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Cricket for Dummies
Whether you’re a weekend cricketer or aspiring armchair expert, Cricket For Dummies helps you make sense of this fascinating sport. Not just a jargon busting guide to cricket’s laws, techniques and tactics, it also contains advice on kitting yourself out and provides lessons on playing the game and improving your batting, bowling and fielding skills. For the budding fan, there’s a guide to the greatest players, the memorable matches, and a tour through the cricketing scene – both domestic and international – giving you the knowledge you need to fully appreciate this special game.
Julian Knight is a BBC journalist, writer, and cricket enthusiast. He is a former youth coach and captain, and has been a club cricketer for over 20 years.
Consultant Editor Gary Palmer played first class cricket for ten years with Somerset before becoming a professional coach.
- GenresSportsNonfiction
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2006
33 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 18, 2020
I know a bit about the game of cricket but I wanted to learn more. I'm familiar with the "For Dummies" series from many, many years of using them as a reference, so I knew what to expect. Well, I thought so.
I don't know anything about the author, Julian Knight. He is credited as a journalist, author and cricket enthusiast. After reading this book, I'm not so sure about the first two. Yes, it followed the "Dummies" style of literally dumbing down the content, but he truly went to extremes. On top of that I found it hard to deal with the constant repetition of even the most basic concepts. And it seems he could not write a paragraph with out ending it with something like, "Refer to Chapter 3 for more information about..." EVERY PARAGRAPH!
One of the biggest problems is how British-based this book is. Knight uses all sorts of slang and phrases that made no sense to me in an effort to be clever, cute and conversational. It didn't work. Plus it is obvious to me that he assumes the reader has been exposed at least in some part to the language and laws of cricket, so frequently he will gloss past something rather important, while spending far too much time explaining something that is purely common sense. Most people new to the sport - especially Americans - don't understand that the word "innings" is both singular and plural in the world of cricket. In baseball, they play a single inning or multiple innings. In cricket is one innings or two innings. Anyway, the author never explains this in any way. Just assumes, I suppose. There are other examples.
The book is also very dated. It is a second edition, published in 2013. I'm not sure why he felt a need to report league standings, statistics, players and schedules that are now outdated by seven years. These were outdated only a year later! It makes much of the book superfluous and useless. He also quotes 2013 prices on cricket equipment, usually only providing the pounds value, which again makes it outdated.
So needless to say I was very disappointed with this book and will be looking for a different reference to expand my knowledge of cricket. See a future review for more information...
I don't know anything about the author, Julian Knight. He is credited as a journalist, author and cricket enthusiast. After reading this book, I'm not so sure about the first two. Yes, it followed the "Dummies" style of literally dumbing down the content, but he truly went to extremes. On top of that I found it hard to deal with the constant repetition of even the most basic concepts. And it seems he could not write a paragraph with out ending it with something like, "Refer to Chapter 3 for more information about..." EVERY PARAGRAPH!
One of the biggest problems is how British-based this book is. Knight uses all sorts of slang and phrases that made no sense to me in an effort to be clever, cute and conversational. It didn't work. Plus it is obvious to me that he assumes the reader has been exposed at least in some part to the language and laws of cricket, so frequently he will gloss past something rather important, while spending far too much time explaining something that is purely common sense. Most people new to the sport - especially Americans - don't understand that the word "innings" is both singular and plural in the world of cricket. In baseball, they play a single inning or multiple innings. In cricket is one innings or two innings. Anyway, the author never explains this in any way. Just assumes, I suppose. There are other examples.
The book is also very dated. It is a second edition, published in 2013. I'm not sure why he felt a need to report league standings, statistics, players and schedules that are now outdated by seven years. These were outdated only a year later! It makes much of the book superfluous and useless. He also quotes 2013 prices on cricket equipment, usually only providing the pounds value, which again makes it outdated.
So needless to say I was very disappointed with this book and will be looking for a different reference to expand my knowledge of cricket. See a future review for more information...
October 9, 2025
I fear I am still dumb.
February 28, 2014
The book I read to research this post was Cricket For Dummies by Julian McKnight which is a very good book which I bought from kindle. Cricket is the kind of sport you either love or hate and has a very complex set of rules like the signals the umpire does to signify things like if a ball was good or not. Many people find it very slow paced and even to the point of being annoying because there can be a couple of minutes between the ball being bowled. Not to mention bad light or rain can stop play and matches can go on for several days and end in a draw. The cricket ball is made from willow covered with hand stitched leather. English willow is often regarded as best and you pay a higher price for it but they do have willow from India which used to be poorer quality but is improving rapidly. Recent improvements in cricket include the introduction of 40/40 games with 40 overs per side and 20/20 with 20 overs per side. These games are played in one day and the score is much more fast paced with sides scrabbling to get points. England won the 2010 World 20/20 Championship. In India 20/20 cricket is big business with big stadiums and a premier cricket league playing it. In the past there have been players who maybe weren't always athletes in the strictest sense of the word and who got by through talent but nowadays that has changed and the players are all extremely fit. Also there has been a widening gap between amateurs and professionals where as in the past some amateurs were from wealthy families and didn't work and could compete on an almost equal par with professionals. Also some amateurs had ridiculous amounts of money in expenses although nowadays that has been clamped down on. I did quite enjoy this book and it's well written.
