Rules of Cricket for Foreigners

The rules of cricket as explained to a foreign visitor is a humorous summary of the way the game is played. Its author is unknown, and it originally appeared as the motto on a popular tea towel. Although the purpose of the "explanation" is a light-hearted satire of cricket jargon, it provides an essentially accurate account of cricket's rules. Ironically, it is necessary to understand the rules in order to know how to interpret this unhelpful account.

  1. Being In or Out

    • The first step in understanding this version of the rules is to grasp the concept of being "in." This has nothing to do with being in or out of doors. In cricket, the team which is "in" is the team batting. An individual player batting is also described as being "in." When individuals players are dismissed by being bowled, caught, run out, etc., this is called "getting out." Since two batsman are required to be "in" at all times, once ten of the eleven person team have been dismissed, the whole team is "out."

    Wordplay

    • Surprisingly, it gives an accurate account of how the game is played.

      The rules of cricket for foreigners derives most of its humor from wordplay on the terms in and out. Since the team which is not batting (i.e. "in") is playing defensively, the rules describe them as being "out in the field." This uses "out" in a locational sense as opposed to "out" in the cricketing sense of having been dismissed. Similarly, when an individual batsman is "out"-i.e. dismissed-he comes "in" to the pavilion or changing room.

    The Not Outs

    • When both sides have batted, completing their innings by being fully dismissed, then as the rules say, both sides have been in and out and the game is over. Except, say the rules, for the "not outs." This refers to the fact that since a team is out when ten batsman have been dismissed, the remaining batsman-who is not permitted to play on without a partner-is considered to have been "not out."

    Howzat!

    • The account is deliberately confused by wordplay.

      The summary ends with the exclamation "Howzat!" The way to understand this is to consider how the phrase "How is that?" sounds when it shouted abruptly, as much as a demand as a question. It is the phrase traditionally used by a bowler or other members of the fielding team in order to make an appeal when they believe they have successfully dismissed a batsman-for example by making a clean catch. The appeal is addressed to the umpire who adjudicates whether the batsman is out or not. In this case, it is humorously addressed to the foreign visitor, who may or may not now understand the game.