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An introduction to beach cricket
If you have ever wondered what beach cricket is, then this is the blog post for you. In this article, we will explore the basic rules of beach cricket and how it is played. We will consider how batsmen and bowlers score runs, and how they get out. And we will look at how the game is won or lost.
The origin of beach cricket
Beach cricket can be referred to as an informal form of cricket. It is a fun way to spend your time and play alongside your friends. There is no clear origin of the sport but it can be traced back to the 1960s. The sport has been played in the United States, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. According to some reports, the first official game was played in Hilton, South Australia in 1963. The sport is gaining popularity in many countries around the world.
Structure, rules, and standards of beach cricket
Beach cricket was once only played for fun, however, the game has evolved over time. Originally, the rules were set by the players – now they are standardized to a certain extent.
The sport is close to the format of the game of cricket but is played on a large expanse of sand instead of grass. Unlike the game of cricket, beach cricket is not played as a serious sport and is often played as a fun game because of the casual environment of the beach setting.
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- As far as the rules are concerned, it can be played between two teams of any number of players, or in singles or doubles format.
- The game is usually played in a time frame of two to three hours, depending on the ground size, number of players and time of day.
- The game is officiated by either a single or multiple umpires.
- There is no marked boundary line, as in the game of cricket. The players need to score runs through the running between the wickets.
- Due to inconsistent bounce on the beach, the ball is often thrown directly towards the batter.
- Hitting the water are can be out in certain cases. As the rules are mainly set by players themselves, hitting a long shot can also earn extra runs in some cases.
- In official games of beach cricket, each side has six players, and the game is played over artificial turf.
- The bowling and batting only take place in a fixed direction.
- The team with the most runs wins the game.
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Equipment and playing conditions
- Beach cricket is played with a similarly shaped bat, ball and wicket.
- A tennis ball is most commonly used to avoid injuries
- A tennis ball-bat, which is flatter and lighter than a hardball cricket bat, is used.
- The cricket stumps are usually made out of any material, such as washed up sticks and rubbish bins. However, a cold-drink container, or water cooler does the job as well.
Is it famous?
Beach cricket is popular at beaches, resorts and holiday destinations, and is gaining popularity in Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the United States, Canada, the West Indies, and other cricket playing countries. It is most popular in the summer months when the weather is good and the beach is a practical playing surface.
There are many leagues around the world, most notably in Australia and the United Kingdom. It is also popular in the Indian Ocean islands such as Mauritius, Reunion, Seychelles and Madagascar, where the game is played on beaches with palm trees growing in the sand.
Official beach cricket
A professional beach cricket competition was organized in Australia in 2006-07. The tournament featured Australia, England and West Indies, and was won by England who defeated Australia in the final.
The event received a very positive response from the audience, after which, another edition, featuring, England, New Zealand, and Australia was held in 2008. The games were played at Glenelg Beach in Adelaide, Maroubra Beach in Sydney, Scarborough Beach in Perth and Coolangatta Beach in Gold Coast.
However, the tri-series was reduced to just one location in 2009 and did not return in 2010.
Some of the rules for these matches include:
- The matches were played on plastic matting
- Each team included six players
- A beach cricket ball loaded on one side to increase swing was used
- The match consisted of eight overs per side. The last two overs are called “Captain’s Choice” in which captains could place bowlers and batters of their choices. For the first six overs, batsmen and bowlers were swapped out every two overs
- A batsman could continue batting even after getting out. However, the batting team lost runs at every wicket.
- A one-handed catch reduces the batting side’s score by 7 runs while a two-handed catch cuts 5 runs.
- Batsmen are not adjudged LBW.
