What is cricket? cricket rules. Where and when did cricket and baseball originate?

Baseball(English baseball, from base - base, base and ball - ball) - a team sports game with a ball and a bat. The competition involves two teams of nine (sometimes ten) players each.

Baseball appeared in the United States at the beginning of the 19th century. It is believed that the basis of the game was the English game "rounders". The first official match was held in 1820 in New York. In 1845 the first professional club was created. The game is widely distributed in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Australia, Japan, Korea and other countries. Baseball is currently played in more than 120 countries around the world. The World Baseball Championship has been held since 1938 for men and since 2004 for women. Baseball is most popular in the USA, Cuba, Japan, China and South Korea.

In the USA, Japan, the Czech Republic and other countries, softball is also common - a simplified version of baseball - a game that can be played indoors and on small fields.

Related sports to baseball include cricket, pesapolo in Finland, oina in Romania, and lapta in Russia.

At the 117th session of the IOC in Singapore on July 8, 2005, baseball, along with softball, was removed from the list of Olympic sports, both as a result of insufficient popularity in most IOC member countries, and due to disagreements between the IOC and the League baseball in the United States, which refused to postpone its competition during the Olympic Games. As a result, baseball was presented at the Beijing Olympics for the last time. However, a return to the discussion of this topic after the 2012 Olympic Games is not excluded.

Rules

The goal of the game is to score more points/runs (English run) than the opposing team. A point is scored when a player on the offensive team runs through all the bases (square (30 cm x 30 cm) pads attached to the ground) in turn, located at the corners of a square with sides of 90 feet (27.4 meters).

Baseball is usually played with a fist-sized ball that consists of a cork or rubber core wrapped with a layer of yarn. The top of the ball is covered with two layers of white leather with red stitching. Each team has 9 or 10 players. The corners of the playing "square" are called counterclockwise "home", 1st base, 2nd base and 3rd base.

At the beginning of the game, one of the teams (usually the home team) plays defense. 9 players of the defensive team enter the field and try to prevent the other team from scoring points. The away team plays first in attack and tries to score points. Points are earned as follows: starting from "home", each player of the attacking team tries to earn the right to run counterclockwise to the next base (corner of the square) and, having reached, touch the base, continuing to run to each next base and, finally, return to the "home ', earning a point.

Before a player on the offensive team can start running, a player on the defensive team, called a "pitcher" (from the English pitch - pitch), stands in a designated place in the middle of the playing square. The remaining 8 players of the defending team are also on the field, each in their own position.

A player on the offensive team, called the "batsman", stands near the "home" holding a round bat, usually made of wood or aluminum. The batter waits for the pitcher to throw the ball toward home. The pitcher throws the ball towards home, and the batter tries to hit the ball with the bat. If the batter manages to hit the ball in the field, he must throw the bat and start running towards 1st base. (There are other ways to reach first base.)

When the batter starts to run, he is called a batter-runner. If the runner has reached the base, he is declared “safe” (safe) and becomes “running” (English runner), otherwise the judge announces “out” (out). If a player is declared "out", he must leave the field and remain on the bench (English dugout).

There are many ways a defensive team can put an offensive player out. For simplicity, here are five of the most popular ways:

• Strikeout: The batter was unable to earn a run to first base because the pitcher had three strikes in the same pitching series.
• Ground-out: The batter hit the ball infield, but the defensive player picked up the ball and threw it to the player on 1st base before the batter could touch it.
• Force Out: The attacking player was supposed to run to the base (by the rules), but the defending player got to this base with the ball in his hand before he could do it. The ground out is one of many force out options.
• Fly-out: A defensive player catches a batted ball before the ball touches the ground.
• "Tag-out" (tagging): A defensive player touched the ball to an offensive runner while the runner was between the bases.

Each game is divided into periods - "innings" (inning), in each of which each team plays once in attack and defense. Each time three players on the offensive team go out, the teams switch places (thus there are six outs in each inning - three for each team). Usually the game consists of 9 innings. In the event of a tie at the end of the last inning, extra innings are played. A baseball game cannot end in a tie, extra innings are played until a winner is determined.

