I'm assuming you guys know something about Cricket, if that's not the case ignore me.

So I have been doing a ton of research about India this weekend for a globalization paper I have to write for Monday.  Somehow in one of the many long internet distractions, I began reading about Cricket and such, gathered a basic understanding of the rules (so that I probably know more about the sport now than 99% of Americans) and watched a few online clips of some games in the Indian league and I must say, it's seems like a pretty exciting game.  The pitching especially seems way more hardcore than American Baseball, and the fielders catch the ball with no fucking gloves that is insane.

Some questions:
 -- I read about the rules of the game, but I still don't understand the concept of overs.  It's six pitches/bowls right?  And then what happens?  Does the pitcher/bowler have to switch? Does the first team set the number of overs allowed for the second team?  Like in the second set, the one team only had a certain number of pitches/bowls before they were eliminated even if they didn't run out of players?
 -- Having two hitters on the pitch on opposites sides running and scoring, I kind of understand, but do they switch off striking?  Can one guy run and the other not?  Sometimes it says that they can get odd number of points on a hit, I don't understand how that works if 2 guys are running for scores?  I don't understand what the non-hitting guy is supposed to be doing most of the time.
 -- What's the best league and where's the best place to watch it online (if any)?  How long do the games go (I've heard some go for like forever), I mostly watched clips online.

This should explain a lot, I'll leave it to the more cricket-mad posters here to explain individual questions.

and the fielders catch the ball with no fucking gloves that is insane.

Especially when you realize what the ball they use in cricket is like. Have you ever seen/held one?

Ive been hit in the head with one at silly mid on with no helmet. Not fun.

edit : 20-20 or the IPL is the best to watch right now, it's also the quickest game time wise. Test matches have a cut off at 5 days but can end when... just read the link or for details.

I'm assuming you guys know something about Cricket, if that's not the case ignore me.

So I have been doing a ton of research about India this weekend for a globalization paper I have to write for Monday.  Somehow in one of the many long internet distractions, I began reading about Cricket and such, gathered a basic understanding of the rules (so that I probably know more about the sport now than 99% of Americans) and watched a few online clips of some games in the Indian league and I must say, it's seems like a pretty exciting game.  The pitching especially seems way more hardcore than American Baseball, and the fielders catch the ball with no fucking gloves that is insane.

The thing about bowling is that the bowler is allowed to take a run up to deliver the ball to the batsman. The bowler must also deliver the ball with a straight arm, so that makes it harder to get a high speed from the ball from a stationary position. Because the pitch is (I think) 22 metres long (roughtly 66 feet) it takes a bit effort to deliver that ball to the batsman. Gloves are not required for fielders other than the wicket keeper (think short stop or whatever that dude fielding behind the batter in Baseball is) because generally the ball when hit has a lot of energy removed from it by contact with the bat. If the batsman missed a delivered ball it flys through to the wicketkeeper with most of its delivered energy, so gloves cushion the blow to the keepers hands when he stops the ball.

Some questions:
 -- I read about the rules of the game, but I still don't understand the concept of overs.  It's six pitches/bowls right?  And then what happens?  Does the pitcher/bowler have to switch? Does the first team set the number of overs allowed for the second team?  Like in the second set, the one team only had a certain number of pitches/bowls before they were eliminated even if they didn't run out of players?

In Baseball you have a pitcher who pitches until he's told to stop by the coach. In Cricket, bowlers would tire very quickly if they were allowed to bowl until told to stop by the captain, with the run up and stuff. So an over is simply a set of 6 ball deliveries to the batsman. How it works is this:
The cricket pitch has 2 ends. A bowler will deliver an over of balls to a batsman from one end. When the bowler completes his over, a new bowler starts a new over from the other end of the pitch. This continues until 10 of the 11 batsmen from the opposing side are out, or in a limited overs match, the number of overs to deliver has been completed.

-- Having two hitters on the pitch on opposites sides running and scoring, I kind of understand, but do they switch off striking?  Can one guy run and the other not?  Sometimes it says that they can get odd number of points on a hit, I don't understand how that works if 2 guys are running for scores?  I don't understand what the non-hitting guy is supposed to be doing most of the time.
 -- What's the best league and where's the best place to watch it online (if any)?  How long do the games go (I've heard some go for like forever), I mostly watched clips online.

You have 2 batsmen at the pitch at any one time. One is the striker (the guy facing bowler) and the other is the non striker. To complete a run, both batsmen must complete one length of the pitch, and when they do the batsmen switch positions. There is no requirement to run if the ball is hit. Runs can be compiled off the bat in odd numbers, say for instance, a ball is hit to a point in the field that allows the batsmen to complete 3 lengths of the pitch. The batsmen will run up and down the pitch 3 times, crossing each other as they run. 3 runs are added to the score.

Cricket is generally a national sport, so the teams that play are national teams. The IPL has been started to move Cricket to a more MLB type format, with a shorter game.

There are 3 main types of cricket match. A test match (5 days of play), a one day match (2 50 over innings), and now the Twenty 20 game (2 20 over innings).

The test match is just that, a test. It consists of each side having 2 batting innings to compile as many runs as possible. The batting team can bat for as long as they have not out batsmen available, and sometimes an innings can cover more than one days play. The bowling side must complete 90 overs in the days play, unless they get all the batsmen out. This format can lead to a draw (not a tie), where at the end of 5 days play there havent been 2 complete batting innings for each side.

