---
title: The Rules of Cricket
description: Explore the basics of cricket, Major League Cricket (MLC), team breakdowns, rules, and where to watch matches like the San Francisco Unicorns live!
image: https://insider.suitehop.com/hubfs/Cricket%20Header%20Image.png
---

![](https://insider.suitehop.com/hubfs/Cricket%20Header%20Image.png)

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).](https://lp.suitehop.com/mlc-premium-tickets)
- **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

| *Teams are ranked on a points table. If teams are tied on points, rankings are decided by:* - **Net Run Rate (NRR)** – Like a goal difference in soccer. Measures how efficiently a team scores vs concedes runs. - **Head-to-Head Record** - if needed. |
| --- |

### 🏁 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:

| ### ![mlc-los-angeles-knight-riders-suitehop](https://insider.suitehop.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Major%20League%20Cricket/mlc-los-angeles-knight-riders-suitehop.png?width=100&height=100&name=mlc-los-angeles-knight-riders-suitehop.png)LA Knight Riders *Los Angeles, California* Backed by: Knight Riders Group (owners of Kolkata Knight Riders) | ### ![mlc-mi-new-york-suitehop](https://insider.suitehop.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Major%20League%20Cricket/mlc-mi-new-york-suitehop.png?width=100&height=100&name=mlc-mi-new-york-suitehop.png)MI New York *New York City, New York *Backed by: Reliance Industries (owners of the Mumbai Indians in the IPL) | ### ![mlc-san-francisco-unicorns-suitehop](https://insider.suitehop.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Major%20League%20Cricket/mlc-san-francisco-unicorns-suitehop.png?width=100&height=100&name=mlc-san-francisco-unicorns-suitehop.png)San Francisco Unicorns *San Francisco, California* Backed by: Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan (Tech Entrepreneurs) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ### ![mlc-seattle-orcas-suitehop](https://insider.suitehop.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Major%20League%20Cricket/mlc-seattle-orcas-suitehop.png?width=100&height=100&name=mlc-seattle-orcas-suitehop.png)Seattle Orcas *Seattle, Washington* Backed by: Satya Nadella (Microsoft CEO) & GMR Group (co-owners of Delhi Capitals) | ### ![mlc-texas-super-kings-suitehop](https://insider.suitehop.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Major%20League%20Cricket/mlc-texas-super-kings-suitehop.png?width=100&height=100&name=mlc-texas-super-kings-suitehop.png)Texas Super Kings *Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas* Backed by: Chennai Super Kings (IPL franchise) | ### ![mlc-washington-freedom-suitehop](https://insider.suitehop.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Major%20League%20Cricket/mlc-washington-freedom-suitehop.png?width=100&height=100&name=mlc-washington-freedom-suitehop.png)Washington Freedom *Washington, D.C.* Backed by: Cricket New South Wales, Australia |

## 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

[ View Games & Available Seating Options ](https://hubs.la/Q03pp5f20)

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!

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