“I’m in the team – can you come and watch me play?” If you will be sitting by a cricket pitch this summer, mystified by the antics on the field in front of you, this is the book for you. Not only will it help to explain what is going on from the spectator’s viewpoint – it will also raise you several notches in your loved one’s esteem. After reading this book you will be able to talk knowledgeably about spin and swing bowling, off drives, knocking in, and know the difference between a googly and an off-break. You might even enjoy the matches much more as a result. Just as well because they can take up a whole day at junior level, or up to five days for a Test match. The author, a mother who has spent many seasons at her sons’ playing fields, provides a complete guide to the intricacies of cricket for all those supporters to whom predominantly male sports are a complete mystery. She also includes valuable advice on supporter etiquette and preparing cricket teas as well as dealing with the inevitable washing mountain. This book is for all bemused supporters, male and female, who loyally turn out to cheer in all weathers.

Whether you’re a weekend cricketer or aspiring armchair expert, Cricket For Dummies helps you make sense of this fascinating sport. Not just a jargon busting guide to cricket’s laws, techniques and tactics, it also contains advice on kitting yourself out and provides lessons on playing the game and improving your batting, bowling and fielding skills. For the budding fan, there’s a guide to the greatest players, the memorable matches, and a tour through the cricketing scene – both domestic and international – giving you the knowledge you need to fully appreciate this special game. This book has been updated for the Ashes 2009, featuring revised information on new players, the Indian premier league, Stanford 20:20 and the latest coverage of past and future competitions. Julian Knight is a BBC journalist, writer, and cricket enthusiast. He is a former youth coach and captain, and has been a club cricketer for over 20 years. Consultant Editor Gary Palmer played first class cricket for ten years with Somerset before becoming a professional coach.

Cricket Explained offers the sports enthusiast a user-friendly introduction to baseball's British cousin, a game that shares with America's national pastime the common ancestor "rounders." This is the definitive beginner's guide to the game of cricket, written by Robert Eastaway, a world authority on the sport, and co-inventor of the Coopers & Lybrand World Cricket Ratings System. Cricket Explained takes the reader from the game's fundamental --basic rules, terminology, equipment --to the finer points of strategy, individual playing styles, and cricket lore. The book includes a combined glossary/index for easy reference and is illustrated throughout with the lighthearted drawings of British cartoonist Mark Stevens. So even if you don't know "short leg" from "silly mid off" or a bowler from a batsman, you'll come away from Cricket Explained with an understanding for this truly international sport which, like baseball, is loved both for its elegant simplicity and its vexing complexity. Among the topics covered in Cricket Explained's concise, user-friendly entries are: -- Cricket's history -- Making sense of the action on the field -- Batsmen and the batting order -- Fielders and fielding positions -- Fielding and batting tactics -- Scoring and statistics -- Bowling strategy -- How many players are required -- How runs are scored, outs are made, and a game is won -- Umpires and the rules -- Bowlers and their individual styles -- Different types of cricket played throughout the world

A complete guide to cricket for players and fans alike Whether you're a budding player or aspiring armchair expert, Cricket For Dummies helps you get to grips with this fascinating sport. Completely revised and updated for the first back-to-back Ashes series in 38 years, this hands-on guide gives you clear explanations of the cricket's laws, step-by-step explanations of techniques and tactics, and exciting coverage of the tournaments, global rivalries, and great players. Fully revised and updated to chronicle the rise of twenty20 cricket and the IPL, the implementation of DRS, and the changing face of the game Covers cricket basics—the pitch, the laws, the equipment and more Provides an in-depth look at cricket formats Offers a guide to building cricket skills—bowling, batting, and fielding Includes coverage of the best players and the biggest tournaments throughout the world Complete with Top Ten Lists of the greatest cricketers, the most memorable cricket matches, and the biggest controversies, Cricket For Dummies is your one-stop resource on this popular sport.

A classic reprint which no young cricketer should be without. Also a release for those who are cricket memorabilia fanatics.Here is the art of cricket by one of the greatest in the game, the acknowledged master. In this reprint of a classic, all of The Don?s essential instruction is provided in clear and concise detail in his delightful writing style. It includes the original stop-motion photographs which show the strokes and positions of Bradman?s own game. With his passion for the game, Don Bradman was keen to pass on his knowledge of cricket to the younger generation. How to Play Cricket includes instruction on batting, grip and the different strokes, bowling, fielding and running between wickets. This book is a look at classic cricket technique which includes the ?newly introduced? lbw rule.

A child describes the feelings and emotions which are the mark of his individual self.