Cricket balls come in different sizes and materials. For practise or indoor games you use a plastic ball, and for official games you use a cork ball. It actually comprises of a core of cork, which is wrapped tightly with string, and covered by a leather case with a slightly raised sewn seam. Red balls are used in official day games, but you will probably use a white ball in day / night matches. This is because red balls are much harder to pick up under lights.

In men’s cricket the ball must weigh between 5.5 and 5.75 ounces (155.9 and 163 grams) and measure between 8 13/16 and 9 inches (22.4 and 22.9 cm) in circumference. Youth & women’s cricket use slightly smaller & lighter balls.

For what you get, cricket balls are expensive. You have to spend about 6 on a ball (based on 2009 prices) if you want buy a decent one. Even then you won’t get the best quality; you can easily spend 12 or more if you want this. This is because they are not particularly easy to make and the materials aren’t cheap either.

When the cricket ball is new you will find it bounces higher, and will probably swing more than when it is old. This is why most sides will have their most explosive batsmen batting at positions 4 and 5. They want them to have the best chance of getting runs, and by batting later when the ball is worn it will be swinging less. That’s the theory anyway. If the fielding team polishes one side of the ball constantly, and lets the other side get rough, this can bring into effect ‘reverse swing’. This means the ball will swing the opposite way to normal, and in the hands of a top class bowler can be devastating.

Author: Tom Wilkinson

Buy & compare prices on cricket balls at ShoppingDay.co.uk.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tom_Wilkinson

Cricket Equipment

For beginners in cricket, here is the ready information on cricket equipments.

Cricket is becoming popular globally; day is not far when like Soccer, Cricket will become mass mania across the globe. Cricket is a religion in India and Pakistan. In India all youngsters aspire to become Sachin Tendulkar or Kapil Dev. Cricket mania or pure love of this game can be witnessed during World Cups especially if match is between India and Pakistan.

This fantastic, nerve breaking game is played between teams of eleven players each. Due to increasing interest of corporate in cricket and huge amount of money associated with the game, cricket sports equipments have become trendier.
Following are the cricket equipments:

Cricket bat: Bat is made of wood and has a long handle. It cannot be longer than 38 inches or wider than 4.25 inches. The front portion of the bat is flat and back portion has a slender curve, which gives the bat thickness and balance.

Ball: Standard circumference is 9 inches. The ball is made of cork at its center, wrapped in twine and covered with leather, which is stitched to form a seam. White ball is used in international cricket.

Stumps: These are three wooden poles of height 28 inches. It has a conical bottom and a horizontal groove across the top end. There are three stumps at each end, with two bails sitting across the top of them and are equally spaced to cover a width of nine inches.

Boundary: A rope which demarcates the perimeter of the field is known as boundary line.

Sight screen: It is the screen outside the boundary exactly parallel to the width of the pitch and behind both pairs of stumps for better visibility.

Cricket clothing is fashioned in such a way, so that it is comfortable and at the same time provides the proper protection to the players. Apart from t-shirts with collar, trousers, hats, caps, spiked shoes, and sunglasses following are the important protective wear in the game of cricket.

Leg pads: These are worn by batsmen and wicket keeper to protect themselves against the pace of the ball. Today’s pads are very light in weight but are still great protection for the batsmen. Wicket keeper’s pads are similar to batting pads, but they are shorter and lighter in weight, making them easier to move and dive around in.

Gloves: There are two types of gloves, one used by batsmen which has thick padding above the fingers. Wicket keeper wears the other gloves, which are larger in size with web between thumb and forefinger. Wicket keepers like to wear a pair of cotton inners underneath the main gloves.

Helmet: Helmet is worn by batsmen and a maximum of one close fielder or keeper. Helmet is a must to avoid any accident in the field be it full toss, top-edged or a throw, which can land on the players head.

Abdominal guard: It is high density plastic with smooth edge worn to protect the "privates" when batting against a cricket ball or other hard ball. Wicketkeepers and fielders close to the wicket should also wear it. It is also called as box, cup or cricket box.

Other cricket equipments used by batsmen are thigh pad and rib guard for the protection of thigh and chest respectively. If you’ve ever been hit by a quick delivery, you’ll know it’s always better to use the guards in the game of cricket, as much as you can so that the game becomes more fun.

With the advent of "twenty-twenty" in the international cricket, the pace and spirit of the game is at its peak. There may be cricket equipments for safer and better play on the ground but for cricket fans, every time match reaches its climax its magic catches them off guard!

By Ranjan Shandilya Published: 11/13/2007

 Here is a look at how it all started.

History of Cricket

Cricket, often referred to as the ‘Gentleman’s Game’, has its origins in the 16th century, although the international matches were played only after the 1800s. Its a popular game in most Commonwealth Nations and is widely gaining on its global appeal.

