Lesson 2 of 5 · Learn Cricket USA
The Playing Area and Equipment
Cricket is played on a large oval grass field. Understanding the layout helps everything else make sense.
Key areas of the field:
- Pitch: A rectangular strip at the center of the field, exactly 22 yards (20.12 m) long. This is where bowling and batting happen.
- Wickets (stumps): Three wooden stumps stand at each end of the pitch, topped with small pieces called bails. There is one set of stumps at each end.
- 30-yard circle (ring): A circular boundary marked around the pitch. Fielding rules depend on whether players are inside or outside this ring.
- Boundary rope: The outer edge of the oval field. Hitting the ball to or beyond this rope scores extra runs.
Key equipment:
- A bat used by the batter to hit deliveries.
- A hard cricket ball bowled by the fielding team.
Two batters are always on the field at the same time — one at each end of the pitch. The bowler delivers the ball from one end, and after every over, bowling switches to the opposite end. Knowing the field layout is the foundation for understanding all the rules.