Cricket News

Pakistan vs England Test Series (11-

12)2nd Test

Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss have experienced much during the 100 occasions they have stood together as England's opening pair, but rarely anything like this - a trial by spin in the desert, an examination against Pakistan's slow bowlers on the world's driest Test ground.

It was all too much for Strauss. He made 11 and was then stuck on the crease, propping half forward suspiciously, when Mohammad Hafeez had him caught off bat and pad at short leg.

Cricket

Which Test Cricket Players Have Had the Most Wickets in Their Career?

Cricket is a very stimulating game, with a long history. I want to take a look at some of the top players of all time starting with test bowlers with the highest number of wickets in their career. Here is the top five and a bit about their careers.

The number one spot goes to a player that played for eighteen years. In his eighteen years of cricket playing he had 800 wickets, a nice round number. He played for Sri Lanka and his name is Muttiah Muralitharan. He averaged a little over six-wicket takings a game. This year he received the Outstanding Achievement in Sport honor at the Asian Awards. Today, Muralitharan is a politician in his hometown.

The second test cricketer is Shane Warne. Warne had 708 wickets in his career, which lasted fifteen years. He played for Australia and will be considered as one of the top bowlers of all time. He is known for his spin on the ball and making leg spin bowling popular again. He held the record of most wickets takings from 2004 until 2007. Warne was awarded the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World in 2005.

In third place is a man named Anil Kumble. Kumble played for India and retired in 2008. During his 18-year career he had 619 wickets. He is known for claiming almost all of the Indian records. His 600th wicket came in January 2008, and he followed that with nineteen more before his retirement.

In a prestigious fourth place is a man named Glenn McGrath of Australia. McGrath retired in 2007 with 563 wickets. This man held the record for most wickets in 2005 until Kumble surpassed him in August of 2007. McGrath's bowling career lasted for 14 years, which is the shortest career of all the top 5 test bowlers.

The fifth bowler is Courtney Walsh. Walsh played for the West Indies and retired in 2001. He had 519 wickets in his 17-year career. He held the World record of most wickets in test cricket from 2000 until 2004.

Furthermore, Walsh, Warne, Muralitharan and Kumble are the only four bowlers to have bowled over 5000 overs in Test cricket. This is an impressive number, pairing it with their combine wicket takings.

In conclusion, there are many great bowlers in test cricket history. These are just five of the World's greats. I look forward to many more great cricketers to come in the near future.

Rules of Softball for Kids

The objective in softball is to score greater number of runs than the opposing team. Runs are scored by running between the bases after hitting the ball. Let us know more about what are bases, scoring, and other softball rules for kids through following paragraphs.

Field Dimensions
The softball field is bound by foul lines. The batters cannot hit the ball outside the area marked by these foul lines. There are two sections/parts of the field i.e. infield and outfield. The infield is generally made of dirt or brick-dust. However, grass or artificial turf can also be used for the infield. Outfield is made of grass. The infield contains a diamond-shaped area (made up of 4 bases). The lines which connect these bases are called baselines. The length of these baselines ranges from 45 - 65 feet. Pitcher's circle is at the center of this diamond-shaped area bound by baselines. The ball is pitched from the point at the center of pitcher's circle. One can easily get the setup by referring to a softball field diagram.

Bat and Ball
The bat used in softball is made of metal, wood or even a composite material like carbon fiber. Length of the bat is variable however, it should not be more than 34 inches. The diameter of bat is around 2.25 inches and it weighs around 38 oz. The ball used for playing this game is around 12 inches in the circumference; the weight of this ball ranges from 6.25 - 7.0 oz. Material used for making the core of this ball is either a mixture of rubber and cork, kapok (fiber) or a polyurethrane mixture. Two pieces of leather are sewn together to cover the core; generally a red colored thread is used to sew these pieces.

Gameplay
Batters and pitchers play an important role in the game of softball. Pitcher has to throw the ball at the batter by means of an underarm action. Batter hit the ball, he and his teammates occupying the other bases run around them and come back to the home plate (first base) to score a 'run'. The objective of opposing team is to get the batters out before they can reach the home plate. It is necessary to get out 3 batters of the opposing team. A game of softball is divided into innings; seven innings are played in a single game. This number (innings) can be 6 for youth softball games.


Innings
The opposing teams play an offense and defense once in a single innings. The team on offense has to score maximum runs while, the opposing team (defense) has to get 3 players out as quickly as possible.

