Easy The Sounds of Cricket Trivia Quiz | Sports

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The bowler bowls the ball, it hits the batsman's pads, and the bowler turns to the umpire and screams something that sounds like "Zaaaaart!". What is he actually asking the umpire?

Answer: How is that? (howzat)

Offically, under the laws of the game, the bowling team must "appeal" to the umpire to make a decision on whether the batsman is out or not. This appeal should be worded "How is that?", and the umpire then decides whether the batsman is out or not - usually in the case of an LBW, but also for some catches, run outs and stumpings.

"How is that?" has become shortened to "Howzat?" over the years, although to the casual listener, it probably sounds a lot more like a strangulated cry of pain - which can only be alleviated by the umpire's positive decision in his favour.

2. The bowler strides up to the wicket to bowl the ball, but his front foot lands in front of the line known as the popping crease as he delivers the ball. What words will you hear the umpire shouting at this point?

Answer: No Ball

The "no ball" rule has changed from time to time over the years, but it is put in place essentially to ensure that the bowler bowls the ball from at least the minimum permitted distance from the batsman - taking into account the two batting creases, this is a distance of just under 20 yards in total from the point of delivery to the ball reaching the batsman, sometimes at speeds in excess of 90mph. No wonder we batsmen are often bruised all over for the majority of the cricket season.

3. The batsman hits the ball into the outfield, and considers whether he and his partner have a chance of completing a run before the fielder returns the ball. According to age old custom, what are the only three words that the batsman should choose from to "call" a run?

Answer: Yes, No and Wait

Although there is no "law" or "rule" written down anywhere about these three "calls", it's a tradition of cricket that these are the ONLY three words that batsmen should use to communicate with each other when calling a run. It's a "custom" that we coaches probably spend more time than anything else trying to drum into youngsters - and all of the false answers to this question have sadly been heard over the years, usually ending in tears - if the batsmen don't "make their ground" before the ball is returned, then it's highly likely one of them will be "run out" - and that's the end of his or her innings.

4. The batsman has seemingly completed two runs (running to one wicket, turning, then running back to the wicket he started from). However, at the completion of his running, the umpire turns to the scorers, making a signal which involves tapping his hand against his shoulder, accompanied by what shout to the scorers?

Answer: One Short

To complete a run, the batsman must put either part of his bat or part of his body over the batting crease at the end to which he is running. If he fails to do this, he has made what is known as a "short run", and the run isn't counted in his total. The umpire will then make the approved signal to the scorer, and he will also shout "One short" to accompany that signal.

5. The bowler has just bowled six consecutive legal deliveries, the final one has become "dead" by being gathered safely in the wicketkeeper's gloves, the batsmen have no intention of taking a run. What will you hear the umpire calling at this stage in the proceedings?

Answer: Over

An "over" in cricket comprises now, almost universally, of six legal balls bowled in succession from the same "end" by the bowler. This has differed from country to country over the years, with anything from 4 to 8 balls being an "over" in different countries at different times. In season 1978/79, both Australia and New Zealand came into line with the rest of the world by reducing an over from 8 balls to 6 balls.

I have heard some umpires say they can't wait to get to the pub at the end of an over, but as yet, this isn't an "official" cricketing call.

6. The bowler bowls, the batsman fends at the ball, it goes through to the wicketkeeper and there is an appeal to the umpire for a catch. What sound has the wicketkeeper heard?

Answer: A snick

Often, the batsman will get "an edge" to a ball - the edge being the very edge of the bat. If this is caught by a fielder (usually, the wicketkeeper, who stands directly behind the batsman), then the batsman will be given out "caught" - because he's "snicked" it to the keeper.

7. It's a Saturday afternoon, and the first innings has been going along for two or three hours. What welcome sound might some of the fielders hear from the pavilion?

Answer: A kettle whistling

Ah! The great British cricket tea! One of the highlights of the game for many. Imagine it - a nice refreshing cup of tea, some cool cucumber sandwiches and a lovely wedge or two of the skipper's wife's home made chocolate cake, all eaten with your friends in the tranquillity of the English countryside.

It's been immortalised in literature, on celluloid and on the ether - but to really get the best of the quintessential cricketing experience, you've got to try it once at least in your lifetime - the cricket tea.

8. Whilst walking through the English countryside on a summer's evening, a familiar sound drifts over the gentle breeze to your ears. A game of cricket is taking place. What sound do you hear?

Answer: Leather on willow

A cricket ball has been traditionally made of a cork inner encased in a leather outer, and the bat must, according to the laws of the game, be made from willow. This latter point has often been a bone of contention, with numerous manufacturers trying to "gain an edge" by using different materials to make bats, so if you hear anything other than the sound of leather on willow, be sure to call the Marylebone Cricket Club, or even the ICC, immediately, please!

9. Between every ball, you hear a faint "click" coming from the direction of the umpire as he puts something from one hand to the other. What is unlikely to be causing that noise?

Answer: Sparrow's skulls

Umpires use many different ways of counting the six balls in an over, but I've never heard of anybody using sparrow's skulls to do so! Some umpires buy special glass marbles, whilst many simply find six coins in their pocket, or more likely, pick up six stones around the outfield, and generally transfer one from one hand to another after every ball has been bowled.

10. The bowler bowls the ball, and it passes a good three feet behind the batsman. The umpire turns to the scorers, with both arms extended he shouts what?

Answer: Wide ball

The Laws of Cricket, as published by the MCC, state Law 25 as follows;

a) If the bowler bowls a ball, not being a No ball, the umpire shall adjudge it a Wide if, according to the definition in (b) below, in his opinion the ball passes wide of the striker where he is standing and would also have passed wide of him standing in a normal guard position.

(b) The ball will be considered as passing wide of the striker unless it is sufficiently within his reach for him to be able to hit it with his bat by means of a normal cricket stroke.

Or, in layman's terms - if it's too wide of the batsman to be hit from where he's standing, it's called a wide.

Source: Author huw27

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Nightmare before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

The Sounds of Cricket Trivia Quiz

Walk around a cricket ground on a lovely summer's evening, and you're likely to hear more than just the sounds of the birds chirping in the trees. Here are just some of the other sounds that may disturb your peace!

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>