Cricket, as a team game with bats and a ball, has been known
since the middle ages of the last millennium. The name of the game received
from the Saxon word, denoted as “Stick”. Historians suggest that this
game was created on the basis of old games with a club and a ball.

It is authentically known that the game originated in the
south-east of England. In those places, a large number of pastures for sheep,
where there was low grass. On it the first players also rolled a ball of sheep
wool with shepherd’s sticks.

The first historical information about cricket dates back to
1300. In the annals of the times of Prince Edward are indicated the sums of
funds spent on the game “krig”.

Up until the 16th century, references to cricket were
episodic, but among them sometimes famous personalities are mentioned. So it
became known that Oliver Cromwell in his youthful years was very keen on
cricket.

Cricket is played by two teams of 11 people, each of which
gets a chance to beat and serve the ball. The task is to destroy the opponent’s
wicket with the ball. The team that scored the most points in the process of
fighting off wins the match. A team is not considered knocked out until it has
one unbathed batsman left. After the ball giving team knocks out all the
batsmen of the opponent, the teams change positions. So, the goal of the game
is to score more points than the opponent. Points are awarded for the so-called
“runs” (runs).

The cricket ball is made of cork and covered in red leather.
The leather parts are sewn with each other in the center, and this slightly
protruding part of the ball is called a “seam”, the presence of which is very
important for the ball feeding technique.

If the captain believes that his team has scored a
sufficient number of “overruns”, he can stop the round of throws on the gate,
that is, change roles with the opponent. In this case, the team is said to have
made a “declaration” (declaration). After the change of roles, the team that
fought back, has a clear idea of ​​how many “overruns” it needs to gain to win.

Sports equipment for cricket includes a ball, bats and
protective pads and gloves.

A cricket ball is a ball with a diameter of about 7 cm and a
mass of about 170 grams. As a rule, the ball is made of balsa wood, which is
covered with white or red colored natural leather on top. Parts of the skin are
stitched together in the center, forming a seam protruding above the surface.
This seam is of great importance when serving. The giving player tries to send
the ball in such a way that the ball hit the ground with this particular seam
and changes the flight path, making it difficult for the batsman to hit the
ball. In some cases, a leather case is filled with compressed sawdust or tow.

The cricket bat looks like a short paddle. On one side, the
bat is flat, and on the other side there is a triangular protrusion, which
gives the bat the necessary rigidity. The handle of the bits is cylindrical. In
preparation for the game, it is usually wrapped with cloth or rubber. The
handle is long enough to allow players to hold it with two hands.

As a blank for the manufacture of bits, use a wooden blank
of willow, from which cut the bat. The size of the projectile should not exceed
96.5 cm, and the width of the platform should not exceed 10.8 cm. The weight of
the bit varies from 1.1 to 1.4 kg.