September 10, 2018
The book covers up content mainly for readers from England. The book completely shows how an English cricket fan has tried his best to show the cricket and its importance in England. He has repeated the 2005 Ashes triumph example a number of times during the book.
The only part which gave some value to this book and hence 3 stars from my side was the coaching part where in the author did a very good job covering up all the aspects which are to be covered in learning and understanding the great game of cricket.
Although the book slows down a bit in the middle chapters.
All in all a good book to read to understand cricket. Not so good if you don’t belong to England cricket.
And yes, one more thing, it is too late to read this book now as it’s been 12 years since this book was written and lot of things have changed since then.
The only part which gave some value to this book and hence 3 stars from my side was the coaching part where in the author did a very good job covering up all the aspects which are to be covered in learning and understanding the great game of cricket.
Although the book slows down a bit in the middle chapters.
All in all a good book to read to understand cricket. Not so good if you don’t belong to England cricket.
And yes, one more thing, it is too late to read this book now as it’s been 12 years since this book was written and lot of things have changed since then.
January 15, 2023
5.5/10
Half of the book was truly “cricket for dummies”—basics of the game: the pitch where it’s played, the roles of the players, the equipment, types of matches, terminology, scoring, and rules. Very helpful!
The rest of the book was about the history of the game and several chapters of outdated information about international cricket matches, rivalries, and famous players. This content was neither necessary nor helpful to a cricket novice like me.
I just want to be able to follow what’s happening when my grandnephews are playing of discussing cricket. And only about half the book satisfied that need.
Half of the book was truly “cricket for dummies”—basics of the game: the pitch where it’s played, the roles of the players, the equipment, types of matches, terminology, scoring, and rules. Very helpful!
The rest of the book was about the history of the game and several chapters of outdated information about international cricket matches, rivalries, and famous players. This content was neither necessary nor helpful to a cricket novice like me.
I just want to be able to follow what’s happening when my grandnephews are playing of discussing cricket. And only about half the book satisfied that need.
May 29, 2020
The book I've been waiting for my entire life. After 23 years of not getting cricket, I now...get cricket. This wonderful little book has brought me up to speed with the laws, history and culture of a sport I used to think was stuffy and boring. It loses a star from me because the author is English and doesn't let you forget for a second how good England are nowadays. Why are English sports fans like this?
June 5, 2020
A good introduction to the game. The middle of the gets bogged down in a lot of detail, I’m not sure an absolute beginner needs quite that level of detail. Still, this is most likely a book you’re reading for pleasure so feel free to skim some of those parts. I’ll return back to it once I’ve watched a few matches
January 29, 2020
Answered all my questions about this mysterious sport!
My rating is based on the detailed and clear explanations.
I enjoyed the relaxed and fun presentation of the material but would have appreciated an index. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the sport.
My rating is based on the detailed and clear explanations.
I enjoyed the relaxed and fun presentation of the material but would have appreciated an index. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the sport.
January 26, 2022
Interesting sport, interesting read
February 19, 2022
A reasonable introduction - very England-based - although the middle section on actually playing the game sort of dragged for me.
March 16, 2025
Got into Cricket via the BBL on Australian radio during Christmas of 2024. I'm still learning via the ICC, the IPl and PCL but this book has been a constant source of knowledge
October 16, 2022
There are plenty of guidebooks out there for cricket novices, and most of them are better than this. Badly dated and very repetitive
February 17, 2016
What with all the Shelfari e-mails following up on __books I__m reading__, I hadn__t intended on adding another one until I finished it, but the deficiencies here are numerous, and by keeping track of them here, hopefully I won__t dwell on them so much as I__m actually reading. (I__m thinking all books of this nature should be the work of two people: An author who is an authority on the subject at hand, and an editor who knows nothing__which is what both specialize in anyway; you might as well put it to good use. The former__s goal is to educate the latter, and the latter__s goal is to guide the former to present the information in the most user-friendly way possible.)
First, Knight should__ve started the book with a thumbnail description of how Cricket is played. There are some of us who have never seen an actual match, and getting it piecemeal fashion, as you go along, does your readers a disservice. (I__ve only seen it in the movies, and like all sports movies, they figure only those familiar with the sport-in-question will be drawn in, and they don__t explain even the basics. Big mistake.)