Serving and hitting the ball

• The pitcher receives a ball (English ball) if the ball thrown by him flies past the strike zone, and the batter, noticing this during the flight of the ball, exercised his right to ignore it (that is, did not wave the bat);
• The batter receives a strike if he ignores a correctly thrown (flying in the strike zone) ball;
• The batter also gets a strike if he swings the bat (the bat crosses the front line of the house) and misses the ball, whether the ball was in the strike zone or not.

Thus, the basis of baseball is the confrontation between the pitcher and the batter. The pitcher must serve the ball in such a way that it is difficult for the batter to assess his trajectory and, accordingly, hit; however, the pitcher must not make a mistake and send the ball outside the strike zone. In turn, the batter must determine in a split second whether the pitcher's pitched ball flies in the strike zone (that is, whether it should be hit), and if so, then deliver a hit that not only hits the ball, but also sends it as as far as possible in the field. The situation can completely turn around in a split second: if the pitcher made a mistake and threw the “wrong” ball, it would seem that he would receive a penalty point (ball), but if the batter also made a mistake, decided that the ball was “correct” and should be hit, waved the bat and if he misses the ball, he gets a penalty point (strike). An additional complication for the pitcher is the need to take into account that, on the one hand, the ball must not be hit by the batter, but at the same time it must be caught by the catcher - otherwise, while the catcher runs to pick up the ball that has flown away, the opposing team players can run to the next base (" steal the base). Teams often develop secret signal systems by which the pitcher tells the catcher what shot he is going to make.

If the batter hits the ball, but the ball flies out of the field (foul line) or falls into the field, but rolls out of it between home and first or third bases, then a foul ball is counted (in this case all attacking players must return to the bases where they were before the rebound). A foul ball also counts as a strike, unless the batter already has two strikes in his account, in which case the score of balls and strikes does not change.

If the batter scores three strikes—this is called a strike out—the batter is out of the game. In the case of four balls, the batter automatically occupies first base. This situation is called a walk. In this case, if there was already a player at the first base, then this player moves to the second base and so on. The batter automatically takes first base also if the pitch hit him (hit by pitch). In the event that the referee believes that the pitcher is deliberately pitching to the batter (usually after several pitches to the batter in a row), the referee may send the pitcher off.

Run between bases

A hit that flies the entire field and flies out of it is called a home run. Such a blow allows you to score points for the striker and all those running.

Players on the bases may try to run to the next base at the time of the pitch to steal the base, but they risk being caught off guard by a pitcher throwing the ball to a player on base on their team, or being caught by a catcher throwing the ball to the base they are trying to steal.

If the batter hit the ball so that he was caught in the air, the runners must return to their bases and touch them again, after which they have the right to run to the next base if they believe that they can do it legally.

playing field

BUT- home base

B- first base

AT- second base

G- third base

D- pitcher's hill

E- catcher area

AND- foul lines

W- field fencing

And- striker's zones

To- first base coach area

L- third base coach area

M- warm-up areas for the next batter

The square is grass-covered, with the exception of the corridors between the bases, a special elevation for the pitcher (pitcher's mound) and a small area behind the home base for the "catcher" (the defensive player who receives the pitcher).

The pitcher's mound is located in the center of the square and is raised 45 cm (25 cm for junior competitions) above the general level of the field. At the top of the hill is a plate of bleached hard rubber, which the pitcher must touch with his foot when making a throw to the batter's house.

The home base or "house" is a bleached rubber pentagon, with only two of its sides forming a wedge. The house is positioned so that the wedge points towards the catcher. The larger side of the rectangle faces the pitcher. First, second and third bases are white squares of soft material lined with canvas and attached to the ground with metal pegs.

The boundaries of the playing field are white lines of ground chalk running from the top of the house wedge to first and third bases and on to the field fence. These lines are called "fowl" lines because the area outside these lines is also called "fowl". The playing area is called "fer". At the ends of the foul lines are foul masts, relative to which it is determined whether the ball is on the "foul" or "fer" of the territory.

In stadiums intended for competitions among senior teams, the length of the foul lines must be at least 75 m, but may exceed 100 m (at least 50 m in the junior area). The distance to the field fence along the center of the field must be greater than along the fowl lines.

The part of the field between the square and the fence is called the "outfield" (outfield), but the square and the outfield are not separated by special markings and movement between them is not limited for defense players. Outfield has a grass surface.

