Balls ... Runners

[joggerjayne]

Okay, so err ... cricket.

I went to a cricket match a couple of years ago.

I may have spent more time drinking bubbles than watching balls, but ... at least I went.

(Sussex were rubbish, and got whupped by whoever it was ... Hampshire I think).

Anyway ... just a couple of things I heard mentioned on the radio today, which I don't understand.

(1) "the New Ball"

Why is the new ball such a big deal? Is a new ball good for the bowlers, or good for the batters?

(2) "a Runner"

Well, as I understand it, a batter with a gammy leg could have someone to run for him, yes? But then ... the batter and the runner would be at different ends of the pitch. So does the batter have to walk down to the other end, or something?

[jno]

ah, here we are, first chapter of Made in America:

"The rules of lacrosse are uncannily like those of a game played by the Vikings, including one feature - the use of paired team-mates who may not be helped or impeded by other players - so unusual, in the words of one anthropologist, 'as to make the probability of independent origin vanishingly small'."

This is about the Viking discovery of America, not about lacross, so he doesn't name the game or the anthropologist, which doesn't give you much to go on. Interesting, though. (The whole book is too.)

[Manwithnoname]

jj the new ball only favours who after the event. you have to take into considerations, the bowling, the conditions & the batsmans attitude.
as for a runner he has to stand at square leg or point, depending if the injured batsman is right or left handed, usualy opposite the umpire at the non strikers end.
when the injured batsman is not on strike, he goes to square leg or point but has to face the bowling otherwise, while the runner goes to square or point

[joggerjayne]

Thanks, jno and noname.

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