Difference Between Cricket And Baseball (With Similarities)

Cricket and baseball are two popular sports that are often compared to one another due to their similarities. Both sports involve hitting a ball with a bat and running around a field, but there are also many differences between the two.

Let us look at the key differences between cricket and baseball in the context of equipment used, the size of the field and the number of players on each team. Also, under discussion is the origins of each sport and the rules that govern them.

Key Differences: Cricket vs Baseball

Basis of Comparison	Cricket	Baseball
Origin and Popularity	Cricket originated in England and is most popular in countries like India, England, Australia, and South Africa.	Baseball originated in the United States and is primarily popular in North America and a few other countries like Japan and South Korea.
Playing Field	Cricket is played on a circular or oval-shaped field with a rectangular pitch in the center.	Baseball is played on a diamond-shaped field with four bases forming a square.
Team Size	Cricket teams usually consist of 11 players per side	Baseball teams have 9 players on the field at a time.
Bat and Ball	In cricket, the ball is larger and heavier, and the bat is flat and broader.	In baseball, the ball is smaller and harder, and the bat is cylindrical.
Pitching Mechanism	In cricket, the bowler delivers the ball by bowling overhand or underhand.	In baseball, the pitcher throws the ball overhand with a windmill-like motion.
Innings	Cricket matches generally have two innings for each team.	Baseball games consist of nine innings (or more if tied).
Scoring System	In cricket, runs are scored by running between wickets and hitting boundaries. No physical runs are scored.	In baseball, runs are scored by physically running around bases and touching home plate
Runs per Play	In cricket, each hit can result in 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6 runs, depending on where the ball goes.	In baseball, each hit typically results in 1, 2, 3, or 4 bases, with the possibility of a home run.
Outs and Dismissals	Cricket has various methods of dismissal, including bowled, caught, LBW, and run out.	Baseball has standard positions like pitcher, catcher, shortstop, and outfielders.
Pitch Conditions	In cricket, the pitch can vary in terms of bounce and spin, affected by the weather and maintenance.	In baseball, the pitching mound is a fixed structure that doesn’t change during the game.
Duration of Play	Cricket matches can last several hours to multiple days, depending on the format.	Baseball games usually last around 3 hours.
Uniforms	Cricket players typically wear white clothing, especially in traditional formats.	Baseball players wear uniforms that vary by team and include jerseys and caps.
Ties	In cricket, a tied match can occur, often leading to a Super Over in limited-overs formats.	In baseball, ties are rare and are resolved through extra innings.
International Competitions	Cricket has international tournaments like the ICC Cricket World Cup and T20 World Cup.	Baseball has international competitions like the World Baseball Classic.

Terminologies Commonly Used In Cricket

Batting Terms

Batsman: The player who is currently on the field and is responsible for hitting the ball.
Innings: The period during which a team or a player bats. A team has two innings in a match.
Runs: The points scored by hitting the ball and running between the wickets.
Boundary: The edge of the cricket field. Hitting the ball beyond the boundary results in either a four or a six, depending on where it lands.
Six/Four: Hitting the ball over the boundary directly on the full earns six runs, while if it bounces before crossing the boundary, it’s worth four runs.
Wicket: The set of three stumps (vertical wooden posts) and two bails (horizontal pieces) at each end of the pitch.
Crease: The lines marked on the pitch at both ends, used by batsmen to judge their position.
Stumps: The three vertical wooden posts at each end of the pitch.
Bails: The horizontal pieces that sit on top of the stumps.

Bowling Terms

Bowler: The player who delivers the ball to the batsman.
Over: A set of six legal deliveries bowled by a bowler.
Maiden Over: An over in which no runs are scored by the batsman.
Wicket (Dismissal): Getting a batsman out.
Caught: When a fielder catches the ball hit by the batsman before it touches the ground.
Bowled: When the bowler knocks down the stumps with the ball, getting the batsman out.
LBW (Leg Before Wicket): A dismissal where the ball hits the batsman’s leg and the umpire determines that the ball would have hit the stumps if the leg hadn’t been in the way.
Run Out: Dismissing a batsman by hitting the stumps with the ball while they are running between wickets.
No Ball: An illegal delivery that results in an extra run and sometimes a free hit.
Wide: A delivery that is too wide for the batsman to play. It results in an extra run for the batting team.

Fielding Terms

Fielder: A player responsible for preventing runs and taking catches.
Catcher: A fielder positioned close to the batsman to catch the ball if it is hit in their direction.
Slips: Fielders positioned behind the batsman on the off-side to catch edges.
Gully: A fielding position on the off-side, between slips and point.
Mid-off/Mid-on: Fielding positions on the off-side and on-side respectively, midway between the batsman and bowler.
Long Off/Long On: Fielding positions near the boundary, on the off-side and on-side respectively.

Other Terms

Umpire: The official responsible for making decisions on the field, such as declaring runs and dismissals.
Captain: The leader of a cricket team, responsible for making strategic decisions.
Duck: When a batsman gets out without scoring any runs.
Century: Scoring 100 or more runs by a batsman in an innings.
D/N (Day/Night) Match: A match played partially under floodlights, typically starting in the afternoon and continuing into the evening.