On either side of the house are rectangular batters' zones (for left-handers and right-handers). Behind the foul lines, five meters from first and third bases, there are rectangular areas for the coaches of the offensive team, whose task is to guide the progress of the attacking players through the bases. At a distance of 12 m from the house, near the benches of both teams, there are round zones for warming up the next batter.

Terms

• Out (English out) - a situation (or command of the referee), meaning that the attacking player in this period (inning) is out of the game.
• Outfielder (English outfielder) - a player of the defending team, patrolling the outer field: right field, center and left players.
• Umpire (English umpire) - a judge, in baseball there are 4 judges, one at each "base" and one at the "home".
• Bow (English bunt) - a short blow, after which the ball rolls back about a meter from the "base".
• Side (English balk) - the team of the judge, meaning the mistake of the pitcher. In this case, the attacking players currently on the bases get the right to move freely to the next base.
• Bol (eng. Ball) - a ball served by a pitcher outside the strike zone and not hit by a batter's bat. After four balls by the pitcher in one series, the batter is on first base. After each serve, the referee announces the number of balls and strikes. If the pitched ball first hits the ground and then goes through the strike zone, the pitch is still considered a ball.
• Batter (eng. batter) - an attacker with a bat. It is located at the "house" (on the left or on the right side - as it is more convenient for him) in front of the catcher.
• Ground-out (English ground-out) - the batter goes out after the defenders deliver the ball to first base before he could reach it.
• Grand Slam (eng. Grand Slam) - a hit in which the team scores 4 points, i.e. when there are runners on all four bases. As a rule, the "Big Hit" is achieved by a home run.
• Double (English double) - a blow, as a result of which the batter managed to run to second base.
• Double play (eng. double play) - a rally, during which the defense earned two outs. For example, in a situation where the offensive player was at first base, the batter hit the ball so that the defense delivered the ball to second base and then to first before the runner and batter could reach them, thus earning two outs.
forced double out (Force double play) - a game in which both outs occur as a result of a forced game. reverse forced double out (English reverse force double play) - a game in which the first out is forced, and the second is made by salting the runner or base.
• Inning (English inning) - the period of a baseball game, during which teams play defense and attack once. As a rule, the match consists of 9 innings.
• Inside-the-park home run - a hit in which the ball did not leave the territory of the playing field, but the batter managed to run through all the bases and return to the house, earning a point.
• Infield fly (eng. infield fly) - a ball hit high in the air within fair territory and which can be easily caught by any player within the infield, without much effort when first and second are occupied, or first, second and third bases in a situation of less than two outs. In this case, the striker is put out of bounds, regardless of whether the ball was caught. The rule was introduced to ensure that defensive players could not earn a double forced out without deliberately catching the ball from the summer.
• Catcher ((eng. catcher) - a player behind the house, receiving the ball served by the pitcher.
• Tagging (English tag) - the base is considered tagged if the player who owns the ball touches it with some part of the body. A player is considered to be tagged if the opponent has touched him with a hand with a trap and a ball or with a free hand. If the defender managed to tag the base or the player, and then dropped the ball, the tagging counts. The tagged offensive player is out of bounds. When salting the base, the player who did not manage to get to it before the opponent is out of bounds.
• Pitcher (English pitcher) - a player of the defending team who serves the ball.
• Awarded match - a match ended with a score of 9:0 by the decision of the referee as punishment for the team that grossly violated the rules.
• Ran (English run) - a point earned by an attacking player.
• Runner (English runner) - an attacking player located at the base (since he no longer has a bat, he ceases to be called a batter).
• Single (English single) - a blow, as a result of which the batter managed to run to first base.
• Strike (eng. strike) - an error fixed by the arbitrator in some specific cases. For example, if the ball touches the bat and goes straight into the catcher's trap. A strike, however, does not count if the catcher does not fix the ball or catch it off the ground.
• Safe (English safe) - a game situation that occurs when the runner reached the base before the ball and captured it. The referee indicates this situation with outstretched hands.
• Time (English time) - the command of the referee, on which the game immediately stops and resumes only after the command "play" (game).
• Triple - a hit that resulted in a batter running to third base.
• Flyball (English fly ball) - a ball beaten off high above the playing field and caught by the defensive players before it touches the ground. In this case, the batter is out of the game, and the attackers have the right to start running only when the defender touches the ball with a trap.
• Foul (English faul) - a blow, after which the ball goes beyond the sideline. It counts as a strike if the pitcher has fewer than 2 strikes.
• Force play (English force play) - a forced game, when the attacking player is obliged to run to the next base.
• Hit (English hit) - a hit in which the batter reached the 1st, 2nd or 3rd base. If this successful run was preceded by an error of the defense players (inaccurate throw to the base, loss of the ball at the reception), then the defense is recorded with an error (strike).
• A short stop is a player between 2nd and 3rd base.
• Home run (English home run) - a blow in which the ball flies the entire field and flies out of it.
• Hit by pitch (English hit by pitch) - a situation in which the batter occupies first base after being hit by the pitcher's ball.