The origin of cricket is a contentious issue. Historians and researchers have slightly different theories about the origin of the game. But some conclusions were drawn based on the historical evidences, which trace its origin to England. The word ‘cricket’ may have its origin in the word ‘cric’. Crics were wooden staves carried by shepherds. The game developed in the grasslands of Kent and Sussex in England, where it was a kid sport and not seriously taken up by the adults. The first written record of the game can be traced to 1598, when a mention of the game ‘crekett’ or ‘crickett’ was found. Slowly, it became popular among the adults, only to be suppressed by the clergy. In 1611, two men were prosecuted for playing cricket instead of going to the church. But, the growing popularity meant more and more arrests.

The Beginning

The new puritan government of England clamped down on the spread of cricket. It had become a major pastime in the 1600s among the labor class and peasants. The 1680s saw the end of the puritan regime and Monarchy was in power again. The new rulers were themselves fond of the game and hence it gained in popularity and respectability. Inspite of betting and petty violence associated with cricket’s early following, the London magistrate viewed the game as ‘respectable’. In the year 1788, the ‘Laws of Cricket’ were laid down by the Marylebone Cricket Club, England which are still adhered to, except for a few revisions and modifications. Till today, it is the only game in the world that has ‘laws’ instead of rules, heralding the beginning of the modern version of the game in the 1700s. The game was played in the eastern United States along with England, in accordance with the new laws of the game.

Perhaps, cricket gained more popularity with the association of the rich and the famous of England with the game since 1725. Charles Lennox, the 2nd Duke of Richmond, the 7th baronet Sir William Gage or Alan Broderick who were all high profile connoisseurs of the game. Their interest ensured newspaper coverage for the game. The 1800s saw the emergence of Australia and South Africa as major cricket playing nations. The first official international test match was played between the touring English side against Australia. The match was played in Melbourne, Australia where the home side won by a margin of 45 runs.

The Aussies again defeated England in 1882, resulting in a public outcry against the poor English game. One writer had, in fact, published an obituary for English cricket, stating that its ‘body’ would be cremated and ashes spread all over Australia. The next series played between the two countries was termed as the fight to ‘regain the ashes’. Till date, a test series between England and Australia is referred to as the ‘Ashes’ test series and holds a special place in the cricketing arena for the intensity and the great rivalry of the two cricket teams. Cricket made its only appearance in Olympics in the year 1900, with a game played between England and France. English won the gold medal there and today there is a renewed effort to include it as an Olympic sport.

The ‘Imperial Cricket Conference’ was formed in 1909 by England, South Africa and Australia. It was rechristened as ‘International Cricket Conference’ until 1989, when it was finally named ‘International Cricket Council’. It has 10 full members, 34 associate members and 60 affiliate members as of 2008-09. Test cricket remains the highest standard of cricket, as the game grew through the 20th century. There have been many historic events and matches that changed the face of the game time and again. The ‘Bodyline series’ between England and Australia in 1932-33, the 1981 ban on underarm bowling after the Aussies used it in the infamous test series against New Zealand and the emergence of the Indian sub-continent as a power house of cricket in the late 20th century, are some of the notable features of the game.

Australian magnate, Kerry Packer glamorized cricket with his own version of the game, after a fallout with the sport’s governing body. He infused big bucks in the game and rewarded cricketers who played in this rebellious cricket tournament. The new concept to hit the cricketing world was the ‘One-Day’ game which became an instant hit.

As of today, yet another version of the game, ‘Twenty-20‘ cricket, is fast becoming a rage amongst the followers of the game. The Indian Premier League, which includes all the big names of the cricketing world, is a hugely popular twenty-20 cricket tournament. What started as a remote pastime in the English moors, has developed into one of the most eagerly pursued game in the world.

By Prashant Magar Published: 5/27/2009

No matter where you go, there are people in all places around the world that are interested in cricket. You will find men and women playing on cricket pitches and even children and teenagers getting together for a knock about or even just batting a ball up against a wall should they be short of a team mate or two.

Because of this unique interest, the sport of cricket, to some people has become an obsession, and this has led to a keen interest in them wanting to collect cricket memorabilia. There are lots of varied types of cricket collectable items that are available to be collected, such as autographed cricket memorabilia, cricket bats, jumpers and jerseys, and even photos and posters of famous players. The above list of cricket items are by no means comprehensive, and just give you a rough idea of some of the memorabilia that is available to you.

There are lots of places you can search on the Internet if you are seeking particular items, and we will always be happy here to try to give you links and information to point you in the right direction. If you want more information about cricket memorabilia and related ideas please visit us often as we will endeavour to update this site as often as we can.