Nicknamed the gentleman’s game, modern cricket is a sport that has been around since the sixteenth century. It is played with eleven players on each team, all dressed in distinctive white cricket equipment for international matches and coloured for county and league matches.
Played on an oval field, the boundaries of which are defined by a long piece of rope, the fielding team play against two batsmen at a time, whose cricket clothing is designed to give them protection against a cricket ball that can travel in excess of 100 miles per hour!
What’s the aim in the game of cricket?
The game is played over varying lengths, with some consisting of 20 overs per side and others lasting for as long as five days. The batters try to score as many runs as possible by running between the wickets after striking the ball or by hitting the ball beyond the boundaries of the pitch. Given the amount of protective cricket clothing they are required to wear when batting, cricketers need to be very fit to play the game to a high standard.