The main goal of a competition involving two teams, each with 9 or 10 people, is to score more runs/points than the opponent. A point is scored if a player of the attacking team runs through all the "bases" located in the corners of the square. Actually, the name (it’s like baseball) comes from the words base - “base, base” and ball - “ball”. And in Russia, he became very popular, thanks to baseball caps.

It is known that baseball is now played in more than 120 countries around the world. But it has received the greatest popularity in the USA, as well as in Cuba, Venezuela, China, Japan and South Korea. Since 1938, the world championships have been held among men, and since 2004 - among women. From 1986 to 2005 this sport was included in the official program of the Olympic Games.

Softball

Cricket

Lapta

Historians also argue that the lapta was actively used in the Russian army of different historical periods - under Peter the Great and Vladimir Lenin. Modern sports shoes are common only in some regions of Russia, not being popular outside of our country. However, the same fate is with two more almost similar sports - the Romanian oyna and the Finnish pesapallo.

It is believed that cricket was born in England in the 15th century; in any case, it is definitely known that it was then played here. Advertisements for cricket matches were placed in newspapers in the early 18th century. The first recorded county cricket championship was held in 1719. By 1750, the dimensions of the cricket field were established between the service lines - 20 meters and two-spoke gates - 56 centimeters high and 15 centimeters wide. There were no restrictions on the beat, which was very little like the modern one. Drawings of that time depict players dressed in white shirts, breeches and stockings, in a variety of headgear, however, mostly in top hats.

An important role in the history of cricket was played by the Wimbledon Club, founded in 1750. The glory of a small village in Hampshire flashed suddenly when her team defeated the rest of England. At that time, the ball was served only from below, which soon ceased to pose a threat to the defenders.

Where and when did cricket and baseball appear?

The Lords' Cricket Ground, which has existed since 1781, has also played a historic role in cricket. In 1814 it was moved to its current location, where the Marylbone Cricket Club established its headquarters. This club, founded in 1788, has become a trendsetter in cricket. By the beginning of the 19th century, the final dimensions of cricket goals were established: 69 centimeters by 23.5 centimeters. Batsmen had a big advantage over bowlers (servers) until the round bat became popular in the 1940s. Top serve was not recognized until 1864.

International cricket began with matches in Australia in 1877, when a touring party from England was defeated by the Australian team. The first international cricket match in England was played in 1880 and, with the exception of the war years, international matches have continued ever since.

In 1907, an American commission looked into the origins of baseball, intending to put an end to the controversy on the subject once and for all. In 1908, a report she published stated that baseball was an exclusively American game, having nothing to do with any foreign game, and that Doubleday created it.

However, some felt that this commission was not trying to really investigate the origins of baseball, but set out to prove that this is an American game. Much evidence has been collected to support this view. Here is some of them. The very name "baseball" was used to refer to a popular English game that has been known since the 18th century. A book published in England in 1744 and reprinted in the United States in 1762 and 1787 depicts a baseball game in which one can recognize a batsman on base, behind him a catcher (catching balls), a pitcher (serving) and two starting sites. In fact, in books published before 1830, there were many references not only to baseball, but also to baseball clubs.

