Cricket is a bat and ball game played between two rival teams each having eleven players. The game is played on an oval shaped field and there will be two umpires to oversee the game and ensure the rules are followed. Although the size of the field may vary from one ground to another, the standard field is expected to be of 200 meters diameter.

A cricket bat is oblong shaped with a narrow handle. A full-sized bat is around 90 centimeters in length. A cricket ball is basically made of cork and is then stitched with leather cover. A cricket ball is 22.4 to 22.9cm in diameter and should weigh around 10 ounces.

In the middle of the field is an 18 meters long dry flat strip called as a pitch. When the game is played, two batsmen will be at the pitch and at different ends. One batsman will face the delivery of the ball from the bowler. The bowler runs up the bowling line and bowls the ball at the batsman.

The stumps are three sticks of equal size measuring around 90 centimeters tall and planted with 5 centimeters separating them. Bails which are small pieces of wood are placed on top of the stumps.

Other ways runs can be scored when the ball if hit crosses the boundary lines of the field.  The batsman is deemed to have hit for four runs when he hits the ball and the ball hits the ground before crossing the boundary lines. Again the batsman is deemed to have scored six runs when the ball that is hit goes over the boundary line without touching the ground.

The batting team also gets runs through no balls. When the bowler oversteps the crease or bowls over the head of the batsman, it is considered a no ball and each such no ball is worth one run. A ball bowled is considered wide 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 does not contact his bat and then the batsman proceeds to run. A bye is scored when the batsman runs without the ball coming into contact with the batsman or his bat. 

The fielding team can get a batsman out in multiple ways:

•    Directly catching the ball after it is hit. This is done when the batsman hits the ball with his bat and a fielder catches the ball before the ball hits the ground.
•    Clean bowling the batsman out. This happens when the bowler bowls the ball and the ball strikes the batsman’s stumps or bails.
•    Leg before wicket (LBW): This happens when the bowler bowls and the batsman’s legs come in the way of the stumps being hit. 
•    Stumped, when the batsman comes forward to hit the ball but steps out of the crease, misses the ball and the fielder behind the stumps collects the ball hits the stumps before the batsman could get back to the crease.
•    Run out, when the batsman attempts to score a run but has his stumps hit by the ball before he reaches the other crease.
•    Hit wicket is when the batsman hits his own stumps while trying to hit the ball.
•    Retired, when the batsman voluntarily decides to finish his innings mostly due to injuries
•    Timed out, when the next batsman fails to appear on the pitch within two minutes of the last batsman getting out.

Source: ArticleBase