Who is Wicket Keeper
Wickets are two long
poles that stand between the fielders and the batsman. These poles help keep
the ball away from the bails and play area if the ball is hit towards them. A
wicket keeper is responsible for keeping the balls safe until they reach the ground
or a fielder. If he does not do his job correctly, then the bowlers may lose
their wickets. He wears different colored clothing depending on his role. There
are four types of wicket keepers; the first is a catcher who keeps the wicket
safe by catching any hits that are going to go over the boundaries, second is a
sweeper who stops the ball from going out of bounds. Third is a slip who keeps
the wicket free of dirt and helps the batsmen score runs, and lastly the
under-arm-guard is responsible for blocking any quick deliveries coming at him.
The best wicket keepers are often called the best batsmen as well because they
have great reflexes.
Batting Order
The batting order
refers to how each player starts the innings. Players take turns starting and
finishing the inning. The team that scores the most runs wins.
Bowling Order
Bowling order is the
order in which players take turns bowling. Each bowler takes six deliveries to
get five balls, and then bowl again after five minutes. At the end of the game,
the team with the most number of wickets still remaining wins the match.
Fielding Position
Fielding position
refers to where a fielder stands on the pitch. A bowler cannot bowl a ball
outside the field of play. In cricket, there are nine fielding positions. Five
outfielders (field umpires) are on the boundary line behind the bat, three
catchers run along the sides of the pitch, and one wicketkeeper stands behind
the stumps where the batter strikes the ball. The bowler’s place in the
fielding order determines where he bowls from.
Number of Innings
Innings refer to the
amount of time allotted to a single match. The number of innings varies between
matches.
Responsibilities of Wicket Keeper
- Wicket Keeper is responsible for keeping the opposing batsmen out of the ‘home’ end of the pitch (or field) and ensuring that they do not score runs via hitting the ball over the boundary ropes. When you are batting, your job is to score runs by driving the ball past the Wicket Keeper and through his hands over the fence at the opposite end of the pitch. Each bowler tries to get as many balls as possible to hit over the ropes to stop the batsman scoring runs. Therefore the role of Wicket Keeper is very important in cricket!
- Wickets are the boundaries at which runs are scored, or wickets are taken. A wicket keeper keeps the ball away from the batsman until he hits it, then catches it if hit by the bowler (if not out), or throws it back to the bowler. He should stand behind the stumps (the area behind him where the batsman stands) and keep the batsman's bat out of danger so that he may score runs. If the batsman misses his shot, the wicket keeper is expected to catch the ball before it bounces. In modern cricket, the wicket keeper wears different equipment than fielders, including shin pads and gloves.
- The role of the wicket keeper changed over time, evolving from being just a backup keeper who kept wickets only between innings to become an active member of the fielding team. When bowling was introduced, the first wicket keepers were provided with a cap to protect their head from balls thrown by bowlers, and they would throw the ball to the bowler or the striker when batting. By the late 19th century, wicket keeping became an official position in cricket, though some players continued to use a cap throughout their career. A few wicket keepers have scored centuries in Test cricket.
- A wicket keeper may face injury while taking a catch. This is due to the risk of the ball hitting the body of the batsman. In addition, the wicket keeper may fall on an uncovered leg stump, putting himself at risk of injury. As cricket grew in popularity, wicket keeping became a more serious job, especially after the mid-20th century when the game adopted a high running standard.
- Wicket keeping requires an excellent eye for the ball and great reflexes, along with quick reactions to catch anything that comes close to the bat. A good wicketkeeper is able to make difficult catches with ease at any stage of play. He should also possess the ability to run fast enough to pick up dropped catches, making sure not to get injured doing so. Good technique and the correct height are also necessary; the wicket keeper must be tall enough to reach the top of the stumps, yet low enough to keep them clear of dangerous balls.
