Cricket Games :  

Cricket on your mind but no one to play with? You're in a fix. So what would you normally do? Sit at home and look out of the window. Not any more, just sit back relax and make your computer screen your playground coz we bring to you a collection of online Cricket games like no other. For all those who eat, sleep, live Cricket and others there's a whole lot of free Cricket games you can choose from.

Make the gully your playground. Play Cricket with a little twist and a lot of fun in the Gully Cricket game. Learn to play by the book, score 6s and 4s at a flip in the World Cup Book Cricket game or just smack it all the way in the Super Sixers game. What's more - there are loads of other free Cricket games to play. Play from our selection of online Cricket games that we have pitched in for you and pad yourself up to whack some balls.

Cricket Academy : Bat, bowl and field your way to Ashes glory in BBC Sport's Cricket Academy game. For those that completed training a while ago, your first Ashes Test password is "Monty". In order to get the latest version of this game, you may need to clear old versions that are stored in your temporary internet files.

The Basic Rules of Cricket : Cricket is played with two teams of eleven, with two umpires (referees) on an oval shaped field. The size of the field varies, but generally has a diameter of around 200 metres. A cricket bat is oblong shaped with a narrow handle. A full-sized bat  is around 90 centimetres in length. A cricket ball is made of cork and covered with leather, and is then stitched up. A ball weighs around 10 ounces.

In the middle of the field is what is known as a pitch. A pitch is a hard, flat strip of dry ground around 18 metres long. Two batsman are at the pitch at a time, both at different ends, with one facing the delivery of the ball from the bowler. The bowler runs up to the pitch where he bowls the ball overarm with a straight arm. Further details on the correct bowling action can be found here.

Other ways runs can be scored are by hitting boundaries. Boundaries are scored when the ball is hit and touches or goes past the outer edge of the field. Four runs are scored when the batsmen hits the ball and the ball hits the ground before reaching the outer edge of the boundary, and six runs are scored when the ball is hit and goes over the boundary without touching the ground. Runs can also be scored in the following ways: No balls, when the bowler oversteps the crease, bowls in a dangerous manner or incorrectly. A no ball is worth one run. A wide is scored when the ball goes outside the line of the pitch before coming in line with the batsman. This is also worth one run. A leg bye is scored when the ball hits the batsman but doesnt contact his bat and then proceeds to run. A bye is scored when the batsman runs without the ball coming into into contact with the batsman or his bat, and then runs.

The fielding team can get the batsman out in several ways, by 1) catching him out. This is done when the batsman hits the ball with his bat and a fielder catches the ball on the full (without bouncing). By 2) bowling him out. This happens when the bowler bowls the ball and the ball strikes the batsmans stumps or bails. By 3) leg before wicket, or LBW. This happens when the bowler bowls it and the stumps being hit by the ball are prevented when the batsmans leg gets in the way. By 4) stumped, when the batsman comes forward to hit the hit but steps out of his crease, misses the ball and the fielder behind the stumps collects the ball hits the stumps before the batsman gets back behind his crease. By 5) run out, when the batsman attempts to score a run but has his stumps hit by the ball before he reaches the other crease. By 6) Hit wicket, when the batsman hits his own stumps while trying to hit the ball. By 7) retired, when the batsman voluntarily decides to finish his innings, and 8) timed out, when the next batsman doesn't appear on the pitch within two minutes of the last batsman getting out.

Each team has one innings. This innings can last anything from 20 overs (a series of 6 bowls by a bowler) to an unlimited over match. Most one day matches are played with each side having 50 overs (or 300 balls).  If 10 of a team's batsman are out, the innings ends there regardless of how many balls are left to be bowled. The team that scores the most runs in their innings is the team that wins.

 Cricket is played between two opposing teams. One team bats while the other fields. It is easy to tell which is the batting team, because they are wearing fenners — white woolly jumpers with two cyan stripes around the upper arm (the other team's jumpers have two turquoise stripes). The batters play within the light green rectangle known as the crease, and each stands in front of the wicket — the small wooden apparatus at each end. Although anyone in the team may bat, usually two batters are chosen. The ball is thrown at the batter by the bowler. It is the bowler's job to try and befuddle the batter so that he misses the ball or plays a bad shot.

Fielding  : Lord Larry Grayson said "cricket, like chess, is won in the field," and it is certainly true that the strategic positioning of your men on the pitch can make the difference between check and checkmate. However, it is important to remember that fielders mostly stand around doing nothing. The sometimes obscure names for fielding positions are illustrated below.




Game Protocol :

The umpire's decision during a game is final in all matters that means no arguing with the umpire, even though you may be sure of his misjudgment. However this is rare these days due to the presence of the third umpire.


The rules of cricket define dismissals and if you know you're out within that definition, you are morally obliged to aid the umpire and walk, even though the umpire may have missed the judgment.


Bowlers are not allowed to tamper with the ball in any way. They can polish the ball by rubbing it with cloth, drying or removing mud from the ball and applying saliva or sweat to it. Any other substance is illegal, as is rubbing the ball on the ground and tampering with the seams..


Members of the fielding team cannot distract the batsmen while he is batting. If in case they do that, the umpire can call a dead ball and award five penalty runs to the batting side's total.
# Bowler should not keep bowling short or high pitched balls which could cause injury to the batsmen. In such cases, the umpire can call a no ball and warn the bowler.


Players in any innings should not waste time in any way. If they do that the umpire first warns the Captain of the offending team and if it continues then five runs are awarded for the other team.


The new batsman making their way to the wicket is to be applauded .

All players are responsible to avoid unnecessary damage to the pitch during play. If a fielder damages the pitch then a caution will be issued to the fielding captain. Any repeat action from any fielder during the innings and the umpire will add five runs to the batting side's total. A batsman who damages the pitch will be cautioned by the umpire. If they do it a second time in the same innings, they'll get a final warning and any runs scored from that delivery, other than no balls or wides, will be disallowed.

Ways in which batsman is dismissed :

A batsman is bowled (out) if the ball hits the wicket and dislodges either bail from the top of the stumps.

A batsman is out LBW (Leg Before Wicket) if the ball hits the batsman on his pads and in the opinion of the umpire it was pitched on a straight line between the wicket or on  the off side and would hit the wicket.

A batsman is out hit wicket if a ball is dislodged by his bat, body or cap while he is in the act of making his stroke.

A batsman is out if he hits the ball twice.

An incoming batsman shall be out if he takes more time to come in. Usually two or three minutes being timed from the moment a wicket falls until the new batsman steps on to the field of play.

The batsman shall be caught out if the ball hit by him is caught by any fielder before it touches the ground.

The batsman shall be stumped out when he is out of his crease when the ball is being bowled and the wicket is put down by the wicket keeper.

The batsman is run out when he is out of his crease while attempting a run and his wicket is put down by any player of the opposite side.