Cricket is a fantastic sport, originating from southern England. It became a national sport in the 18th century before it spread internationally. Due to the nature of the game, many think that baseball and cricket are pretty similar. However, we can state that cricket is more demanding to play compared to baseball. In this post, we explain the exact reasons why cricket is more complex!
Playing with heavy gear
In cricket and baseball, the batsman has a considerable challenge. We know that one of his tasks is to run, but there is a significant difference between the two games. In baseball, a batsman wears a box and a helmet.
In cricket, the batsman wears heavy protective equipment, which makes running quite challenging. The player has to bear the weight of helmets, arm guards, leg pads, thigh guards, and other pieces of protective equipment which aren't that lightweight. On top of that, the batsman needs to carry the heavy bat.
In cricket, the batsman would have to run until he is out of the game. This means that he might run once or 300 times, depending on the game. In baseball, a batter will run only four times. Therefore, a cricketer will have more runs and bear heavy equipment, making it a more demanding sport.
More ways to get out
While a batsman has to perform more runs while wearing heavy gear, he also needs to be on guard constantly. In cricket, the player has two ways to get out compared to baseball.
In baseball, a batsman has only five ways to get out of the game. On t either hand, a batsman in cricket faces ten ways to get out of the game. This means that he needs to keep his eye on all the options while trying to score.
Playing conditions
A cricketer should mind the playing conditions, as they can change the game's direction. The way they hit the ball can change the game for the batsman. On the other hand, the weather can also influence the player's performance. Playing in the scorching sun for hours with heavy equipment is really challenging for cricketers. In a baseball game, the playing conditions won't affect the game.
The ball weight
Catching the ball in cricket can be quite challenging due to the weight of the object. A cricket ball is heavier than a baseball one, with a weight of up to 5.75 ounces compared to 5.25 ounces. However, the challenge doesn't stop there. A cricketer uses his bare hands to catch the ball, unlike baseball, where the player has a special glove to grab it.
Bowling and batting
We already explained that the players in cricket bear the weight of their equipment. In addition, they need to have excellent batting performance. And let's not forget that the pitch conditions change.
The batsman can't walk out and smash the ball in cricket, as he can be sent back. However, bowlers face challenges too. For every delivery, the bowler needs to run for 25 yards. Knowing that a game will have 15 overs, the bowler will run for about 2250 yards. However, running isn't only a simple jog. The player needs to have outstanding performance in the delivery while minding the other playing conditions.
Final thoughts
While cricket and baseball are considered to be similar, we explained the vast differences between these sports. Cricket players face more challenges in terms of polygon conditions, equipment, and performance.
