A-Z Cricket Trivia Quiz

Answer: England and Australia

The test series played between England and Australia is referred to as 'the Ashes'. When Australia first beat England in 1882, the frustrated English supporters burnt the bails and stored the ashes in an urn. A replica of this urn is awarded to the winning team whenever these two countries play test cricket.

Answer: 4

A minimum of four bails are required in a game of cricket. Two bails are placed over the three stumps. And since there are two sets of stumps (batsman's end and bowler's end), a total of four bails are required. Of course, the laws prescribe that in a very windy day, the umpire may dispense with the bails. But this happens very rarely.

Answer: Bouncers bowled at a batsman

Bowling bouncers or deliveries that are aimed at chin height is called 'chin music'. When a batsman receives a bouncer, he may have to jump around to avoid being hit, this is referred to as chin music. It was popularized by the West Indian fast bowlers, who were known for bowling fearsome bouncers.

Answer: He is closing his team's innings

In cricket, a game is organised into innings. In test cricket, each team has to play two innings each. An innings is closed, when all the batsmen are out. Alternately, if the captain is satisfied with the runs his team has scored, he may bring an end to the innings voluntarily. This is called declaring the inning closed or a declaration.

Answer: Short run

Wides, Leg Byes, No Balls and Byes are extra runs. That is, these runs form part of the batting team's score, but are not attributed to any one batsman. A short run happens when a batsman does not ground his bat properly while running between the wickets. If this happens, one run is deducted from the batsman (and team's) score. This is not an extra.

Answer: Trajectory of a ball bowled by a bowler

Flight refers to the way the delivery is bowled in the air or the trajectory of the ball. Spin bowlers depend on flight to impart spin to the ball. The higher the flight, the more chances there are of the ball spinning viciously. A ball sailing over the boundary is called a sixer.

Answer: The curator of the pitch

The groundsman of the pitch is the curator who is responsible for the maintenance of the pitch. He is the person who prepares the pitch and maintains it during the match to ensure that it does not deteriorate during the game. He is also responsible for ensuring that boundary lines, and popping crease lines are clearly drawn.

Answer: For leg before decisions

Hawk Eye is a technology used mainly in leg before wicket decisions. When an appeal for leg before is made, the Hawk Eye software makes a computer projection to estimate whether the ball would have hit the stumps or not. It is used by television channels.

However it is not allowed to be used by the third umpire for making decisions. Incidentally, Hawk Eye is used even in tennis for line calls.

Answer: No limit

In a test match, each team has to play two innings. There is no limit to the number of overs for an innings. A team can play on till they are all out or till they are satisfied with the runs they have scored. But the longer an innings progresses, the lesser is the chance of a result. In a one day match, an innings is limited to 50 overs.

Answer: Batsman attempts to push the ball

A jab is when a batsman attempts to push a ball. Generally, when a batsman tries to play at a wide delivery he is said to be jabbing at the ball.

Answer: The wicket keeper is the only fielder allowed to wear gloves

In the game of cricket, the wicket keeper is the only fielder allowed to wear gloves. No other fielder is allowed to wear gloves. However, other fielders can wear a helmet when they stand close to the stumps. Fielders are also allowed to stand behind the stumps. Also all fielders can field standing or squatting. There is no restriction on this.

Answer: When he has edged the ball on to his pad

A batsman is out leg before wicket, if the ball pitched on a straight line between the stumps (not outside leg stump) hits his pad and in the umpire's opinion it would hit the stumps. If the batsman plays the ball or even edges it, he cannot be given out leg before the wicket. Whether the batsman plays the ball or doesn't attempt he can be given out lbw, if the umpire opines that the ball would hit the stumps. Similarly, irrespective of whether the ball hits the right or left leg, the batsman can be given out. An interesting fact is that the batsman does not have to be hit on the leg to be out leg before wicket. Sachin Tendulkar was once given out by umpire Daryl Harper off the bowling of McGrath when he ducked and was hit on the back.

Answer: It is used when a bowler does not give up any runs in an over.

In cricket, if a bowler does not give away any runs in his over, then that over is described as a maiden over. In fact, bowling analysis of bowlers always shows how many maiden overs he has bowled. A typical bowling analysis of a bowler would read like 10-3-30-2.

