Cricket on TV and Stream

Cricket is originally an English game, but popular globally. Millions of people follow cricket on tv while thousands play it worldwide. In this overview, we will discuss the sport of cricket. More precisely, we will look at cricket history and origin, leagues, cricket on tv and stream, and other aspects. So read on for the insights.

Cricket History

Cricket is in the bat-and-ball games family. And like most bat-and-ball games, the exact origin of cricket remains unknown. Various theories suggest that cricket evolved from early English folk games. It is believed that cricket was initially a shepherd's game. The name cricket is derived from an Anglo-Saxon term, cricc, which refers to staff or crutch. The shepherds are believed to have used their criccs to play the game. Another theory claims that cricket cropped from a children's game played in the Normans times in southeast England. Notably, the first reference to the cricket game was made in 1611. However, cricket is believed to have existed as early as the 13^th century. Then, cricket was played locally, mainly in England's southern counties, until 18^th century before the formation of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). The game spread across London to the northern counties. And in 1836, the first inter-county match was played between the north and south England counties. Cricket spread across the globe in three centuries between the 17^th and 19^th centuries. Typically, the game's prevalence was made possible by the English colonies. It was introduced to North America in the early 17^th century and Australia and India in the 18^th century. Later, in the 19^th century, the sport entered New Zealand and South Africa. Noticeably, cricket is most prevalent in India, South Africa, England, New Zealand, and other commonwealth member countries.

Cricket Gameplay and Rules

Cricket is a team sport, with each team containing 11 players. But 13 players and two umpires take part in the field at any given time. Precisely, two batting team players (batsmen) play against the eleven fielding team players at a time. Typically, one player on the fielding team takes the bowler's place and another wicketkeeper's position. The other nine players play as fielders at any given time. The role of the bowlers is to pitch a ball aiming to dismiss the batsman. On the other hand, the batsman's work is to defend the wickets, bat the pitched ball, and score runs. The goal of the batting team is to score the most runs (points). On the other hand, the fielding team strives to dismiss batters or prevent them from completing a run. Notably, cricket is an untimed game. Usually, a match ends when the agreed minimum number of overs is achieved, or there are results. That means the game can last up to five days, depending on the format of the cricket match being played. Note that there are three forms of professional cricket. They include Test matches, One-Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals. Typically, the boards of the competing teams or countries set the cricket schedule and conditions to govern the matches. Still, there are a few fixed rules that define runs, overs, innings, timing, and other crucial aspects. Aspects such as players positioning are optional calls and are limited to the team members or the captain's placement skills.

Cricket Major Leagues

There are three forms of cricket leagues; Test cricket, One-Day Internationals, and Twenty20 Internationals. However, the Test cricket and ODI leagues are still unofficial. There are dozens of national and international Twenty20 leagues worldwide. The most popular leagues globally include;

• Indian Premier League (IPL),
• Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL),
• Pakistan Super League,
• Big Bash League (Australia),
• Caribbean Premier League,
• T20 Blast (England), and
• Global T20 Canada.

Live Cricket on TV and Streaming

Live cricket TV broadcasting has been around for over eight decades now. The first televised cricket game occurred in 1938. Since then, cricket on tv has evolved inevitably. Today, anyone can watch live cricket on tv and stream live matches on almost all access devices. While there are dozens of sports streaming platforms, live cricket streaming is now efficient and inexpensive. All you need is an internet connection, and you're good to go. Interestingly, these platforms are accessible through almost all devices, including smartphones, tablets, PCs, and smart TVs. Cable TV users, on the other hand, need a streaming media player to watch live cricket matches on TV. Note, however, that limited channels telecast cricket globally. Thus, you need to subscribe to channels that air your favorite leagues. Star Sports is typically a better option for Indian and subcontinents Leagues. Other good channels for cricket include SKY, Willow Tv, WatchESPN, SuperSport, SKY TV, PTV, SLRC, and Fox Sports.

Final Words

Statistically, cricket is the third most followed sport in the world. Its popularity has been surging with noticeable margins almost every year. Recently, the T20 cricket on TV viewership hit over 4 billion views. This signifies the acceptance of cricket around the world. We can attribute the surge in viewership to technological innovation that has significantly improved cricket infrastructure and reachability. Essentially, getting a cricket schedule and watching live cricket on tv, or streaming live cricket has been made easy. All you need is a credible streaming platform or streaming media player, and you're good to go.