Twenty20 Cricket

Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in the United Kingdom for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), in 2003. Both teams have a single innings and bat for a maximum of 20 overs.

A Twenty20 game is completed in about three hours, with each innings lasting around 75 minutes, thus bringing the game closer to the timespan of other popular team sports such as football. It was introduced to create a lively form of the game which would be attractive to spectators at the ground and viewers on television and as such it has been very successful. The ECB did not intend that Twenty20 would replace other forms of cricket and these have continued alongside it.

The game has spread around the cricket world. On most international tours there is a Twenty20 match and most Test-playing nations have a domestic cup competition. The inaugural ICC World Twenty20 was played in South Africa in 2007 with India defeating Pakistan in the final.

The Laws of cricket apply to Twenty20 with some exceptions:

• Each bowler may bowl a maximum of only one-fifth of the total (generally 4, for a full, uninterrupted game) overs per innings.

• Umpires may award 5-run penalty runs at their discretion if they believe either team is wasting time.

• If the fielding team doesn't start to bowl their 20th over within 75 minutes, the batting side is credited an extra 6 runs for every whole over bowled after the 75 minute mark; the umpire may add more time to this, if he considers the batting team is wasting time.

• The following fielding restrictions apply:
  • No more than five fielders can be on the leg side at any time.
  • During the first 6 overs, a maximum of two fielders can be outside the 30-yard circle.
  • After the first 6 overs, a maximum of five fielders can be outside the fielding circle.

• If the match ends with the scores tied and there must be a winner, the tie is broken with a bowl-out (similar to a penalty shoot-out in football), with five bowlers from each side delivering 1 ball each at an unguarded wicket. If the number of wickets is equal after the first five balls per side, the bowling continues and is decided by sudden death.

• Should a bowler deliver a no ball by overstepping the popping crease, it costs 1 runs and his next delivery is designated a free-hit, from which the batsman can only be dismissed through a run out, for hitting the ball twice, obstructing the field or handling the ball, as is the case for the original "no ball".