Cricket Equipment ' the Basics - 14/07/2009Cricket is a very popular sport and is played at both the amateur and professional levels. The professional teams play five day Test Matches against each other and an ICC World Ranking determins which team is the best at any given time. The best one day cricket team is decided in the Cricket World Cup and there is also a separate Cricket Wolrd Twenty20 Cup. Both amateur and professional players use similar cricket equipment and follow official regulations in relation to sizes, weights and condition of the pieces. Equipment can refer to the physical elements of the field as well as the gear used by the players. The first central piece of cricket equipment is the ball. The ball is usually red, but white balls are used for professional one-day matches. Cricket balls weigh between 5.5 and 5.75 ounces and have a circumference of 8 13/16 and 9 in, although junior players use a smaller ball. Traditionally the ball has a cork center, which is wrapped with twine and covered with leather. However there are now variations on the market and some cricket balls have a synthetic center instead of cork. There is also a six row raised seam on the ball and bowlers use this to control the movement of the ball. A minimum of two cricket balls are used for each professional one-day match and each inning is started with a new polished ball.
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The second central piece of cricket equipment is the bat. The bat is always made of wood, aluminum bats are not permitted. Kashmir or English Willow trees provide the wood to make the bats. The bat is shaped with a long handle, with a smooth face on one side. There are restrictions to bat sizes, and they can not be wider than 10.8 cm or longer than 96.5 cm. There are variations in bats depending on the style of the batsman. cricket equipment also includes several items which are used on the field. The Boundary is a rope that marks the field area. A Sight Screen, set at the Boundary, is a screen lined up to be behind both wickets and parallel to the width of the pitch. There are also three wooden poles called Stumps, or Wickets and two Bails which set on top of the wickets.
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In addition, some positions require protective wear as part of their cricket equipment. Batsman will wear the most gear including thigh, chest, arm and elbow guards, the cricket box and leg pads. The batsman will also wear a helmet and gloves, and the gloves will have thick padding to protect the fingers from impact from bowled balls. The wicket-keeper also wears thick, protective gloves which resemble mitts. Fielders near the batsman will also wear helmets, while other players wear caps. All players wear spiked or rubber studded shoes and polo shirts. This is merely a summary of cricket equipment. There are many details for each piece of equipment. There are also many rules referring to how the cricket equipment is used in a game and also its appearance. Weight and size restrictions are enforced in professional matches so it is important when purchasing equipment that you deal with reputable dealers who know and abide by the rules and regulations of cricket.
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