Cricket pitches are needed for all levels of play to be effective for competition and training for both adults, youth and juniors. Cricket pitches come with one or more artificial grass playing lanes and are of high quality and strict standards. Cricket objects can be made with a continuous strip or a specific module, like for bowling. When creating a cricket field, artificial grass at the edges must extend at least 170mm beyond the limits and the beginning and end must be at least 400mm. Artificial grass laid on gravel: minimum depth 40mm.

For cricket, a wide range of stationary and portable cages is used: steel or aluminum frames with a diameter of 42 mm and a thickness of 3 mm are used for the cage; a protective net 3.9 m high, sometimes a 3.6 m high net is needed to minimize injuries with small dimensions of the sports ground; strip size: 24m*1.9m.
The pile height of artificial grass for cricket is small 7mm, 10mm, 12mm, 15mm; because artificial grass is low, it does not need to be covered with sand and this stimulates the engraftment of vegetation. For the surface of a cricket field, the bounce of the ball, surface hardness, grip, effects of studded shoes, impact load on the surface of the cricket bat, slopes and field tolerances are important. The cricket field must have a perfectly flat surface.

Cricket and bowling are games for people of all ages; enjoying an interesting and exciting game is useful for everyone, especially in urban areas, where traditional cricket and bowling are often not possible at the stadium, but you can play in the yard, school, club; on any hard surface. When installing a cricket field, pay attention to all the details, the installation of racks, frames, the connection of adjacent surfaces, the attachment of the net to the ground, how the ball will be cushioned from the grass surface, how elastic the surface is.

Benefits of Cricket Artificial Grass: Unique design, Suitable for all levels of play, Smooth, extremely durable and strong playing surface, All-weather surface, Adjustable ball bounce, Built-in borders to absorb ball ricochet, Barrier net covering walls and ceiling, Safety surface, Good comfort and traction under the feet of the players, water absorbent and smooth surface, quick and easy installation directly from the wheels, requires less maintenance, low maintenance, ideal for clubs and schools, health centers.
The artificial grass on the cricket pitch is fully fenced and can be used not only for daytime games, but also for evening games and matches, including junior, youth and senior matches; you can simply practice, both in the training room indoors and outdoors, on a solid and level ground.
Artificial turf can accommodate up to 100 cricket matches per season - that's 20 times more cricket games in a single season than natural turf while maintaining surface quality; after all, cricket requires short-cut natural grass and it wears out quickly enough - this is already noticeable during one match and the cricket field becomes of very poor quality and it takes quite a long time and constant care to restore natural grass, but not all organizations can afford such a luxury.
Cricket players really like to play on artificial grass, they enjoy the game, because the field is flat, not slippery, and you can actively play on it. Play cricket and win!

Advantages of artificial grass:

• ideal lawn all year round, maintained in any weather, for many seasons;
• maximum comfort of players and their safety;
• the ability to use the whole day;
• wear-resistant (can withstand heavy traffic);
• long service life;
• temperature mode of use: -40C - +50C;
• safety;
• Durable rubber base and secure mount makes it durable.
• meets the technical requirements to ensure the safety of the player;
• bright, saturated, attractive colors, color fastness;
• the ability to play in any weather;
• excellent cushioning for sports games;
• uniform rebound of the ball;
• suitable for multifunctional sports grounds;
• turf (substrate) is very tear-resistant, provides drainage;
• permeable;
• not exposed to UV;
• high quality for many years;
• saves time and money;
• manufacturer's warranty 6 years;
• retains its properties throughout the entire service life;
• low operating costs: no need to mow, water, fertilize;
• no pesticides contained in chemical fertilizers;
• non-shrink;
• easy to install;
• easy to clean, minimum maintenance;
• stains are easy to wash off with clean water, the color does not change or deform;
• comfortable, soft, safe and durable;
• minimum daily maintenance;
• does not require much care;
• can be installed anywhere: indoors and outdoors.

Specifications:

• fiber composition: fibrillated or monofilament;
• yarn color: green, olive green, dark green, light green;
• yarn height: 8mm, 10mm, 14mm;
• yarn thickness:100~150um;
• beam density: 9447 beams / m2 - 16800 beams / m2;
• yarn weight: 1000 - 2450gr/m2;
• yarn: rhombus, v-shaped;
• total weight: 2350g/m2;
• roll length: 25m;
• roll width: 2m and 4m;

Application: cricket, baseball, softball.