Pitching
The pitching action is made after the umpire says "Play Ball". A pitching plate (made of rubber) is where the pitcher has to stand and throw the ball. As stated earlier, an underarm action is used for pitching the ball. This action is often referred to as 'windmill' action. Release of the ball should be at a level/point below the hip and while doing so throwing the ball in the strike zone of the batter is necessary. Strike zone is the area which batters use to strike the ball. If the batter misses (upon swinging the bat) despite the ball pitched in the strike zone, then it is called a strike. The pitcher cannot step forward or sideways while pitching the ball; stepping forward at the time of pitching is allowed. Pitchers can bring about variations the manner of throwing the ball. The variations include curves, risers, drops, etc.

Batting
Batters have to hit the ball thrown by the pitcher. Upon hitting the ball, batters have to run around the bases to score runs. The ball after being hit is fielded by opponents in the outfield. One has to cover as many bases as possible (and reach back to the home plate) before the ball is returned by these outfield players. The condition in which the batter misses out on 3 consecutive balls bowled by the pitcher is referred to as strike out.

Score
Home Run is a condition in which the ball is hit by the batter over the fence. If the batter is able to run up to the first base before the ball is returned by the fielder, the run is called single. The condition is referred to as double when the player reaches the second base; if the player is able to reach the third base, it is referred to as triple.

Terms Used in Softball
Here are few commonly used terms in softball. One should understand the rules of this game in a better manner with the knowledge of these terms.

• Grounder: This term is used to describe a condition in which the ball is hit on the ground.
• Fly Ball: The term, fly ball is used when the ball is hit in the air in the infield area.
• Ball: A 'ball' is referred to as the condition in which the ball is pitched outside the strike zone

The basic softball rules for kids presented in this article should help them understand the game with ease. There are many details and nuances about the game that should be explained as the player becomes proficient. The instructions presented above, should be useful for beginners.

Cricket Shots Tips

How to Play the Straight Drive

Jacques Kallis. Grant Flower. And of late, Martin Guptill and Kevin Pietersen. All excellent players of the straight drive. However, for me there is no better exponent of this particular stroke other than Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. A purist to the core. His is the definition of a textbook straight drive. That broad bat face meeting the ball right in the middle, the high left elbow, the near-effortless punch, the signature Tendulkar follow through... it is as pleasing to the eye as it can ever get.

These are a few things that every young batsman can learn from Tendulkar's straight drive:

•	Timing One of the first things that you realize is that Sachin's straight drive (be it an on drive or an off drive) is rarely about power. More often than not, it is just a harmless looking punch off the front foot (at times, simply an extension of the forward defense). But what makes the ball race away to the fence is the sublime piece of timing behind his stroke. He does not try to overhit the ball. The lesson to be learned here is that the magic within the straight drive lies in the way you time the ball. The bat must meet the ball at precisely the right moment. If you bring your bat down with a ferocious bat swing and try to hit the leather out of the ball, your timing will be all over the place. Therefore, focus on timing. Not power.
•	Leaning Forward Towards the Ball This is something that applies to nearly all cricket shots off the front foot, and not just the straight drive. If you observe Tendulkar playing the straight drive from a side-on view, you will notice how his upper body (in sync with his front foot) goes towards the ball (as opposed to staying upright). You should lean forward into your shot and meet the ball in front of your left pad (in case of a right-handed batsman). Not only is this important for getting your timing right, but also to ensure that you hit the ball along the ground and not in the air.
•	Watching the Ball Onto the Bat This is a very important element of batting. From the moment the ball leaves the bowler's hand till the time it meets your bat, you must carefully watch the ball all the way through. You may watch it out of the bowler's hand and even through the air, but if you take your eyes off the ball at the point of impact, then there's every chance that you will end up mishitting the ball in an unintended direction.
•	Judging the Line and Length Early Once again, this is a prerequisite for every cricket stroke. As far as the straight drive is concerned, you should ideally look to play this stroke to balls which are pitched in line with the off stump or the middle stump, and on a length which is anywhere between good length and beyond. For a ball that is pitched in line with the leg stump, the flick towards midwicket is a better option. Similarly, for a ball that is pitched outside the off stump, the cover drive or the off drive is a more appropriate choice of stroke. Pay careful attention to the length of the delivery. If the ball is pitched on or around a good length, then you must let the ball come to you and then play it; rather than you reaching out too far forward towards the ball. If the ball is swinging, then by waiting for the ball and allowing it to come to you, you give yourself that extra element of time to counter the swing and movement (as opposed to you reaching out for the ball instead).
•	Firm Bottom Hand A firm bottom hand is necessary to ensure that the bat handle does not turn in your hand at the point of impact. If you play with a loose bottom hand, the bat handle may turn and the ball may hit the inside (or outside) half of the bat face, and go in an unintended direction.

Last but not the least, observe and learn. Keep observing the great players and study their technique. If you get a chance, watch them as they go about their practice sessions in the nets. That is the time when they themselves work on the finer points of their technique. You can watch, learn and pick up some really useful tips from the nets and practice sessions itself.