How to play cricket?

Acquire equipment. Cricket requires a few pieces of specialized equipment to play with safety. At the bare minimum, 6 stumps, 4 bails, 2 cricket bats and 1 ball are required. Most teams also have uniforms, and safety gear for the wicket-keeper.^[1]

• Stumps and bails are wooden pieces that are assembled to create the wicket, one of the most important objects in cricket. Setting up wickets is described in greater detail at the end of this section.
• The cricket bat is a large bat made of willow wood that is flat on one side and bulged on the other, for strength. The ball should be hit with the flat part of the bat for the best distance on a hit.
• The cricket ball is similar to a baseball in size and composition, but is sewn in a straight line rather than a tennis ball pattern, creating 2 equal hemispheres separated by stitching. Cricket balls are traditionally red with white stitching; in modern times, white balls are sometimes used for better visibility during “limited over” games (which generally go into the night), where coloured uniforms are worn rather than the traditional white.
• Cricket uniforms consist of long pants, a shirt (which may be long- or short-sleeved), and shoes. Most cricket players wear cleats (spike-tread shoes) for better grip on the field, but it isn't required. In games with a traditional red ball, outfits must always be white or off-white. Team colours may be used for games with white balls.
• The wicket-keeper (a ball catcher) is allowed to wear safety equipment similar to that of a baseball catcher's: webbed mitts, shin guards, and a helmet. No other player is allowed to wear protective equipment in the field unless they are close to the batsmen in which case they get to wear a helmet and shin guards.