The difference between baseball and cricket

These sports may seem like twins but have essential differences
By Mo Hussain, Sports Reporter

Although both sports essentially require someone with a bat to hit the ball in a strategic way, the two sports also have different systems for scoring.

A couple of weeks back, we brought up how cricket was one of the most popular sports in the world. What came to my attention when drafting the story up was the shocking resemblance cricket has with baseball, and what the heck could be so different between each sport.

One of the primary differences between baseball and cricket is obviously who watches the sport. I think it’s safe to say that baseball is popular within North and South America in countries such as the United States, the Dominican Republic, and Canada. On the other hand, Cricket is popular on the eastern side of the globe in countries such as India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

Another difference is that the sports play in very contrasted field types. In baseball, the field is in a diamond shape; in cricket, the field is shaped almost like an oval. One would assume the main reason for this is because the shapes of those fields play a big role in how a team can score.

Although both sports essentially require someone with a bat to hit the ball in a strategic way, the two sports also have different systems for scoring. After the person with the bat in baseball (the batter) hits the ball as best as they can, their objective is to run around the three “bases” on the field and make it back to the original spot where they hit the ball before the other team catches it and brings it back themselves.

In cricket, the batsman (person who bats the ball in cricket) essentially has to hit the ball in a way that either passes the boundary line (similar to a home run) or hits it in a way where they would have enough time to cross a line in front of them.

There are obviously more differences, but it is interesting to see some of the key differences the two sports have, because someone who isn’t familiar with either sport could potentially mix the two up.