In a one day match, both teams have an allotment of 50 overs to compile as many runs as possible. In a Twenty20 match, both sides have 20 overs to compile as many runs as possible.

Does that clarify things a little?

Yeah.  My misunderstanding in the scoring was I thought that both the striker and non-striker got a run scored when they ran once, but they only get 1 run when both run across, that makes more sense.

edit : deleted due to not having a clue as to where to start with striker geting out durring a run.

The person who hits the ball gets a run.

I play both games, here it is in short form.

You bat in pairs. both batsmen stand at either end of a long strip that's 66 feet long. The bowler (pitcher) bowls (throws) from beside the non-facing (non-batting) batter at the other batsman. The batter receiving the pitch has to first protect the 3 sticks behind him, the then (if he can) tries to knock the ball into a gap between fielders. If he does this the two batsmen to the respective other ends of the 66 foot strip (pitch) and that is 1 run. If they hit it into a big gap they may run twice and so forth. If the hit it to the end of the ground in any direction it is 4 runs, 6 if it doesn't bounce (like a home run). The batsmen does not have to run unless he hits it into a gap, he can "block" a ball (kill it, like a bunt) and wait for the next one. If you're out once your day is done as a batter. Lastly, you can be "run out"which is similar to tagging out in baseball, where you don't make your ground, or you can be caught out like in baseball. End.

and the batting strip is in the dead middle of a field and the fielders stand in all directions around it. There is no "v" like in baseball.

"The batsmen does not have to run unless he hits it into a gap,"

The batsman never has to run, but they are a foolish not to run when the ball is hit into a gap.

"If the hit it to the end of the ground in any direction it is 4 runs, 6 if it doesn't bounce (like a home run)"

You have to find the gaps to do this, missfields excluded, any "runs" the players have completed durring this time are not added to the score. if you run once durring the time it takes the ball to the end of the ground on the bounce (4) , that run isnt included, you only get 4 runs.

you can also score 4's by not hitting the ball at all. If the ball goes right past the batter and the player behind the 3 sticks misses or missfields it and the ball goes to the end of the field. its 4.

you can also get a run by the bowler (pitcher) messing up by thorwing a ball too wide of the batter or steping over the line on the "strip" marking the place the ball has to be relased by.

the batter can also get out by being considered to be unjustly protecting the 3 sticks.

and one more thing. if a batter is injured to the point they cant run but can still bat,, they can opt to have a "runner". the injured batter will bat as normal, but another player will come out and run parallel  to the strip about 30 feet or so to the side.

Ive been hit in the head with one at silly mid on with no helmet. Not fun.

I took one to the nads with no cup at the same position. I was made to play positions like that cuz I was white and also cuz I wasn't very good, and they wanted to discourage me from wanting to play. It worked.

and the batting strip is in the dead middle of a field and the fielders stand in all directions around it. There is no "v" like in baseball.

An oval field, at that. Makes for interesting strategies on which direction to aim the ball. Certain spots are easier to hit sixes/fours etc.

the batter can also get out by being considered to be unjustly protecting the 3 sticks.

Prime example of this is LBW (leg before wicket) - you're not allowed to stop the ball from hitting the wicket with your big-ass leg pads.

And I'm gonna bow out here cuz my cricket knowledge is pretty limited. I was there when Lara went for 375 back in 1994, though. Haven't been back to cricket since.

~chuckle

LBW is annoying to explain. It's so fucked up it has it's own wiki.

You bat in pairs. both batsmen stand at either end of a long strip that's 66 feet long. The bowler (pitcher) bowls (throws) from beside the non-facing (non-batting) batter at the other batsman. The batter receiving the pitch has to first protect the 3 sticks behind him, the then (if he can) tries to knock the ball into a gap between fielders. If he does this the two batsmen to the respective other ends of the 66 foot strip (pitch) and that is 1 run. If they hit it into a big gap they may run twice and so forth. If the hit it to the end of the ground in any direction it is 4 runs, 6 if it doesn't bounce (like a home run). The batsmen does not have to run unless he hits it into a gap, he can "block" a ball (kill it, like a bunt) and wait for the next one. If you're out once your day is done as a batter. Lastly, you can be "run out"which is similar to tagging out in baseball, where you don't make your ground, or you can be caught out like in baseball. End.

Does the striker and non-striker have to run to the other end of the pitch and back to their original spots to get one run, or just to the other end.  Because if they are then at the other end wouldn't the pitcher have to move to pitch again to the original striker?

That's the only remaining confusion I have about the batting, especially because usually when there is a hit the camera follows the ball and I can never tell what the runners are actually doing.

[Homeless Joe's post]

No, they run once. The stirker is whoever is at the end the bolwer is delivering to.

6 balls are bowled from one end. Then 6 from the other and so on. The non-batting side changes their positions on the field durring the "change over" (thats what its called when the bowlers swap) oh, and no one bowler can bowl more than one "over" (6 balls) consecutively. There is also a limit on how many overs a player can bolw in certian types of matches. 10 in a one day match (50 over game) and no limit in a test match (the 5 day game). I cant remember the rule on 20-20. and the 20-20 game has different fielding rules also.

Welcome to cricket. It's just not cricket.

I just re-read this. It makes no sense to non-cricketers

I tried to read it and all I got was Si got hit in the crotch because he's white and Hojo got hit in the head...which kinda makes sense.

As it should be.