Introduction

This article is about the sport. For the insect, see Cricket (insect). For other uses, see Cricket (disambiguation).

"Cricketer" redirects here. For other uses, see Cricketer (disambiguation).

Cricket

A bowler bowling to a batsman. The paler strip is the cricket pitch. The two sets of three wooden stumps on the pitch are the wickets. The two white lines are the creases.
Highest governing body	International Cricket Council
First played	16th century (modern)
Characteristics
Team members	11 players per side substitute fielders (only) are permitted in cases of injury or illness
Mixed gender	Single
Categorization	Team, Bat-and-ball
Equipment	Cricket ball, cricket bat, wicket: stumps, bails
Venue	Cricket field
Olympic	1900 Summer Olympics only

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on a field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the runs scored by the batting team. A run is scored by the striking batsman hitting the ball with his bat, running to the opposite end of the pitch and touching the crease there without being dismissed. The teams switch between batting and fielding at the end of an innings.
In professional cricket the length of a game ranges from 20 overs of six bowling deliveries per side to Test cricket played over five days. The Laws of Cricket are maintained by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) with additional Standard Playing Conditions for Test matches and One Day Internationals.
Cricket was first played in southern England in the 16th century. By the end of the 18th century, it had developed into the national sport of England. The expansion of the British Empire led to cricket being played overseas and by the mid-19th century the first international matches were being held. The ICC, the game's governing body, has ten full members. The game is played particularly in Australasia, the Indian subcontinent, the West Indies, Southern Africa and England.