- In the early days of cricket, fielders could take six steps without losing possession of the ball. The laws limited this to four steps later on, although fielders could still step outside the boundary line to collect a ball if it bounced beyond it. The rule change allowed more room for the wicket keeper to move forward, but meant that he was now closer to the batsman. The rule change also meant that batsmen had to stay longer on strike, making scoring easier.
- As wicket keeping evolved, the role expanded to include keeping wickets, rather than just catching the ball. In those days, a wicket stood where the batsman stood, and the wicket keeper held the stumps near where he stood. The batsman would place the bat and the wicket keeper would hold the stumps to allow the batsman to score runs.
- Responsibilities of wicket keeper in cricket are quite different than those of any other fielders. As compared to others he is not allowed to run much and if he runs then he should just keep his eyes open and look for incoming ball. But on the other hand he should do everything possible to stop the ball going out of boundary. He should try and get some catches and stamping. If he fails in these two things then he becomes useless. In short, he is the only fielder who doesn't have the privilege of running across. Instead he should wait patiently for the ball to be hit and after that catch the ball.
- Popularity of Cricket has increased over the years and its rules have been modified to suit local conditions. There are different types of cricket matches. One type is known as T20. This type of match consists of only 20 overs per team. Each team can choose between two wickets keepers.
- Wicket Keepers are responsible for keeping a close check on the batsman's running between the wickets. He should also be able to detect any illegal bowling actions. A good keeper should be alert, agile, and possess quick reflexes. He should also be very comfortable at catching balls hit towards him. If he fails to catch the ball while trying to run after it then he should not blame anyone else. When the wicket keeper makes an error, he should take full responsibility for his mistake.
- The fielders should assist the wicket keeper whenever they find a dropped catch or an overthrown stumping. They should also inform the wicket keeper about any suspicious movements of the batsmen. There is no set number of runs scored before a wicket falls. However, if a batsman hits a six, run out, stump caught or leg stump caught then the total number of runs scored get reset to zero.
- Here we have given some important information about cricket wickets. I hope these knowledge will help you to understand cricket game better.
- Cricket field is divided into two parts i.e., playing ground and boundary area. Playing ground is the area where match starts and ends. Here players play different types of cricket games including T-20, 20/20, etc. On the other hand, boundary area contains the fence and various kind of objects like stumps, batsman boxes, scorers box, umpire's box, etc. These are arranged according to the rules of cricket. In any cricket match, there are three main components of cricket game: batting team, bowling team, and fielders. Fielders are responsible for catching the ball after it is hit by bat or bowler. If they fail to catch the ball then they should run towards their teammates or throw the ball back at the bowlers. So this way they can make sure that the ball is not hit again. After catching the ball they return to their teammates who may put the ball in the striker’s position. They must do this by running between the batter and the pitch.
- If the fielding side fails to catch the ball then the opposition team scores four runs instead of just one. Also if the ball goes over the boundary line then it is called a six. A six is considered much valuable than a four. As a result, they get lot of points in the end of the match. There are many types of cricket grounds i.e., Oval, Rectangular, Diamond, etc. Each type has its own characteristics and different number of teams involved in each match. Therefore, before starting a match, organizers arrange the set of cricket pitches accordingly.
- Now let us discuss about wickets. Wicket keeper is the person who manages the cricket pitch. He does different things according to the nature of cricket matches. Before starting the game, he places the cricket stumps on the ground. Then he measures the distance of the pitch from the boundary line. According to his calculations, he puts the mark line which divides the two sides. At last he marks the length of the pitch for the players. Then he arranges the bails on the stump. Bails are wooden pieces which fix the top of the stumps. After fixing the bails, he comes out from behind the stumps and stands close to the middle of the pitch.
- He also clears the surrounding area of rubbish and covers it with sand. Then he takes positions according to the instructions mentioned in rule book. He throws the ball and catches it with gloves. When he picks the ball, he tells the bowler which base the ball was thrown. When the ball is caught correctly, the bowler has no choice left except to concede.
