Cricket World Cup 2024: Everything you need to know
The 2024 Cricket World Cup will take place this June. Here’s everything you need to know about the ICC Men’s T20.
While the 2024 Summer Olympics are slowly being forgotten, spectators in New Jersey can already look forward to the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. The competitions, which take place every four years, will then feature a sport for the first time in over a century: cricket.
It is only the second time since 1900 that the world’s second most watched sport (after football) will be showcased during the Olympic Games. The men’s and women’s teams will play in a T20 format, similar to that played at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in June.
The month-long tournament, held in the West Indies and, for the first time, the United States, featured 20 teams from around the world and played 55 matches at various venues, including several at the makeshift Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in East Meadow on Long Island.
Watch the USA cricket match this week on Willow TV
The United States national cricket team had the most successful run in its history with two wins in the first round of the World Cup, including a surprise victory against the Pakistan national team, before being eliminated in the second round.
So we’ve had a taste of the excitement. How can New Jerseyans improve their sports knowledge before the next Olympics?
Learn the basics, watch the US cricket team on TV and experience the games live in the Garden State.
Cricket enthusiasts and diehard fans alike can watch the Americans in televised tournament matches early Monday on the cricket channel Willow TV and its website www.willow.tv.
How to Play Cricket: Rules and Regulations
For the uninitiated, cricket originated in 16th century England. It is played by hitting a ball with a paddle-shaped bat. To win, a team must score more runs than their opponents. A team consists of 11 players, including a captain. After the batting team sees 10 players eliminated, the fielding team bats.
The player on the batting team who is responsible for scoring points and ensuring that his team does not lose a wicket or get an out is called the batter. During the game, two batters stand on opposite sides of the strike zone.
A bowler is the player on the fielding team who attempts to throw the ball past the batsman to score an out.
The middle strip of the field on the cricket pitch is called the pitch. This is where the batters gather to bat. This is also where the bowler tries to throw the ball past the batter by bouncing it on the pitch, with the aim of hitting the wicket behind the batter and causing an out.
At either end of the pitch are the wickets, two sets of three stumps (vertical posts) and two bails (small sticks on the stumps). Hitting these will result in an out. The player from the fielding side who stands behind the wicket and maintains it is called the wicketkeeper.
The area marked by white lines on a pitch near the wicket where the batter and bowler operate is called the crease.
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An over is the period of play in which the ball is bowled six times to a player who is standing in the field during the match. After the over is completed, a second player standing 20 metres away on the opposite side of the field takes over the batting. Cricket matches at the 2028 Summer Olympics will be played in the T20 format, which means 20 overs.
How to watch ICC Cricket World Cup League 2
The US national cricket team is currently playing several international matches in the Netherlands.
Some matches are part of the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 2024–2026, a 144-match tournament that runs until December 2026. Eight teams will compete for qualification for the 2027 Cricket World Cup. The matches will be played in ODI (One-Day International) format with 50 overs.
The US team’s games will be broadcast on Willow TV. Providers that offer the channel are DISH, Sling, FIOS, Spectrum, Xfinity, Optimum and Optimum TV.
The next matches are USA vs Canada on Monday and Netherlands vs Netherlands on Wednesday, both in Rotterdam. Each match starts at 5am. Canada and Netherlands also played in the recent T20 World Cup.
The US squad includes several players who played a role in the team’s surprise success at the World Cup, including team captain Monank Patel, who scored 50 runs to help the team beat Pakistan; New York native Aaron Jones, whose 94 runs led the US to victory over Canada; and Nosthush Kenjige, who bowled superbly against Pakistan, taking three wickets.
Watch a NJ Premier Cricket League match in person
New Jersey residents who have never seen a cricket game in person can watch the New Jersey Premier Cricket League.
The league consists of 20 teams playing in two divisions, most of which are based in Central Jersey and play games there, and have names like Hillsborough Hitters, NJ Stars, Tech Strikers and Burlington CC.
If you want to see a team with a North Jersey connection, you can check out the Passaic Titans, another team in the league.
The Passaic Titans, led by Passaic resident Mrunal Rana, will compete in one of the 15 games on August 24 and 25, the final weekend of the league. These Titans will face another team known simply as the Titans in a clash of the titans on August 24. That game will be at 8 a.m. on the grounds of Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary School in Parlin. If the morning game is too early, there will be a noon showdown between Arohak CC and NJ Royals at the same venue.
For more information on the times and locations of this weekend’s finals, visit www.njpcl.com/njpcl.
Ricardo Kaulessar covers race, immigration and culture for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news in your local community, subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter/X: @ricardokaul
