Cricket competes for the hearts and wallets of America
STORY: The best of the cricket world are headed to less familiar territory this week: America.
During the past week, there has been plenty of coverage of the ICC T20 Cricket World Cup, including from The Record and NorthJersey.com.
The ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup will be held throughout June, with matches in the Caribbean and — for the first time — in the United States. Eight of the 55 matches of the world’s second most popular sport will take place between Monday and June 12 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium. The finals will take place in Barbados on June 29.
For many readers of The Record and NorthJersey.com, this will be the first time they have ever encountered the game of cricket.
More: What NJ fans need to know before ICC T20 Cricket World Cup begins
For the uninitiated, cricket originated in 16th-century England and is played by hitting a ball with a paddle-shaped bat. To win, one team must score more runs than its opponent. A team has 11 players, including a captain. After the batting side sees 10 of its players get out, the fielding team bats.
The game is not new to the United States, having been played here since at least the 1700s. Cricket grew in popularity in the 1800s to become the most popular sport until the Civil War, when baseball eclipsed it. But its stature in the U.S. was such that the first international cricket match was played in New York City in 1844.
Baseball is one of the major sports in this country and the various elements of the game are familiar to anyone with a passing knowledge of the game. That is not the same when it comes to cricket unless you have spent time watching or playing it.
Here is a glossary of terms one will hear around the game of cricket.
Batter
The player on the hitting team who is responsible for scoring runs and making sure his team does not lose a wicket or makes an out. During the match, two batters stand on opposite sides of the hitting area.
Bowler
The player on the fielding team who attempts to throw the ball past the batter to get an out.
Field
The large grass field where cricket is played and is usually shaped like an oval.
Pitch
It is the middle strip of ground in the cricket field. This is where the batters gather to bat and where the bowler attempts to throw the ball past the batter by bouncing it on this ground to hit the wicket behind the batter and induce an out.
Wicket
The two sets of three stumps (vertical posts) and two bails (small sticks on top of stumps) at either end of the pitch that when hit make an out. The player from the fielding team who stands behind the wicket and maintains it is known as the wicketkeeper.
Crease
The area on a pitch near the wicket, marked by white lines, where batters and bowlers operate.
Over
This is when the ball is bowled six times to a player standing in the crease during the match. After the over is complete, a second player standing 66 feet away at the opposite side of the pitch takes a turn batting. The upcoming World Cup matches are in the T20 format, which means 20 overs.
Ricardo Kaulessar covers race, immigration, and culture for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.t
Email: kaulessar@northjersey.com
Twitter: @ricardokaul