Sister of softball and baseball

Before the start of the competition within the framework of the Moscow Open Cricket Championship, the President of the Russian Federation of this sport Sergey Kurchenko personally rolls the lawn with a car. The stadium, which hosts the next series of games within the framework of the national cricket championship, is not a specialized field and belongs to the Karacharov Mechanical Plant. The workers used to play football here. Now there is not even a gate on the field. Benches on wooden stands are upholstered with iron. There are no changing rooms or showers. Elevators are made in the workshops in the neighborhood, but the workers of the plant are indifferent to sports. Sergei Kurchenko and Ashwani Chopra I had to try to put the leased territory in order. But cricket fans are ready to continue to change the situation on their own.

President of the Russian Cricket Federation Sergei Kurchenko watches the competition. Photo: AiF / Roman Kulguskin

“All over the world, cricket is moving towards becoming an Olympic sport,” explains a member of the Russian cricket team Alexander Esin. “Moskvich was the first in the Soviet Union in baseball, and now the first in cricket,” Kurchenko draws historical parallels. Cricket in his sports career is not the first hobby. Baseball was at the beginning. Now Sergey Borisovich simultaneously coaches the Moskvich baseball club, the national team Russian cricket and heads the country's cricket federation.According to Yesin, the vast majority of Russians in cricket came from softball and baseball, such a symbiosis.

Indian Ashwani Chopra and his friends started playing cricket in Moscow back in the mid-1990s. Photo: AiF / Roman Kulguskin

“We needed to make sites for the Russian baseball championship,” says Kurchenko. - After such a stadium was found, it quickly became clear that more people were needed to make it easier to pay the rent. Attract cricketers. We tried to play with them - we liked it."

The baseball players have become so involved that they are now planning to build another cricket stadium and maybe even open a sports school. However, people come to cricket not only from similar sports. So, for example, the bronze medalist of the Athens 2004 Olympics in the triple jump is keen on this game. Danil Burkenya. “Unfortunately, it’s too early to talk about large-scale recruitment for teams,” says Kurchenko. “We need to get people interested. For now, we have to promote cricket through active baseball players.”

Moskvich cricket club is one of the strongest teams in Russia. Photo: AiF / Roman Kulguskin

A purely English sport originated in the 15th century, conquered the former British colonies from Australia to New Zealand and reached Russia by the beginning of the next millennium. “In 1995, we decided to start playing to keep ourselves busy during the summer,” says Ashwani Chopra. - In 2001, they organized a small tournament in which three teams played - Australia, India and the rest of the world team, which included all the other players. The tournament was very successful, and from that moment, one might say, it all started.”

The rules and nuances of cricket are easier and more understandable to comprehend in practice. From the outside, for the uninitiated, a cricket match looks like a shamanic dance. One can only guess who is in the lead by the cries of the players and their reactions to the actions of their opponents. There is no rush here.

In 2012, at the competitions in Bulgaria, the Russian cricket team took 6th place out of 12. Photo: AiF / Roman Kulguskin

“Cricket is a“ lord’s ”game,” the captain of the Arbat sports club shares with an AiF.ru correspondent. Rahman Khalil. - It is not for the lazy, but not for the particularly active. For average, rather. Not everyone can run for 90 minutes like in football. Cricket has long breaks "for tea, coffee, water". There is even a lunch break. We even sometimes joke that cricket is a 'picnic game'." The minimum cricket match lasts 3.5 hours.

There are few dangerous moments during the game, but protective shields and helmets are required. Photo: AiF / Roman Kulguskin

The players of the Arbat club, meanwhile, are resting in the shade of a concrete fence under a tree. The lack of cricket pitches forces several matches to be played on the same day. While "Moskvich" is competing with New Power, "Arbatovtsy" are free. After the game, one of the teams will remain on the field, the second will take the place of the loser or winner. Someone lazily talks and discusses the latest news. Two people are watching the final match of one of the cricket championships on a tablet computer. Pakistan and India play. A huge stadium is visible on the screen, filled to overflowing with people. The atmosphere is reminiscent of the reference between Spartak and CSKA, but the main difference is that tens of thousands of people gather for almost every cricket match, even if they are not the leaders.

