Sports and outdoor activities play a crucial role in keeping us fit and healthy, these activities improve our metabolic system, prevent heart disease, reduce the risk of many potential diseases. It not only helps to keep our body fit, but it also makes us socially active. Playing sports as a member of a team provides a feeling of belonging as well as a considerable improvement in self-esteem. Many crucial social skills, such as compassion for others, peer interaction, and the importance of competitiveness, are learned here. Among all these sports, two of the most famous sports that we will discuss in this article are Cricket and Hockey.
Cricket vs Hockey
Cricket is a sport in which two groups of 11 take turns batting and collecting runs, whereas the other team bowls and fields the ball to keep the opponent from making runs. Batting and fielding are alternated between the two teams. On the other hand, Hockey is a sport in which two teams of 11 players compete to strike a small, firm ball into their opposition net with sticks that are curled at the hitting end. It’s usually called field hockey to differentiate it from ice hockey, which is a comparable sport.
Cricket is England’s official summertime sport, and it is currently popular across Australia, the West Indies, the British Isles, India, etc. Cricket is a bat-and-ball sport in which two teams of 11 members compete against one other. The field where the cricket is played is oval shape and in the center, there is a rectangular space known as the pitch where the players use to bat and bowl. The length of the pitch is 22 yards.
Hockey is a type of invading game in which two teams of eleven members compete against one another. The objective for each team is to get a small, hefty hockey ball into the opposing team’s net. The player moves from the line in the middle of the field at the start of the game after a coin flip to determine which group will start the game with the ball. Field hockey is played on a 91.4-meter-long and 55-meter-wide surface.
Comparison Table Between Cricket and Hockey
| Parameters of Comparison | Cricket | Hockey |
| Played with | Bat and ball | Hockey stick and ball |
| Types of equipment used | Cricket ball, Cricket bat, Wicket (Stumps, Bails), Protective equipment, etc. | Hockey stick, ball, shin guard, helmet, glove, shoes, etc. |
| First played | 16th century | 19th century |
| Ball | Made of Core cork | Made of solid plastic |
| Played in | Pitch | Field |
What is Cricket?
Cricket is thought to have originated in the 13th century as a pastime wherein village lads pitched at a tree trunk or a sheep pen’s barrier gate. The gate was made up of two wooden beams and a bar that rested on the slotted tops; the crossbar was known as bail, and the complete gate was known as a wicket.
Cricket is played by two teams of 11 members each. In a toss, the captain who wins decides which team bats or bowls first. If the team bats first, it aims to score many runs while preventing the other team from reaching that score. In a cricket match, each session is referred to as an innings. It is chosen whether both sides would play one or two innings when the match starts. One team will bat whereas the other fields throughout the innings. The defending players of 11 players will be on the field at the same time, while just two batsmen are on the pitch at any given moment.
Cricket is one of the most popular sports around the world, especially in India, it is played in three different formats which are as follows:
1) Test Match: Test cricket is the classic version of the game, which was started in the year 1877 and is now played with a five-day structure that consists of four innings. Teams are tested over a prolonged period, so it is considered to be the pinnacle form.
2) One Day Internationals: These are a more formal format that began in 1971 but acquired prominence in the 1980s. Matches consist of one inning per side of 50 over’s each, with teams that combine skill, speed, and technique expected to succeed.
3) Twenty20 Internationals: It is the latest, shortest, and quickest cricket format. Since its inception in 2005, this form of 20 over’s has attracted new viewers as well as spawned new talent and ideas.
What is Hockey?
Hockey became popular in the British Isles during the late 19th century, but its origins can be traced back to ancient Egypt, Persia, and Greece. It was an Englishwoman named Constance M.K. Applebee who introduced field hockey to the U.S. in 1901.
Field hockey is a sport that involves 11 players from each team it is played on a 100-yard-by-60-yard field with a 23-centimeter-circumference ball. Each player is given a round-headed stick which is used to hit the ball to make a score, by placing the ball into the opponent’s net. Sticks range in length from 28 to 39 inches and weigh between 340 and 790 grams. Goalkeepers are protected with full-body protection that involves pads, gloves, kickers, and headgear, while field players are protected by mouth guards and shin guards.
Hockey is the national game of India and is one of the popular games around the globe, Hockey is divided into different categories such as:
1) Field Hockey: This sport is played on a grassy field or synthetically made the field. It’s a turfed sport in which two groups of 11 members compete to guide a ball into the opposing team’s net with their hockey stick.
2) Ice Hockey: The same concept as moving the ball into the opponent’s net is applicable here as well, but this time the game is played on ice instead of the field.
3) Sledge Hockey: This sport was created for impaired individuals who want to experience the thrills of ice hockey. It has a platform on which the player would rest, and will move on ice with the use of skates, and the remaining is similar to ice hockey.
4 Roller hockey: Roller hockey as the name suggests is a hockey player while rolling on skates. Teams can use both classic and inline skates for playing the game and can choose between a ball or puck.
5) Bandy: It is the Russian variant of hockey and the country’s national game. It grew in popularity throughout Europe to the point where a bandy federation was founded in the mid-twentieth century.
6) Street Hockey: The most informal type of hockey, which is played in the streets without using safety gear. It is a sport that is played on hard floors.
Main Difference Between Cricket and Hockey
1. In a Cricket match bats are given to only two players at a time, whereas in Hockey Hockey sticks are given to all the players all the time.
2. Cricket is counted by the run made by each of the team, whereas Hockey is counted regarding goals.
3. Cricket gives importance to all segments like batting, bowling, and wicket keeping, while Hockey gives more importance to the goalkeeper.
4. Cricket bat is made of a single piece of willow while Hockey stick is made of Carbon, Fiberglass, Wood, and Aramid.
5. In Cricket the most prestigious tournament is ICC World Cup, whereas the most prestigious tournament in Hockey is Hockey World Cup.
Conclusion
Cricket and Hockey are two of the most popular sports in the world, with millions of fans tuning in to watch the games and adoring the notable players. People in India are die-hard supporters of Cricket players, which is why it is more popular than Hockey in India. Cricket matches are organized at a higher level, with top-notch supervision. On the other hand, Hockey is not as popular as Cricket. However, Hockey is a sport that has its unique characteristic and playing format, it can be referred to as the sports of the warrior as the players are tough athletes. As we all know, both sports are equally significant, thus their upkeep and importance should be given equal weight.
References
- https://www.kheljournal.com/vol1issue3/PartA/pdf/23.1.pdf
- https://www.theyogicjournal.com/pdf/2018/vol3issue2/PartP/3-2-164-416.pdf