Tis a game of skill and strategy.
Field placement and bowler configuration. Who bats first and from which end, when do you declare, is it going to rain etc etc?
Unlike other games you can try to hang in there, fact is they got to get you out twice in a test or it's a draw. So like the soldiers of yesteryear you can try to dig in and prevail the bombardment of balls till the end of play and although you have less runs on the score board the game will result in a draw. This means for the higher scoring team they cant hog the show ... they have to graciously "declare" which means give the other team a go at batting or there'll be no result.
Source:
The rules of cricket Quote:
A draw will also be called after the end of the five days if the team bowling still has some of their ten players left to bat.
This is where strategy comes in as the team who is batting can decide to 'declare' at any time - even with players left. By declaring this means that the other team has to start batting.
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No other game has this strategic play, some have penalty shoot outs or time on for a result, but here it's about skill and planning where even when the odds are against you, you can try to save defeat. So the bowling team is pressed hard to get a result and get that other team out or even with a great lead ... it's a draw.
Here's an example.
1st innings (ABC country batted first by the way)
ABC country 357 runs
Australia 600 runs
2nd innings
ABC country 9/350 end of day 5, Australia failed to bat, result a draw.
Even though ABC had more runs from both batting stints and even though Australia clearly won the first innings.
So this is what makes the game interesting. It's not just a slog fest, even if you are sitting there with a massive lead you need to think about getting that other side out. Seldom will any team leave that task till the last day. Most will declare with a reasonable lead at around day 4 to give 1.5 days to try get the other team out.
There is also an expected number of balls to be bowled a day, no dawdling to slow things down so the batting team has a fair amount to hit. Also any stray balls bowled don't count and have to be re bowled.
These rules are pretty well thought out, hence cricket offers a lot more than meets the eye.
I also suppose the other great trait is that compared to some other sports you don't have to be the worlds fittest person. You'll see a few with a beer gut. LOL
I like cricket, and the international competition is great, been called the gentleman's game.
Sir Donald Bradman was notably the finest batsman the world has ever seen. For the crowds of the era it would have been spectacular to watch this guy bat. There's other batsmen who got more runs, no doubt, but not in the amount of innings this guy did with an average of
99.94 