Terminologies Commonly Used In Baseball

Batting Terms

Batter: The player who is currently at the plate, trying to hit the ball.
At-Bat: A batter’s turn to face a pitcher.
Plate Appearance: The total number of times a batter comes up to the plate to bat, including walks, hits, and sacrifices.
Hit: When the batter successfully strikes the ball and reaches a base safely.
Single/Double/Triple/Home Run: The types of hits that allow the batter to reach first, second, third, or all the way home in one play, respectively.
Walk/Base on Balls: When a pitcher throws four balls outside the strike zone, allowing the batter to advance to first base.
Strikeout: When a batter gets three strikes (missed swings or called strikes) and is thus out.

Pitching Terms

Pitcher: The player who throws the ball to the batter.
Pitch: The throw made by the pitcher to the batter.
Fastball/Curveball/Changeup: Different types of pitches with varying speeds and movements.
Inning: A period of play during which both teams bat and field once.
Relief Pitcher: A pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher.
Closer: A specialized relief pitcher who enters the game in the final inning to secure the win for the team.

Fielding Terms

Fielder: A player responsible for catching and fielding the ball.
Outfield: The area of the field beyond the infield dirt, where outfielders play.
Infield: The area of the field within the bases, where infielders play.
Out: When the defense successfully records three outs, ending the half-inning.
Fly Ball: A ball hit high into the air.
Ground Ball: A ball hit along the ground.

Baserunning Terms

Runner: A player who is on base or running the bases.
Stolen Base: When a runner advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball.
Tagging Up: When a baserunner waits on a base after a fly ball is caught and then attempts to advance after the catch.
Force Out: When a fielder touches a base before a baserunner reaches it, resulting in the baserunner being out.

Scoring Terms

Run: A point scored when a baserunner crosses home plate.
RBI (Runs Batted In): A statistic credited to a batter when their hit or play enables a run to score.
Earned Run: A run that is scored against a pitcher, excluding runs that score due to errors.

Other Terms

Umpire: The official responsible for making calls on the field, such as balls and strikes, safe/out calls, and fair/foul decisions.
Manager: The leader of a baseball team, responsible for making strategic decisions during the game.
Designated Hitter (DH): A player in the lineup who bats in place of the pitcher, used in leagues where pitchers typically don’t bat.
Bullpen: The area where relief pitchers warm up during a game.

Similarities between cricket and baseball

There are two teams with batters, pitchers/bowlers and fielders.
Batters try to hit a ball thrown at them by a pitcher/bowler
Fielders try to catch the ball in the air or stop its progress.
When the ball is in flight, batters try to score by running between markers.
At the end of the game the team with the most runs wins.
A batter is “out” when they hit a ball in the air and it is caught by a fielder. There are other ways also in which an “out” is scored.
There is a “special” fielder who is positioned right behind the batter called a “catcher” in Baseball and a “wicketkeeper” in Cricket
A batter is out when they run and don’t complete the run before a fielder throws the ball back to a marker before they get there (“marker” = Base in Baseball, Stumps in Cricket)
When a ball is hit all the way to the edge of the field without hitting the ground it counts for multiple runs (anywhere between 1 and 4 in Baseball, 6 in Cricket)

Key Takeaways

Baseball is a sport that is most popular in the United States, though it is also played in other countries.
Cricket is an international sport that originated in England a few centuries ago.
A cricket ball weights around 160g and has a circumference of about 225mm. A baseball weighs around 145 g with a circumference of 235 mm, so it’s slightly bigger and less dense.
Cricket is played on the strip of ground called “the pitch”, with a batsman/batter at each end. Baseball is played around a diamond shaped playing area with bases at the corners.
In Cricket batters bat in pairs and run between the two ends of the pitch. When they safely exchange positions it’s scored as a run. In Baseball a player runs around the diamond and when all four bases are traversed it’s a run.
In Cricket each end is marked with three wooden sticks called stumps or wickets. Forcing an out is often referred to as “taking a wicket”. In baseball there is a single home plate.
In Cricket the strike zone is explicit and consists of the wickets, in Baseball the strike zone is implicit and left to umpire interpretation.
In Baseball an innings is three outs and there are at least 9 and possibly more innings in a game
In T20 Cricket an innings is 10 outs – the whole team bats, then the opposite team bats. (Aside: The reason it’s 10 outs and not 11 is that batters bat in pairs and when 10 are out the last one is left without a partner.)
In Baseball a pitcher can continue to pitch through the whole innings, in Cricket bowlers get a limited number of pitches.
In Cricket bowlers bowl 6 pitches at a time, then switch bowlers. The next bowler bowls from the opposite end of “the pitch”.
In Baseball the ball is pitched full toss always, in Cricket almost always the ball is bounced off the ground and this is used to gain advantage via bounce, spin and swing of the ball. While the ball can be pitched full toss in Cricket, almost always this is less attacking than a ball bounced off the ground.