A game of ball which is generally played in England and the British
provinces, but which is not very popular in the United States. There
are two opposite sides or sets of players of eleven men each. At two
points 22 yards apart are placed two wickets 27 inches high and
consisting of three sticks called stumps. As in baseball, one side
takes the field and the other side is at the bat. Two men are at bat
at a time and it is their object to prevent the balls from being
bowled so that they will strike the wickets. To do this a broad bat is
used made of willow with a cane handle, through which are inserted
strips of rubber to give greater spring and driving power. The batsman
will either merely stop the ball with his bat or will attempt to drive
it. When the ball is being fielded the two batsmen exchange wickets,
and each exchange is counted as a run, and is marked to the credit of
the batsman or striker. The batsman is allowed to bat until he is out.
This occurs when the ball strikes the wicket and carries away either a
bail, the top piece, or a stump, one of the three sticks. He is also
out if he knocks down any part of his own wicket or allows the ball to
do it while he is running, or if he interferes with the ball by any
part of his person as it is being thrown, or if one of the opposing
players catches a batted ball before it touches the ground, as in
baseball.
When ten of the eleven men on a side have been put out it constitutes
an inning, and the side in the field takes its turn at the bat. The
game usually consists of two innings, and at its completion the side
having scored the greater number of runs is the winner. The eleven
positions on a cricket team are called bowler, wicket-keeper, long
stop, slip, point cover-slip, cover point, mid-off, long-leg,
square-leg, mid-on. The one at bat is, as in baseball, called the
batsman. The two lines between which the batsmen stand while batting
are called “popping creases” and “bowling creases.”
CROQUET
A game played with wooden balls and mallets, on a flat piece of
ground. The game consists in driving the ball around a circuitous
course through various wire rings called “wickets” and, after striking
a wooden peg or post, returning to the starting place. Any number may
play croquet either independently or on sides. Each player may
continue making shots as long as he either goes through a wicket, hits
the peg or post, or hits the ball of an opponent. In this latter case
he may place his ball against that of his opponent and, holding the
former with his foot, drive his opponent’s ball as far as possible
from the croquet ground. He then also has another shot at his wicket.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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