Let me take a stab at this in terms the average American can understand:

Cricket is like baseball except with a fraternity paddle instead of a bat, you don't actually run the bases (except first), a foul tip is as good as a home run, and the game lasts approx. 187 innings.

Did I get it about right?

I don't know I think the whole time leading up to the trip I was thinking about how good the pizza in Italy would be. Then I try and dislike pizza after pizza and I am in denial and keep thinking that I am running bad at my restaurant selection.

Thank GOD!

they're way ahead on secularism too

Dunno... baseball confuses the hell outta me!

Baseball is pretty simple imo.

• 4 bases - you have to touch all four in sequence to score a run.
• 9 innings, each team gets to bat once per inning.
• During their at bat each team keeps batting until they amass 3 outs.
• Batter gets 3 strikes and he's out, or 4 balls and he goes to first base.
• A strike is pitcher throws ball through a square defined in relation to batter's body and home plate (home plate = the 4th base).
• A ball is when the pitch falls outide of defined square.
• If batter hits the ball and it's caught, or the fielders can throw to first before he gets there, he's out.
• If batter hits the ball out of the park in fair territory, he touches all 4 bases and scores. Also anyone else on base scores ahead of him.
• If batter hits the ball in play he can take as many bases as he can get to without being thrown out. The same with anyone already on the bases.
• If batter hits the ball outside the lines created by home->first base and home->3rd base, that's a foul ball. This counts as a strike unless there are are already two strikes, in which case it counts as nothing.
• If the fielder catches a foul ball in the air the batter is out.
• If a pitcher hits the batter he is awarded first base.
• Team with the most runs at the end of 9 innings wins, if the score is tied we play extra innings until someone wins.

Simple right?

I thought first base was boob. Other than that, yeah, it... erm... really clarifies the game. Thanks

Wait, first base is boob? I thought first base was just making out.

Correct. 2nd base is boob. This guy is hurting his Slugging %.

I got one boob once, but she wouldn't let me have the other. What's that?

That's a double, but then you got picked off

Man it's tough to get picked off of second.

Wait, I thought first was fingers, second was head, third was sex and ass was a hr?

I watched some cricket on tv 15 years ago so I think I'll take this one.

In baseball terms:

It's a one inning game.
There are only 2 bases.
You don't have to run after you hit the ball if you don't think you'll make it.
There is no foul territory.

You score by running to the other base. That's worth 1. You always have a teammate at the other base, he has to run when you do. Ground rule doubles count as 4, home runs are worth 6.

You stay on base until you are out. When you are at home, you bat. When you are at the other base, the other guy bats.
When one of you makes an out, the next guy in the batting order comes up.
Since you'll be batting regularly, you take your bat with you when you run the bases.
Your team at-bat lasts one time through the lineup, or until the pitch limit is hit.

If a fielder catches it on the fly, you're out. (no gloves though)
If the ball beats you to the base when you're running, you're out.
If you take a "strike", you're out. They work around this by sticking their leg in the way to get hit when they don't want to swing (not legal but not often punished).

Pitchers get a running start.
I think they have to keep their arms straight when pitching.
Bouncing the ball in front of the plate is preferred and it can still be a strike. This helps compensate for the flat bat.
There is a pretty low pitch count limit so lots of players have to pitch.

This is all about the single day version.

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Staying on the bases until they get you out + the pitch count limits mean lots more offense than baseball. The best hitter keeps on hitting, the best pitcher pitches for just a little while and then goes back to the field. Imagine if Barry Bonds was allowed to keep hitting while each infielder tried pitching to him.

So true.

Maybe in Georgia or wherever you're from

Thanks, this was actually very enightening.

If well-being and happiness per capita is of any concern, then yeah.
But then again, from the point of view of self-interested privileged white kid, they're probably not that important.

Exactly this.

Maybe in the major leagues.

You guys need to step the game up.

I concede, **** this country. In the bible it rained for 40 days and they called it a disaster, in England we call it the summer.

Nah, you kicked ass in WWII. I'll always have a ton of respect for England and the English people for that. Now the French otoh...

Please watch this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pwWPuZQ2_I

Way to ruin the moment. I know the difference.