In Russia, the cricket movement is represented not only by Moscow, but also by Rostov, Krasnoyarsk, Nakhodka, Sverdlovsk region, Tver, Ryazan. Despite the fact that the team in this sport appeared relatively recently, the Russians managed to achieve some success. In 2012, at the competitions in Bulgaria, the team took 6th place out of 12. The collections say that they shocked not only the professionals, but also themselves with the result. Our team lost to the Polish team, which became the champion, on points with a slight margin. In October 2013 the national team will play in the third European division. Rivals of the Russians will be Spaniards and Croats.

The receiver, or "batsman" (English batsman) is one of two positions in cricket. Photo: AiF / Roman Kulguskin

A woman joins the Moskvich on the field. In cricket (at least in its Russian version) mixed teams are a normal practice. The women's team is still in the formative stage, but Diana Gomenyuk does not get discouraged. The girl came to cricket from softball. “I like to play with men, but girls play cricket too. Mixed teams are fine. They don’t kill me here, ”Diana laughs, and at that moment a cricket ball hits the seat next to her with a clang. For the entire time of the game, there are few such dangerous moments, but still protective shields and helmets for the receivers, or “batsmen” (English batsman), and the servers - “bowlers” (English bowler) are an indispensable element. “The ball is very heavy, they make it by hand. God forbid, get one in the eye,” says Ashwani. Diana is sure that this game is ideal for children: “Movement, coordination, attention develop. Plus, you don’t need to be an athlete and have some super physical qualities. And life is just interesting, ”she sums up.

Attributes for the game are mainly brought from abroad. Photo: AiF / Roman Kulguskin

There are no professional cricketers in Russia, cricketers earn their living by working hard at ordinary jobs. Gomenyuk is an advertising manager in one of the Moscow printing houses, Yesin is a businessman, and there are doctors and even aviation technicians.

Cricketers do not receive state funding, but not so long ago, Kurchenko, according to him, had productive negotiations with the head of the Moscow Sports Committee Nikolai Gulyaev. The sponsors are the players themselves. Attributes are brought from abroad. “It's both cheaper and easier,” says Rahman Khalil from the Arbat team. We bring, we distribute, we give. He admits that he has a talent for teaching people cricket. The Pakistani proudly notes that the Russian players are trying and every year they play better. “When the Russians started playing baseball 22 years ago, everyone was laughing,” said Rahman, the captain of the New Power team. Ashok. “But now they are playing at the European Championships, and moreover, confidently.”

The term "legionnaire" of Russian cricketers, unlike the RFPL participants, is not shocking. Photo: AiF / Roman Kulguskin

Ashok's son is on the team. “He is already Russian,” says Ashok, most likely referring not only to citizenship (there are many naturalized players among cricketers), but also to nationality. For New Power (as for other metropolitan clubs), about 4-5 Russians by birth and up to 8 by passport play. It turns out that the number of "non-legionnaires" exceeds 50%. The term "legionnaire" of Russian cricketers, unlike the RFPL participants, is not shocking. While those who can play Everyone understands that the Russian players have not yet reached the point where they can carry the entire game.

Olympic prospects

The Russian national cricket team, like most teams, is still deprived of fans. “We get sick ourselves, we play ourselves,” the players joke. They explain the lack of interest in tournaments with insufficient propaganda in the media. Pakistanis and Indians have no question of interest in cricket. “It is in our blood, we are born with it. One of the first gifts for a child is a bat. It is impossible to imagine that it would be otherwise,” they say. There are no such loyal fans in Russia yet, but almost everyone is sure that they will appear.

The Russian national cricket team, like most teams, is still deprived of fans. Photo: AiF / Roman Kulguskin

The appearance of cricket in the Olympic program by 2020, fans of the game are waiting like manna from heaven. It is quite possible that Russia is capable of winning gold awards there. “Now we have a full-fledged professional Russian team, and we are playing better at international tournaments,” Ashwani rejoices.

“There are prospects, even though few people know about the Russian championship. We are capable of a lot, and we will play together - both Russians and Indians, ”colleagues echo him.

“Tomorrow at ten again the game, do not be late!” Ashwani shouts to the departing. The twinkle in his eyes is as bright as it was at the start of the workout.