Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
The Anderson Cricket Club kicked off it's preseason with a pair of games between the Anderson Kings and the Anderson Spartans at the new pitch on Balloon Hill across from the Anderson Civc Center on Saturday.
Cricket, a popular international game, is played with a bat and ball between two teams of 11 players on a field surrounding the 22-yard center pitch (which has a wicket at both ends).
The game proceeds when a player on the fielding team, called the bowler, "bowls" (propels) the ball from one end of the pitch towards the wicket at the other end, with an "over" being completed once they have legally done so six times. The batting side has one player at each end of the pitch, with the player at the opposite end of the pitch from the bowler aiming to strike the ball with a bat. The batting side scores runs either when the ball reaches the boundary of the field, or when the two batters swap ends of the pitch, which results in one run.
The fielding side's aim is to prevent run-scoring and dismiss each batter (so they are "out", and are said to have "lost their wicket"). Means of dismissal include being bowled, when the bowled ball hits the stumps and dislodges the bails, and by the fielding side either catching a hit ball before it touches the ground, or hitting a wicket with the ball before a batter can cross the crease line in front of the wicket to complete a run. When ten batters have been dismissed, the innings ends and the teams swap roles. The game is adjudicated by two umpires, aided by a third umpire and match referee in international matches.
The official kickoff for the Anderson Cricket Club's season is set for March 26.
Anderson Dr. Sanjeev Kumar offers more details on the new club and today's event: