Cricket

Cricket,.,is,.,a,.,bat-and-ball,.,game,.,played,.,between,.,two,.,teams,.,of,.,eleven,.,players,.,each,.,on,.,a,.,cricket,.,field,,.,at,.,the,.,centre,.,of,.,which,.,is,.,a,.,rectangular,.,22-yard-long,.,pitch,.,with,.,a,.,target,.,called,.,the,.,wicket,.,(a,.,set,.,of,.,three,.,wooden,.,stumps,.,topped,.,by,.,two,.,bails),.,at,.,each,.,end.,.,Each,.,phase,.,of,.,play,.,is,.,called,.,an,.,innings,.,during,.,which,.,one,.,team,.,bats,,.,attempting,.,to,.,score,.,as,.,many,.,runs,.,as,.,possible,,.,whilst,.,their,.,opponents,.,field.,.,Depending,.,on,.,the,.,type,.,of,.,match,,.,the,.,teams,.,have,.,one,.,or,.,two,.,innings,.,apiece,.,and,,.,when,.,the,.,first,.,innings,.,ends,,.,the,.,teams,.,swap,.,roles,.,for,.,the,.,next,.,innings.,.,Except,.,in,.,matches,.,which,.,result,.,in,.,a,.,draw,,.,the,.,winning,.,team,.,is,.,the,.,one,.,that,.,scores,.,the,.,most,.,runs,,.,including,.,any,.,extras,.,gained.

Before,.,a,.,match,.,begins,,.,the,.,two,.,team,.,captains,.,meet,.,on,.,the,.,pitch,.,for,.,the,.,toss,.,(of,.,a,.,coin),.,to,.,determine,.,which,.,team,.,will,.,bat,.,first.,.,Two,.,batsmen,.,and,.,eleven,.,fielders,.,then,.,enter,.,the,.,field,.,and,.,play,.,begins,.,when,.,a,.,member,.,of,.,the,.,fielding,.,team,,.,known,.,as,.,the,.,bowler,,.,delivers,.,(i.e.,,.,bowls),.,the,.,ball,.,from,.,one,.,end,.,of,.,the,.,pitch,.,towards,.,the,.,wicket,.,at,.,the,.,other,.,end,,.,which,.,is,.,guarded,.,by,.,one,.,of,.,the,.,batsmen,,.,known,.,as,.,the,.,striker.,.,In,.,addition,.,to,.,the,.,bowler,,.,the,.,fielding,.,team,.,includes,.,the,.,wicket-keeper,,.,a,.,specialist,.,who,.,stands,.,behind,.,the,.,striker's,.,wicket.,.,The,.,nine,.,other,.,fielders,.,are,.,tactically,.,deployed,.,around,.,the,.,field,.,by,.,their,.,captain,,.,usually,.,in,.,consultation,.,with,.,the,.,bowler.,.,The,.,striker,.,"takes,.,guard",.,on,.,a,.,crease,.,drawn,.,on,.,the,.,pitch,.,four,.,feet,.,in,.,front,.,of,.,the,.,wicket.,.,His,.,role,.,is,.,to,.,prevent,.,the,.,ball,.,from,.,hitting,.,the,.,stumps,.,by,.,using,.,his,.,bat,.,and,,.,simultaneously,,.,to,.,strike,.,it,.,well,.,enough,.,to,.,score,.,runs.,.,The,.,other,.,batsman,,.,known,.,as,.,the,.,non-striker,,.,waits,.,at,.,the,.,opposite,.,end,.,of,.,the,.,pitch,.,near,.,the,.,bowler.,.,The,.,bowler's,.,objectives,.,are,.,to,.,prevent,.,the,.,scoring,.,of,.,runs,.,and,.,to,.,dismiss,.,the,.,batsman.,.,A,.,dismissed,.,batsman,,.,who,.,is,.,declared,.,to,.,be,.,"out",,.,must,.,leave,.,the,.,field,.,to,.,be,.,replaced,.,by,.,a,.,teammate.,.,An,.,over,.,is,.,a,.,set,.,of,.,six,.,deliveries,.,bowled,.,by,.,the,.,same,.,bowler.,.,The,.,next,.,over,.,is,.,bowled,.,from,.,the,.,other,.,end,.,of,.,the,.,pitch,.,by,.,a,.,different,.,bowler.

The,.,most,.,common,.,forms,.,of,.,dismissal,.,are,.,bowled,,.,when,.,the,.,bowler,.,hits,.,the,.,stumps,.,directly,.,with,.,the,.,ball,.,and,.,dislodges,.,the,.,bails;,.,leg,.,before,.,wicket,.,(lbw),,.,when,.,the,.,batsman,.,prevents,.,the,.,ball,.,from,.,hitting,.,the,.,stumps,.,with,.,his,.,body,.,instead,.,of,.,his,.,bat;,.,and,.,caught,,.,when,.,the,.,batsman,.,hits,.,the,.,ball,.,into,.,the,.,air,.,and,.,it,.,is,.,intercepted,.,by,.,a,.,fielder,.,before,.,touching,.,the,.,ground.,.,Runs,.,are,.,scored,.,by,.,two,.,main,.,methods:,.,either,.,by,.,hitting,.,the,.,ball,.,hard,.,enough,.,for,.,it,.,to,.,cross,.,the,.,boundary,,.,or,.,by,.,the,.,two,.,batsmen,.,swapping,.,ends,.,by,.,each,.,simultaneously,.,running,.,the,.,length,.,of,.,the,.,pitch,.,in,.,opposite,.,directions,.,whilst,.,the,.,fielders,.,are,.,retrieving,.,the,.,ball.,.,If,.,a,.,fielder,.,retrieves,.,the,.,ball,.,quickly,.,enough,.,to,.,put,.,down,.,the,.,wicket,.,with,.,a,.,batsman,.,not,.,having,.,reached,.,the,.,crease,.,at,.,that,.,end,.,of,.,the,.,pitch,,.,that,.,batsman,.,is,.,dismissed,.,(a,.,run,.,out,.,occurs).,.,Adjudication,.,is,.,performed,.,on,.,the,.,field,.,by,.,two,.,umpires;,.,they,.,communicate,.,with,.,two,.,off-field,.,scorers,.,(one,.,per,.,team),.,who,.,record,.,all,.,the,.,match's,.,statistical,.,information,.,including,.,runs,,.,dismissals,,.,overs,,.,etc.