Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is the second most popular sport in the world after soccer and, as its name implies, PCC was started as a club to play cricket. Cricket was played from PCC’s inception until the 1920s. It was revived about 20 years ago and has enjoyed steady support since.
Cricket is a team sport with eleven players and it shares many similarities to baseball. We aim to be competitive but ultimately our goal is to have a good time. We invite a wide range of ages and skill sets to participate. Our more experienced players always enjoy coaching those who are just starting out. Members are encouraged to come out to a scrimmage or match to give it a try.
The PCC Cricket Team plays in spring and autumn, from the start of April until mid-May, and then from mid-September until the end of October. We aim to play twelve matches in the regular season with two or three intramural scrimmages. We also play two or three away matches in the summer when we cannot use the PCC field, and we “tour” extensively. Recent road trips have included visits to Argentina, England, Montreal, Napa, Pittsburgh, and South Africa.
Matches and scrimmages generally start at noon, and a match generally lasts three or four hours.
We charge a $30 per match “catering fee” to cover the cost of the mid-match food/beverage break and post-match beer for the PCC team and its opponents, as well as supplies and equipment. An “all-in” full season subscription is available for $350.
Dress code for matches and scrimmages is “all-white attire (i.e., white shirt, trousers, sweater, etc.). Shoes should be for running on grass (any spikes must be plastic not metal). We also recommend using protection from the sun including hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, etc. We have plenty of equipment for those who do not have their own.
The Philadelphia International Cricket Festival
Every year we are one of five hosts for the Philadelphia International Cricket Festival, which is over 20 years old. Over its history has become one of the most prestigious amateur cricket events in the world. Held on the last weekend in April, it attracts local, national and international teams to our and other grounds in the area and is a major showcase for cricket in the Philadelphia area.
Cricket In Brief
What is Cricket, besides our Club namesake?
Cricket is a team sport with two teams of eleven players each. Although the game play and rules are very different, the basic concept of cricket is similar to that of baseball. Teams bat in successive innings and attempt to score runs, while the opposing team fields and attempts to bring an end to the batting team's inning. Unlike baseball, the entire team bats in a single inning, until everyone (not just three players) are out. After each team has batted an inning, the team with the most runs wins.
What’s Happening on the Field?
The field is oval marked with a line (boundary) with a 66 ft x 10 ft rectangle(pitch) in the middle with two fences (wickets) at each long end. Unlike baseball, 360° of the field is in play.
There are 2 batsman, one at either fence (wicket). The fielding team has 11 players on the field. The pitcher (bowler) pitches (bowls) from one end and is attempting to knock down the fence (wicket) behind the batsman. The batsman is a protector of his fence (wicket) first & a run maker second. The batter aims to block the ball from hitting the fence(wicket) with his bat.
If a batter does hit the ball, he is not obliged to run but he can choose to run, in which case both he and the other batsman run to the other fence (wicket). When the two batsmen reach the other fence (wicket), a run is scored. If they can continue to run, further runs are scored.
If the batsman can hit the ball outside the line (boundary) of the field, runs are automatically scored and the two batsmen do not have to run. And the batsman can hit the ball anywhere on the field, the whole area is in play.
The only fielder with gloves is the catcher (wicketkeeper).
A batsman can get out if:
- the bowler hits the fence (wicket) behind the batsman
- a ball is hit by a batsman and caught on the fly
- the batsman misses the ball and then fails to stay within a designated area in front of his fence (wicket)
- the batsman’s body, rather than his bat, prevents the ball from hitting his fence (wicket)
- a batsman runs but fails to get to the other fence (wicket) before a fielder “tags him out” by “breaking” the fence (wicket) with the ball
The confusing part is when six balls are pitched (bowled) within the strike zone from one end of the rectangle (pitch), an ‘over’ is called and a new pitcher(bowler) starts pitching (bowling) from the other end of the rectangle (pitch) for a further six balls, and so on.
This is the only sport where ‘tea’ is held between innings & beer is a prerequisite at the finish.