The Rules of Cricket

We recently announced Suitehop’s partnership with Major League Cricket, so of course I had to dive into the rules and the inner workings of the game and share my findings with you! I can’t attend my first ever San Francisco Unicorns match not knowing what a ‘googly’ is (obviously)...

Part 1: The Basics of Cricket

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams, each usually with 11 players.

🏏 Objective of the Game

• One team bats and tries to score as many runs as possible.
• The other team bowls and fields, trying to get the batters out.
• After a set number of overs (or when all batters are out), the teams switch roles.
• The team with the most runs wins.

🏟️ Playing Field

• Circular or oval field.
• In the center is a 22-yard pitch with wickets (three vertical stumps with two small horizontal bails) at each end.

🧢 Key Roles

• Batters: Try to score runs.
• Bowlers: Try to get batters out and limit runs.
• Fielders: Support the bowler by catching the ball or stopping runs.
• Wicketkeeper: Like a baseball catcher, stands behind the batter.

🔢 How to Score Runs

• Batters run between the two wickets after hitting the ball.
• Hitting the ball to the boundary:
• 4 runs if it bounces before the edge.
• 6 runs if it flies over the boundary on the full (like a home run).
• Runs can also be scored through extras (like no-balls or wides, similar to baseball’s "balls").

❌ Ways to Get Out

• Bowled – Ball hits the stumps.
• Caught – Ball is caught without touching the ground.
• LBW (Leg Before Wicket) – Batter’s leg blocks a ball that would hit the stumps.
• Run Out – Batter is short of the crease when stumps are broken.
• Stumped – Wicketkeeper removes bails when batter is outside the crease.

⏱️ Match Formats

• Test – 5 days, each team bats twice. Very traditional.
• One-Day (ODI) – 50 overs per team.
• T20 – 20 overs per team, fast-paced (like the MLC).
• The Hundred / 10-Over Formats – Even quicker experimental formats.

Part 2: Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA

Launched in 2023, Major League Cricket (MLC) is a professional T20 league in the U.S. Now that we have just learned what the T20 format means, you’ll understand that the league features short-format games (20 overs per side) and brings high-level cricket to American audiences.

🏆 MLC Format

• Typically, 6 teams.
• Round-robin league followed by playoffs.
• Each team plays each other, and points are awarded based on match results.

📊 Points System

• Win = 2 points
• Loss = 0 points
• No Result/Tie = 1 point

🏁 Playoffs System

Typically follows this model (similar to IPL):

• The top 4 teams advance.
• Qualifier 1: 1st vs 2nd – Winner goes straight to Final.
• Eliminator: 3rd vs 4th – Loser is out.
• Qualifier 2: Loser of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Eliminator – Winner to Final.
• Final: Decides the champion.

This format gives the top 2 teams a second chance to reach the final.

Meet the Teams

If you don’t yet have allegiance to one team or another in the MLC, here is a TLDR overview of the six teams that currently make up the league, listed alphabetically:

Where to Watch

Now that you have the ground rules, the playoff format, and most importantly the teams, here is where you can catch the action live this summer:

📍 OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 12 - 18

📍 GRAND PRAIRIE, TX - JUNE 20 - 29

📍 BROWARD COUNTY, FL - JULY 1 - 6

📍 GRAND PRAIRIE, TX - JULY 8 - 13

So for a day, forget baseball’s seventh-inning stretch - cricket might offer you a full day of strategic play, international flair, and the occasional commentator who sounds like they’re narrating a Jane Austen novel. Whether you’re in it for the thrill, the snacks, or just trying to understand what on earth a “googly” is, one thing’s clear: the pitch is ready, and the party’s just getting started.

So grab your sunscreen, your sense of humor, and maybe a cheat sheet on fielding positions, and come out to a match. Because America, it’s time to go batty… in the best way possible!