Forms of cricket

The former, known as first-class cricket if played at the senior level, has a scheduled duration of three to five days (there have been examples of "timeless" matches too); the latter, known as limited overs cricket because each team bowls a limit of typically 50 overs, has a planned duration of one day only.

At still lower levels, the rules are often changed simply to make the game playable with limited resources, or to render it more convenient and enjoyable for the participants.

Matches played at the highest international and domestic levels are those in which players and/or teams of a recognized high standard are taking part.

The oldest known English county teams are Kent, Surrey and Sussex, all of which have histories commencing in the early 18th century.

[2] Top-class limited overs cricket began in 1963 when the County Championship clubs took part in the first seasonal knockout tournament, which was won by Sussex.

A first-class match must have eleven players per side, two innings apiece and a scheduled duration of at least three days.

Historically, however, there have been instances of first-class matches being arranged for less than three days, and there have been others with twelve or thirteen players per side; these are exceptional cases and form a tiny percentage of the whole.

[6] Many historians and statisticians have subjectively classified chosen pre-1895 matches as first-class but these are unofficial ratings and differences of opinion among the experts has led to variations in published cricket statistics.

It was played indoors, and the bowling player was assisted by a wicketkeeper and one fielder, as well as being allowed a substitute bowler for up to 7 balls per innings.

[10] T10 format is a limited-overs evolution of cricket, following the success of the T20 game, with play limited to just 10 overs per team.

In August 2018, the International Cricket Council (ICC) officially sanctioned the second season of T10 to be held in Sharjah starting on 23 November that year,[11] with six teams competing.

Only those players designated as team members can bat or bowl but it is normal to have the full quota of fielders including a wicket-keeper.

Three team cricket, branded as 3TeamCricket (3TC), is an experimental format that was devised by Paul Harris, former CEO of FirstRand Bank.

To win the game, a side must both score the highest aggregate number of runs and take all ten of the opposition wickets.

Most forms will resemble twenty-twenty cricket in nature, although shorter formats with reduced numbers of players, typically 6-aside or 8-aside, are also common for tournament play.

A soft ball version is played by junior cricketers in the UK and is also popular among adults in the Southern Hemisphere.

It is a simplified, high-speed version of the game played on a small pitch with plastic equipment, aimed mainly at encouraging youngsters to take part.

The rules are often ad hoc, and the laws of cricket, such as those involving leg before wicket, penalty runs, and others, are ignored or modified to suit both the setting and participants' preferences.

The length of the wicket will typically be roughly 15 meters, and the non-bowling fielders will be encircled close round the bat looking for a catching chance.

[citation needed] Continuous cricket is a game involving one batsman, who upon hitting the ball, must run to a marker, which is square of the wicket.

[19] Tape ball cricket was invented in Karachi, Pakistan as an attempt to replicate the feeling of a standard game.

This concept has the added advantage of not requiring any protective gear, which has seen it spread a sometimes exclusive sport to people from all walks of life.

[20] Since its inception in the 1960s-70s, it has been enjoyed in several countries and Pakistanis who have settled abroad have introduced the idea to others by founding tape ball leagues in the UK, USA, and Canada.

As tennis ball cricket games are shorter when compared to the conventional version, it suits the US and Canadian lifestyle where one would see a large number of people participating.

[citation needed] Ball in Play (BiP) is an indoor form of cricket which includes elements of baseball.

The game is descended from the cricket brought to Samoa by British missionaries; teams of unlimited size follow rules opaque to outside observers in a game/dance/feast event that can last several days.

[citation needed] Similar to kickball, it is a form of cricket which involves kicking the ball instead of hitting with a bat.

[citation needed] Book cricket is played by school children in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

[citation needed] To give an example, if the batting side opened the book at page 26, then 6 runs would be scored.

The game has been marketed commercially featuring plastic or metal long dice (rollers) and playing rules.