There are many similarities and differences between cricket and baseball. Some baseball fans say that cricket directly influenced baseball. On some level that is correct but the two sports, however, have subtle differences in the way the game is played.
Cricket
Cricket is the official game of England. The game has been played for centuries and had changed their original rules to what modern-day cricket is. In cricket, there are two teams, one that bats and one that bowls. The batting team has two players on the field at a time where the bowling team has eleven. The eleven players consist of a bowler, (pitcher) a wicket-keeper and nine fieldsmen. The bowler throws the ball to the batsman in an attempt to knock down three wooden wickets. If the wickets are struck, the batter is out. The shape of the bat in cricket is very different than in baseball. Cricket bats have a small handle and a large wooden blade on top. This blade is to protect the wickets and also to guide the ball in the direction the batter wants it to go. In cricket, you can receive a total of six runs in a single hit. There are three different game settings to play in cricket. Test, one-day, and twenty-twenty (T-20) cricket are the different types of games played. Each game is played in varying lengths ranging from three hours to five days. With each different cricket game played different rules are applied.
Baseball
Baseball is played by two teams with nine to ten players each team. The team who bats first is the away team and the home team bats second in the inning. There are nine innings played in baseball, each team bats and fields in each. The maximum scoring range in baseball is four runs, in the case of all bases being occupied and a batter hitting a homerun. The pitcher’s goal is to strike out the batter. In baseball, three strikes constitute an out. Three outs constitute an end to a team’s batting turn. Catchers have many pieces protective equipment. The catchers wear a wire mask, chest guard, shin guards, and a special glove to protect from the fastballs. Batters have a helmet on and a bat to swing at the pitched balls. The bat in baseball is rounded and has a much smaller surface area than that of a cricket bat.
Overall cricket and baseball are very similar to the objective of the game. Both games are trying to score more runs than the opposing team. Both sports require a hit and run tactic to score points. Regardless of either sport you play, both are an enjoyable experience and should be played by everyone!