain the difference between a tie and a draw.

[Lanesra]

I gave up trying to explain cricket to a German friend when she asked me to explain the difference between a tie and a draw.

You can't wear a draw to a wedding :D

[Bluto11]

how come some batters don't wear helmets?

[BhoysFC1995]

i believe they only wear helmets when its a fast bowler bowling to them.

fast bowler + fast bowl + hits face= lots of pain. :p

[Bluto11]

i believe they only wear helmets when its a fast bowler bowling to them.

fast bowler + fast bowl + hits face= lots of pain. :p
gotcha, becuase i've seen pics of players with helmets and some without. I didn't know if it was like hockey and every player from a certain year on had to wear a helmet and if you played before the rule was made you didn't have to wear one.

[Caesar]

how come some batters don't wear helmets?
Helmets are optional. As BFC says, generally batsmen wear them when they're facing pace bowlers, and don't bother with them for spinners.

[Khansingh]

Has a team ever been held scoreless? "Shutouts" happen quite often in baseball, but it doesn't seem like it would be possible in cricket.

[comme]

No first class team has ever been all out for 0 to my knowledge. I am sure it has happened in games at lower levels, but the teams would have to be ridiculously mismatched.

On the helmets issue, Viv Richards never wore a helmet, he didn't need one.

[ScouseCat]

Helmets are optional. As BFC says, generally batsmen wear them when they're facing pace bowlers, and don't bother with them for spinners.
Mark Waugh used to wear a helmet no matter what type of bowling he was facing, but it's up to each individual batsman.

[silky-smooth]

No first class team has ever been all out for 0 to my knowledge. I am sure it has happened in games at lower levels, but the teams would have to be ridiculously mismatched.

On the helmets issue, Viv Richards never wore a helmet, he didn't need one.
My school team was bowled out for 1 on one occasion about nine years back. Fun times. :)

First class lowest score is about 14 off the top of my head, by a Victorian XI in the prehistoric times (ie: 1800s ;)). SA came close last season - bundled out for a measly 29 against New South Wales.

[silky-smooth]

No first class team has ever been all out for 0 to my knowledge. I am sure it has happened in games at lower levels, but the teams would have to be ridiculously mismatched.

On the helmets issue, Viv Richards never wore a helmet, he didn't need one.
It's all a matter of choice and comfort. Some batsmen where them all the time (like SC stated with Waugh). Others wear them only when facing pace and not spin.

A lot of the times in Tests such as being hosted in India, Sri Lanka and Sharjah (very hot places), most players don't wear helmets no matter who they are facing. Gets very hot under the sun.

[Matt Clark]

I would have thought it would be impossible to have a game with a side bowled out for 0, even at the lowest level - because at that level the bowling would be cack and the batting side would score from a wide or something at least once, even if they never managed to hit a ball for a run.

[Bluto11]

what happens to the ball when someone hits a six?

if it goes in the stands do the fans get to keep it or is it returned to the bowler so they can use the same ball?

[kopiteinkc]

what happens to the ball when someone hits a six?

if it goes in the stands do the fans get to keep it or is it returned to the bowler so they can use the same ball?

It's returned so they keep using the same ball.