Cricket player does some cricketing. Photo / Getty Images
Cricket player does some cricketing. Photo / Getty Images
The Black Caps will face England in the Cricket World Cup final this Sunday and if you don't really care about the first part of this sentence, you're not the only one.
Still, no matter what happens this weekend, the game will likely be a topic of conversation in most Kiwi households. With that in mind, we've prepared this handy guide so that people who don't get cricket can still talk to their cricket-mad friends and relatives this weekend.
What in the sportsballing heck is cricket?
In simple terms, it's kind of like baseball. Each team gets 300 balls to try to score as many runs as they can before the other team tries to beat their score.
You score points (runs) by hitting the ball to the boundary (the big circle rope around the field). If you hit it over the boundary on the full, it's six runs. If you hit it along the ground and it crosses the rope, it's four runs. You can also run from one end of the pitch to the other to collect runs.
Bowling 600 balls in a day naturally takes a long time. When you add in the bowler having to walk back to his spot each time they bowl, the time drags out. Also, fetching the ball and coming up with strategies to get people out takes up more time. Sorry!
How long is this game on Sunday going to last?
If the game lasts the full amount of time, you're looking at about eight hours.
Are we usually any good at it?
In the past five to six years New Zealand has become a strong force in world cricket. We're consistently ranked in the top four with England, Australia and India our main rivals.
What are our chances of winning?
England is the strong favourite, with the Black Caps paying more than $3 to win. New Zealand has shown they can upset any side, having beaten India in the semi this year and Australia in the round robin back in 2015. I'd say the Black Caps are 35 per cent chance.
When it comes to batting, it's our captain Kane Williamson and partner in crime Ross Taylor. Both are world class.
Bowling wise, Trent Boult has been our best for years, while Lockie Ferguson can bowl REALLY FAST! Imagine a ball as hard as concrete coming down from 20m away at 150km/h towards your head!
What's a batsman? And what's a bowler?
A batsman is someone who tries to score runs for their team by using a bat to hit the ball.
A bowler is someone who "throws" the ball at the wickets to try to get the batsman "out" or stop him from scoring runs.
How have we done in the world cup so far?
We started off with a hiss and a roar and were top of the table for the first six games. We then lost our last three and stumbled into the semis, finishing fourth.
But in the semi we beat India who were second favourites to win the tournament. In one-off games form means nothing. Now we're in the final.
What's an ODI?
ODI stands for One Day International. That means each side gets 50 overs (300 balls) to bat.
How many types of cricket are there and which one is this one on Sunday?
There are three main types of cricket. T20s, ODIs and tests. T20s last just 20 overs for each side and the game is usually completed inside three hours. ODIs last 50 overs each while a test match runs for five days.
The other name for a pitch is also wicket. If you hear a commentator say "Trent Boult has five wickets" it means he has gotten five batsmen out. If you hear them say "The wicket is bouncy", it means they are talking about the condition of the pitch.
Got it ... kinda. How can I watch the game on Sunday?
The game will be on Sky Sports and Prime TV (free to air) with the first ball being bowled at 9.30pm.
In the extremely unlikely event I get well into cricket this weekend and want to keep following the sport, what's the next cup/championship/game to look out for?
The Black Caps next play back home in November against England.
We also tour Australia in December before India arrive on our shores in January. The summer is finished off with Australia heading over to New Zealand in March. It's expected to be New Zealand's biggest summer of cricket ever.
