Describe how cricket is played as a game.

It is an 11-a-side bat-and-ball team game, in which the object is to score the most runs. It originated in England among shepherds using their crooks as bats; its rules were laid down in 1744 and the game is played almost exclusively in the U.K. and its former empire.

(i) It is presided over by two umpires (from 1993, a third umpire may make certain decision in test matches with the aid of video replays).
(ii) It is played on a grass pitch 22yd (20.12 m) long having at each end a wicket of three stumps surmounted by two bails. The cork and twine ball, encased in leather, is 8.8-9 in (22.4-22.9 cm) in circumference and weighs 5.5-5.75 oz (155.9-163 g).
(iii) The members of one team take turns to bat in pairs, one defending each wicket; the batsmen’s objective is to score runs by hitting the ball and exchanging ends before the ball is returned to the pitch.
(iv) Each player bats until he is bowled, caught, stumped, run out, or judged LBW (Leg Before Wicket). The members of the other team field, some take turns to bowl the ball. After every over of six balls (sometimes eight in Australia) the bowler changes.
(v) The new bowler bowls from the other wicket. A match consists of one or two innings and may last for a few hours or up to five days, depending on the type of competition.