Welcome

I am a gal from Texas that has been curious about cricket. A couple of members (johnsimpson) and (paulcranswick) are going to tutor some of us about cricket this year.

I created this group to use as a forum for the tutoring, the discussion of the game of cricket and posting about books about the game of cricket.

Welcome!

Roberta

I said I wanted to (try and) learn about cricket so here I am - eager to learn.

Hi Roberta, i'll set a thread up and let you know what the link is.

Roberta - thanks for inviting me. I am sure that there are a few more keen to work out the subtleties of the Olde Game.

I'll work out with John what he wants to tutor and I'll pick up the slack.

I will also be introducing books about cricket both fact and fiction for evryone's delectation.

I don't know about the "breathing cricket" part, but I am curious and would like to know what the H-E-double L it is I am looking at.

Paws - our star pupil is here!

John - our esteemed tutor is here!

Paul - exactly I wanted a place where you could post your cricket book recommendations/reviews so "all things cricket" Glad you are here to pick up our slack.

Fourpawz2 - I don't know about breathe either, but there are those who do. Welcome. :)

Hi, I'm a fervent sports fan, but I can't talk about cricket. I have no idea about the rules and I want this to change.

Diana - welcome then. This is a place for those of us that want to learn about cricket from those kind enough to teach us.

* waves expectantly * ;)

LOL Diana I'm waiting too. It seems our cricket instructors (hmm, hmm...John & Paul) have abandoned us.

Perhaps they met two chaps named George & Ringo and started a band.

LOL Roberta, I wouldn't mind cricket instructions by the Beatles!

I can only apologise for the delay in cricket tutorials and as far as I know George and Ringo won't come out to play.

Just a few basics to begin with, each team comprises eleven players with a twelth man who can replace one of the original eleven when fielding but cannot bat. The ideal team would comprise five pure batsmen, an allrounder (can both bat and bowl well), a wicketkeeper and four bowlers (ideally one would be a very good spin bowler).

Professional cricket is played in three formats:

20/20 cricket which is a 3.5 hour game where each team can bat for a maximum of 20 overs, there has to be five bowlers who each bowl 4 overs (an over comprises six deliveries).

One day cricket which comprises 50 overs per side, again a minimum of five bowlers are required and this game can last for seven hours.

The four/ five day game is the pemier game, four day cricket is for domestic cricket e.g The County Championship in England is played by eigthteen first class counties split between two divisions. This was first competed for in 1890 and has been won on 31 occasions by Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
The Five day game is the reserve of Test cricket currently played by Ten countries, The first Test match was in 1877 when England played Australia. Drawn tests are quite common even when there has been five full days of play and as at 1st March 2013 there had only been two tied tests from the 2074 played at that time.

I hope this has given a taster and has thrown up a few questions and in the next I will answer any questions and describe all the fielding positions.

John - I will pull out the cricket book this weekend and review.

Silly cricket question is about the uniforms. I forgot why some wear white and others wear colors?

Hi Roberta, Cricket is played wearing white apart from domestic 20/20 and one day matches and international 20/20 and one day matches. 20/20 tournaments like the IPL (Indian Premier League) are also played in coloured clothing.

Coloured clothing in Cricket first started in 1977 when Australian Media magnate Kerry Packer set up the WSC (World Series Cricket) after a row about television coverage of test cricket in Australia, this lasted for three years and decimated Test teams and led to players being paid better for representing their country. At first he was despised for what he was doing but now he is regarded as a hero by players past and present for getting them a decent wage, it was a win/win for all parties.

I think I will join too, Paul did mention books (fiction and otherwise), didn't he?

Piyush - Welcome! This thread is hopefully out of date. I think most of the cricket real and books is discussed on Paul's or John's thread.

World cup and no Talk

>17 bergs47: Indeed!

>17 bergs47: & >18 PiyushC: I started this thread because those Yorkshire boys were going to tutor me on Cricket. It really never was able to come about but I did read What is a Googly by Rob Eastaway. I am still unenlightened.

For cricket talk try John and Paul's threads over on the 75 group. They are quite welcoming and LOVE to chat about cricket.

John http://www.librarything.com/topic/188086

Paul http://www.librarything.com/topic/188471

However the English (yorkshiremen) are in mourning today, don't think they in the mood to talk

>20 bergs47: Hi Bergs, we are in mourning just as they were in 1882. I posted on Paul Cranswick's thread that I think we need a new ashes urn to mark the death of England's one day cricket. It annoys me that we are so poor when we started playing one day cricket way back in 1963, the year of my birth and yet with all that experience we are so inept.

I think I will start to do more cricket talk if anybody is interested as it is only a few weeks before the English cricket season begins, it is only fair as we did promise but things seemed to get in the way. I think the easiest way to do it is a once a week posting day for me and I will try to answer any questions and keep everyone informed about the English domestic season and see I God's own County (Yorkshire) can retain the County Championship.

>20 bergs47: & >21 johnsimpson: Feel free to start a thread as relates to whatever team or tournament you are posting about.

Well I am sure we can all support the finest side to never win the one day cup. Maybe Afghanistan can get revenge. talking of which, has anyone any idea of how cricket is played in Afghanistan.? Where? It looks like a desert to me

>23 bergs47:, a bit of research needed to find where they play but I do know that it is the only sport sanctioned by the Taliban as being ok.

So sad so sad

>21 johnsimpson: It would be nice to hear from you about English cricket. The other day I was reading an article which blamed the fragmented county structure for England's demise as a Cricket powerhouse, too many teams. Do you agree that some consolidation is in order?

>23 bergs47: Hi bergs! Afghanistan is all hills (Himalayan range), not desert, though those too aren't too conducive for Cricket either!

Hello all, The English County Championship began on Sunday with the first round of matches, I can inform all that Yorkshire were at Worcestershire and this afternoon won the game by ten wickets with four sessions of play to go. Worcester batted first and got 311 all out, Yorkshire replied with 307 all out. Worcester began their second innings at 11.30 this morning and were all out for 100 at 2.15 and by 3.20 Yorkshire had scored the 105 for victory without losing a wicket, a great start to their defence of the Championship Pennant.

In other news the second day of the first test between England and West Indies in Antigua began with England on 341 for 5 and they ended up with 399 all out just before lunch, the West Indies in reply are currently 107 for 4.