Cricket - Game Profile :
Cricket is a ball game played by two teams consisting of eleven players on a pitch with two sets of three stumps (wickets). The bowler bowls the ball down the pitch to the batsman of the opposing team, who must defend the wicket in front of which he stands. The object of the game is to score as many runs as possible. Runs can be scored individually by running the length of the playing strip, or by hitting a ball which lands outside the boundary (six runs) or which lands inside the boundary but bounces or rolls outside (four runs). The opposing team will bowl and field, attempting to dismiss the batsmen.

Each team plays under a captain. The captain should nominate his players before the match. The order in which the teams bat is determined by a coin toss. The two captains of each team will toss for the choice of innings before the match. The captain of the side winning the toss may elect to bat or field first. Once the winner of the toss notify his decision to bat or to field to the opposing captain thereafter the decision shall not be altered. All eleven players of the fielding team go out to field, two players of the batting team go out to bat. The remaining of the batting team wait off the field for their turn to bat.

A match consists of one or two innings and each innings ends when the specified number of overs ( a series of six balls bowled) have been played, or when the captain of the batting team "declares" ending the innings voluntarily. Innings is a division of a game during which a side is in or batting.

There are certain rules regarding the measurement of the ball, bat, pitch, wicket and the creases. There is a boundary for the playing area. The boundary is marked either by a white line, a rope laid on the ground or a fence. Sometimes flags and posts are used instead of a boundary line.

The Ball : The ball will be leather skinned and its weight must not be less than 155.9gms and not more than 163gms. The circumference of the ball must be in between 22.4cm and 22.9cm.

The Bat : Usually a wooden bat of weight 2 lb 40z is used. It should be 10.8cm in width and 96.5cm in length including the handle.

The Wickets : Each wicket is 22.80cm in width and consist of three wooden stumps with two wooden bails on the top. The wickets should be pitched opposite and parallel to each other at a distance of 20.12m between the center of the two middle stump. The stumps stand 70cm tall and each bail is 11.1cm in length.

The Pitch : The pitch is at the center of the field. It is the area of the ground between the bowling creases one on either side and it is 3.04m in width and 17.68m in length. The pitch shall not be changed during a match unless it becomes unfit for play.
 

Bowling and Popping Creases : The bowling crease is marked in line with the stumps at each end and is 2.64m in length. The popping crease which is the back edge of the crease marking, is in front of and parallel with the bowling crease. The back edge of the crease is 1.22m from the center of the stumps and extended to a minimum of 1.83m on either side of the line of the wicket. The return crease is marked at each end of the bowling crease at right angles to it and extend forward to join the popping crease and a minimum of 1.22m behind the wicket.