Cricket is one of the world’s best-loved sports, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a game of skill, patience and teamwork that people of all ages can enjoy, whether you’re watching from the boundary or picking up a bat for the first time. If you’re new to the game, this guide covers the basics: who invented cricket, how many players make up a team, how long a match lasts and how you can start playing yourself.
Who invented cricket?
Nobody knows exactly who invented cricket, but the game is thought to have started in south-east England hundreds of years ago. Historians believe it may have been played by children in the Weald, a wooded area covering parts of Kent, Sussex and Surrey, as far back as Saxon or Norman times. The earliest written mention of cricket as a grown-up’s game dates all the way back to 1611. By the middle of the 1600s, village cricket had become a popular pastime across the south of England, and the game spread around the world as British traders and travellers carried it to new countries.
How many players are in a cricket team?
A cricket team is made up of 11 players. During a match, one team bats while the other team fields, and every player has a role to play. Here’s a quick look at the main roles you will find in a cricket team.
| Role | What they do |
|---|---|
| Batter | Tries to score runs by hitting the ball and running between the wickets |
| Bowler | Bowls the ball at the batter, aiming to get them out |
| Wicketkeeper | Stands behind the stumps to catch or stop the ball |
| Fielder | Stops the ball and tries to catch the batter out |
| All-rounder | A player who is skilled at both batting and bowling |
| Captain | Leads the team and makes decisions during the game |
How long is a cricket game?
How long a cricket match lasts depends on the format being played. There are three main types of cricket, and each one has a different length.
| Format | Overs per side | Typical length |
|---|---|---|
| Twenty20 (T20) | 20 overs | About 3 hours |
| One Day (50-over) | 50 overs | Around 8 hours |
| Test match | Unlimited, over 5 days | Up to 5 days |
An over is a set of six balls bowled by one bowler before another bowler takes over. Shorter formats like T20 are fast and exciting, while Test matches are a real test of patience and skill, sometimes lasting several days.
How do I play cricket?
The basic aim of cricket is simple: one team bats and tries to score as many runs as possible, while the other team bowls and fields, trying to get the batting team out. Here’s how a game works, step by step.
- A coin toss decides which team bats first.
- The batting team sends two batters onto the pitch at a time.
- The bowler bowls six balls, known as an over, at the batter.
- The batter tries to hit the ball and run between the wickets to score runs, or hits the ball to the boundary for four or six runs.
- The fielding team tries to get batters out, for example by catching the ball, bowling them out or running them out.
- Once ten batters are out, or the overs run out, the teams swap and the other side bats.
There are actually ten different ways a batter can be given out, from being bowled to being caught. The ECB’s beginner’s guide to cricket explains each of these dismissals in more detail, along with the basic equipment you will need to get started.
Ready to give cricket a go?
Cricket is a brilliant sport to learn at any age, and the best way to understand it is to get out there and play. If your child is curious about the game, our cricket coaching guide for children explains when and how to get them started, while our beginner-to-club cricketer pathway shows how young players progress at HECC. You could also try one of our holiday cricket camps, where qualified coaches teach the basics of batting, bowling and fielding in a fun, indoor environment, whatever the weather.