This means the bowler has bowled 10 overs of which 3 were maidens (no runs scored), he gave away 30 runs in the other overs and took 2 wickets.

Answer: A tail-ender batsman sent at the end of the day

In test cricket, at the end of the day's play, if a top order batsman gets out, then the captain might not want to risk sending another top order batsman to replace him. He would then send in a lower-order or tail-end batsman. The job of the tail-end batsman would be to play off the few overs remaining before the end of day's play. If he does this, he then protects the next batsman.

In such a situation, the tail-end batsman is called a night watchman.

Answer: One of the two batsmen who are the first to take the field in an innings

The opening batsmen are the first two batsmen who come to bat in an innings. During the start of the innings, the ball in use is new and would help the bowler. Hence, an opener needs to be highly skilled in order to be able to face the new ball.

Answer: It refers to a fielding position

Fielders can stand in different places in the ground of play. Each of the pre-designated places is given a particular name. For example, fielders standing behind the stumps (next to the wicket keeper) are said to be standing in 'slip' position. Similarly, 'point' refers to a fielding position that is to the off-side (left side for a right handed batsman) and square of the batsman. If the fielder in this position comes closer to the batsman, the position is called 'silly point'.

Answer: A quick run taken by a batsman

A quick single is a term used to describe a quick run taken by a batsman. Many a times, even when a fielder is near the ball or when a fielder is slightly slow, the batsmen run fast and manage to get a run. Such runs taken by outwitting the fielder is referred to as quick singles.

Answer: A batsman who is hurt and leaves the field

A batsman can retire from play. This can happen under different situations. Usually in practice or warm-up games, famous players after playing for some time leave the field or retire to give a chance to the next batsmen to get some practice. This option is available in all forms of the game, but is not usually used in International cricket as a retired batsman cannot come back.

The other variant is when a batsman is hurt and leaves the field, he is known as 'retired hurt' and can come back later when he recovers.

Answer: Players verbally abusing each other

Sledging is a term used in cricket that refers to players verbally abusing each other, it may refer to light banter between players or serious exchange of foul words. Though sledging is banned, it continues unabated. In fact Australian legendary captain Steve Waugh called it 'mental disintegration' and raised sledging to new heights, using it to mentally weaken batsmen.

Answer: A player who cannot bat but can field

A team comprises eleven players. But when the captain makes the list of players, he includes a twelfth name. The twelfth man cannot bat or bowl or keep wickets. But he can come as a substitute and field if any of the eleven players have to leave the field for any reason.

Answer: 4

Usually there are four umpires in International matches. The two main umpires are the ones who stand in the field of play and make decisions. The third umpire sits before the television set and watches replays and helps the two on-field umpires when they are not sure.

The fourth umpire is a reserve umpire who is available as a stand by, in case any one of the three umpires cannot participate due to any reason. In test cricket, the on-field and third umpires are neutral, that is they are from a country other than those playing the game.

In one day cricket, only one on-field umpire is neutral others are usually from the host nation.

Answer: An area in front of the batsman

In cricket, 'the V' is an area in front of the batsman, straight ahead of the batsman, covering the mid-off and mid-on fielding areas in the form of the letter V. If a batsman has to play the ball in this area, he has to play with a straight bat, which is not so easy. Orthodox cricket pundits consider a batsman good, if he plays more strokes in the V area.

Answer: A batsman who leaves the field without waiting for an umpire's decision

In the game of cricket, unless the dismissal is straight forward (bowled or a clean catch), a batsman has to be given out by the umpire, before he leaves the field. But there are number of batsmen (notably Adam Gilchrist of Australia) who do not wait for the umpire's decision. If they know that they are out, they walk or leave the field without waiting for the umpire to make a decision.

There have been instances when the umpire ruled a batsman not out, but the batsman walked without even looking at the umpire to see his decision.

Answer: 22 yards

A game of cricket is played on a pitch, which is specially prepared by the groundsman. The pitch is rectangular in shape and all bowlers have to bowl on the pitch. The length of the pitch is fixed at 22 yards and is followed for all forms of the game of cricket.

Answer: Duck

A batsman who scored no runs (zero) is said to have scored a duck. The term arose because the zero looked like a duck's egg. It became popular after television channels started showed a cartoon duck weeping and leaving the field along with the batsman who scored zero. Donkey drop, chinaman and zooter are types of deliveries bowled by a bowler.