All About Cricket format.

History:

            the game derived from a very old, widespread and uncomplicated pastime by which one player served up an object, be it a small piece of wood or a ball, and another hit it with a suitably fashioned club. The origins of cricket lie somewhere in the Dark Ages - probably after the Roman Empire.  Later on this game was shown benevolence by aristocrats, and now has the stature of being England's national game. After a century now, cricket stands in the international arena, with a place of its own.

If you want to know date wise history then you can get it at http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/239757.html

Game format:

1)Test Cricket- Teams A and B have to play two innings each, if necessary. 90 overs are to be bowled every day. Team A batting first scores X runs. Team B gets to bat if team A declares their innings or is all-out. Team B should score X or more runs to stand a good chance of winning the match. Then, team A gets to bat for second time and set target for team B. Now, Team B has to achieve target in the time left and overs to be bowled.
In case team B gets all-out during the chase in second innings, team A is declared winner, else the match is drawn between the teams.

 

2)One-Day International- Team A batting first had to set a target for team B in 50 overs. Batting second, team B had to chase down the target in same number of overs. If they fail to do so, team A is declared as the winner irrespective of team A bowling out team B or not.

3) T20 International- Batting first, team A sets a target for team B in 20 overs. Team B has to achieve the target in their stipulated number of overs while batting second.
Team B is declared the winner if they achieve the target else, team A is declared victorious. Team A is declared the winner even if they restrict team B from scoring the required number of runs and don’t get themselves bow
led-out.

 

4)indoor cricket- There are six players per team, and the game is played over innings of a maximum of 12 overs of six balls, all of which take place from the same end of the pitch.
Bowlers are limited to a maximum of three overs, and batsman must retire upon reaching a personal total of twenty-five runs, but may return to the crease in the event of the rest of their side being dismissed within the 12 overs.
In the event of a team losing five wickets within the 12 overs the last man will continue batting with the fifth man out remaining at the wicket as a runner.
A batsman may be caught out and dismissed directly off the side wall, provided the ball has not also hit the floor or the roof. Indoor Cricket is extremely popular around the UK with many regional and local leagues run independently

5)single wicket cricket- Single wicket cricket is a form of cricket played between two individuals, who take turns to bat and bowl against each other. The one bowling is assisted by a team of fielders, who remain as fielders at the change of innings. The winner is the one who scores more runs. Almost never seen professionally today, it is most often encountered in local cricket clubs, in which there are a number of knockout rounds leading to a final. The exact rules can vary according to local practice

Rules- The laws of single wicket differed from contest to contest and it was possible to utilise the basic single wicket rules in games involving two to five players per side. In 1831, a set of lawswas created that were meant to apply universally. These were as follows:
When there shall be less than five players on a side, bounds shall be placed, twenty-two yards each, in a line from the off and leg stump. 
The ball must be hit before the bounds to entitle the striker to a run, which run cannot be obtained unless he touch the bowling stump or crease in a line with it with his bat, or some part of his person, or go beyond them, returning to the popping-crease as at double wicket, according to the 22nd Law. 
When the striker shall hit the ball, one of his feet must be on the ground, and behind the popping-crease; otherwise the umpire shall call 'No Hit.'When there shall be less than five players on a side, neither byes nor overthrows shall be allowed; nor shall the striker be caught out behind the wicket, nor stumped out.
 The fieldsman must return the ball so that it shall cross the play between the wicket and the bowling stump, or between the bowling stump and the bounds. The striker may run till the ball shall be so returned. 
After the striker shall have made one run, if he start again he must touch the bowling stump, and turn before the ball shall cross the play to entitle him to another.The striker shall be entitled to three runs for a lost ball, and the same number for ball stopped with hat, with reference to the 29th and 34th Laws at double wicket. 
When there shall be more than four players on a side, there shall be no bounds. All hits, byes, and overthrows shall then be allowed.The bowler is subject to the same laws as at double wicket.Not more than one minute shall be allowed between each ball.  


6)tennis ball cricket- Tennis ball cricket, is a variant of cricket, played using a tennis ball .It is very popular in South-Asian cricket playing countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri-Lanka, UAE, Oman, Bahrain Qatar and Saudi Arabia

Tennis ball cricket uses a tennis ball instead of the standard leather cricket ball. Not only does this make the game easier to learn for newcomers, it also reduces the chance of injuries. The rules of tennis ball cricket are almost identical to the rules upheld by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the traditional game. However, in 2002 the Tennisball Cricket Association (TCA) approved a set of rules officially governing tennis ball cricket. While the 42 general rules of traditional cricket are the same as tennis ball cricket--including scoring, outs and the number of players per side--there are minute differences in the scope of the match and some required equipment.

 7)tape ball cricket- A tape ball is a tennis ball wrapped in electrical tape and is used in playing street cricket. This modification of the tennis ball gives it greater weig

ht, speed and distance while still being easier to play with than the conventional cricket ball. The variation was pioneered in Karachi, Pakistan and is credited with Pakistan's famous production of fast bowlers as children are brought up playing the game using a tape ball in which various skills are developed. It is very popular in South-Asian cricket playing countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri-Lanka



8)table cricket- The indoor game was designed to provide cricketers with severe physical or learning disabilities an opportunity to play cricket. However, the game can be played by people of all ages and physical fitness levels. It was developed by Doug Williamson at Nottingham Trent University. The game is played on top of a table tennis board  Each individual innings lasts for a maximum of two overs. Batsmen can get out in six different ways, including being bowled out, or being "caught out" by hitting the ball near the symbolic fielders.
, or a surface of similar dimensions. At one end of the board is a spring loading bowling machine, at the other end the batsman wields a miniature wooden bat. The other two sides of the table are panelled off, with the option of placing symbolic fielders on the sides.
Runs are scored by hitting the ball into designated side panel areas for 2, 4 or 6 (maximum) runs. Wide balls are penalized with 4 runs to the batting team.