Second, the book desperately needs a glossary. The author is constantly referring to something (often a phrase) that will be explained in some succeeding chapter. (I actually resorted to printing up one from Wikipedia, as supplementary material.)
Third, include page numbers with your references. __See Figure 2-3__ should be __See Figure 2-3, page 32.__ (Actually making sure Figures are in sight, i.e., on facing pages of where they__re used, would be even better, but may occasionally be problematical from a design standpoint.) And when you tell us in Chapter 2 that you will explain in Chapter 7 where the square leg umpire stands, give us the page number so we don__t have to (a) wait, or (b) go searching ourselves.
I want to like this book, just as I want to like Cricket (although, honestly, I am reading it first and foremost as research material for my book, Nautilus), but it__s not making it easy.
First, Knight should__ve started the book with a thumbnail description of how Cricket is played. There are some of us who have never seen an actual match, and getting it piecemeal fashion, as you go along, does your readers a disservice. (I__ve only seen it in the movies, and like all sports movies, they figure only those familiar with the sport-in-question will be drawn in, and they don__t explain even the basics. Big mistake.)
Second, the book desperately needs a glossary. The author is constantly referring to something (often a phrase) that will be explained in some succeeding chapter. (I actually resorted to printing up one from Wikipedia, as supplementary material.)
Third, include page numbers with your references. __See Figure 2-3__ should be __See Figure 2-3, page 32.__ (Actually making sure Figures are in sight, i.e., on facing pages of where they__re used, would be even better, but may occasionally be problematical from a design standpoint.) And when you tell us in Chapter 2 that you will explain in Chapter 7 where the square leg umpire stands, give us the page number so we don__t have to (a) wait, or (b) go searching ourselves.
I want to like this book, just as I want to like Cricket (although, honestly, I am reading it first and foremost as research material for my book, Nautilus), but it__s not making it easy.
January 15, 2017
3.5, rounded down for feeling a bit jumbled at points, though that might just be my unfamiliarity with the format.
Once the book gets going, it provides a useful intro on the rules of cricket. I still don't totally get it, but I can now put up a veneer of understanding, which is all you can ask for. I know nearly nothing about cricket going in to the book, but now I understand the basic structure. This is a hugely popular sport in countries not American, and I can start to see why.
It's a bit of a tall order for the author to put hundreds of years of cricket history (crickstory) into context, so the little bit I got is about as much as I could ask for.
I'll admit that I'm now intrigued to check it out, though it's hard to really be a fan in the US. I think I'd start with the Australian Big Bash league, since their season is during baseball's offseason. But who would I talk about Australian cricket with? And, more importantly, would I care about this because I'm a despicable hipster or because it's actually interesting? Can we ever know the difference.
Also the book was written in 2005. That's not the book's fault, but if you're looking for the most timely info on the "state of the game," it's not here.
I would recommend the book to anyone who would say they're a dummy regarding the rules of cricket but wants to be a not dummy regarding the rules of cricket.
Once the book gets going, it provides a useful intro on the rules of cricket. I still don't totally get it, but I can now put up a veneer of understanding, which is all you can ask for. I know nearly nothing about cricket going in to the book, but now I understand the basic structure. This is a hugely popular sport in countries not American, and I can start to see why.
It's a bit of a tall order for the author to put hundreds of years of cricket history (crickstory) into context, so the little bit I got is about as much as I could ask for.
I'll admit that I'm now intrigued to check it out, though it's hard to really be a fan in the US. I think I'd start with the Australian Big Bash league, since their season is during baseball's offseason. But who would I talk about Australian cricket with? And, more importantly, would I care about this because I'm a despicable hipster or because it's actually interesting? Can we ever know the difference.
Also the book was written in 2005. That's not the book's fault, but if you're looking for the most timely info on the "state of the game," it's not here.
I would recommend the book to anyone who would say they're a dummy regarding the rules of cricket but wants to be a not dummy regarding the rules of cricket.
February 1, 2017
The order that concepts are introduced in the part on basics of the game is a bit confusing, so re reading that section may be necessary.
There are a fair few diagrams through out the book, which helps a lot.
Overall, the concepts are well explained and the book definitely helps if you have absolutely no idea how cricket works (like me).
There are a fair few diagrams through out the book, which helps a lot.
Overall, the concepts are well explained and the book definitely helps if you have absolutely no idea how cricket works (like me).
November 23, 2008
Cause I wanted to know. Stupid BBC morning sports reports.
April 2, 2012
Assumed too much knowledge especially for an American baffled by the sport
October 29, 2015
A great reference book. Keep close to the telly !!
January 5, 2016
Fantastic novel, the plot is fantastic, great characters
January 22, 2018
Reasonable introduction, reasonably well-written, reasonable price.
June 17, 2023
Didn't explain a lot more than I already knew, probably not a great book for a total novice. It was ok - not terrible, not great, just ok.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews