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French cricket is a form ofcricket that creates a game similar tocatch.[1] The game can be played socially at picnics and parties or on parks and beaches.[2] It is a form of cricket that can include children of varied ages.
Not all participants need to be fully involved, and spectators can make a catch and have a bat (informally).[dubious –discuss] InIndia children often play this game with a plastic or rubber ball, it is called as "Bat-Ball" or "Catch-Catch", and in some parts of Australia the game is referred to as "toey", derived from the word 'toe' (as feet are a target for dismissal, see below).
There is only onebatter, and their objective is to not bedismissed by the other participants — who arefielders, or abowler if they have possession of the ball — for as long as possible. The objective of the other participants is to dismiss the batter. There are only two methods of dismissal, beingcaught or being "Leg Before Wicket", but as there are nostumps, this method of dismissal is effected by a bowled ball hitting the batter's legs typically below the knees.[a] Once the batter is dismissed, the other participant who took the catch or effected theLBW typically replaces them as batter, and the game-play begins again. There are many varieties of additional rules. The batter may be obliged to stay with their legs in the same place, facing the same way for the whole of theirinnings; they may remain in the same place but be permitted to change their stance if they effect ashot by hitting the ball; or, they may be able to freely move around after playing a shot. The batter may also scoreruns in some variations of the game.
The batsman stands stationary with the bat protecting their legs, their legs being the "stumps" of formal cricket.[3] Whichever other player has the ball throws it at the batsman attempting to dismiss them by hitting their legs. If the batsman hits the ball, the other participants may also dismiss the batman by a catch.[4][5]
French cricket is most commonly played by children, or mixed groups of children and adults. Adults sometimes play the game as an event diversion during outdoorparties or onpicnics.[4] If the game is played more seriously, players take turns to bat and the player who batted for the most balls or the longest time is considered the winner.
The type of equipment is not restricted to cricket equipment, but there are only two items used. The ball is typically atennis ball, bowledunderarm at the legs of another player holding acricket bat, atennis racquet, or some other object that can be used as like a cricket bat.
Albert Camus, in his bookThe First Man, describes (page 34) the game ofCanette Vinga[6] played with a cigar shaped bit of wood rather than a ball. The batter stands in a circle and the bowler has to get the pointed piece of wood to land in the circle, whilst the batter tries to hit it far away. Camus calls the game "Poor man's tennis" (page 35) but it is much nearer to French Cricket.
The player holding the bat, the batsman, is required to block and defend their "wicket", with the batsman's legs taking the place of the stumps. The batsman is not allowed to move their legs, and in some variants, the batsman can only hit the ball in a direct upward or scooping-like motion.
Any number of fielders can stand around the batsman, and any fielder can bowl at the batsman from any angle.
When played in India, normally players can stand front, left and right side but can not stand behind the batsman and bowler must bowl with a full toss to batsman and they should hit ball in the air but they should not hit the ball far from the fielders’ reach.[citation needed]
Suggested possibilities include juxtaposition with the English origin of regular cricket.[4] It seems likely that as the game is a lesser version of regular cricket that the name is intended to mock both the game and the French — just as a "French cut" in the sport of cricket is a poorly executed cut shot which almost gets a batsman out. The name may also have arisen from the similarity of the batting motion to the one used incroquet which while not a French game is sometimes assumed to be French because of its name.[citation needed]
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