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Level 2 – Pre-intermediate
Cricket
The game of cricket is an ancient and popular sport in Britain, dating back probably to the 13th century. The first clear references to the game are from the 16th century, and the first written rules date from 1744. Today it is played in Britain and most Commonwealth and former Commonwealth countries.
Traditionally the players all wear white trousers, shirts and boots, but in the last few years the rules about clothes have become more relaxed for certain games. It is a complicated game which is played by two teams of eleven on a grass field.
One team bats while the other one bowls. The batting team tries to make as many 'runs' as possible, while the other team tries to bowl out the batsmen as quickly as possible. The winner is the team with the most runs at the end of the match.
All the big cricket matches are shown on TV during the summer months. This can be extremely boring for people who don't understand or don't like the game, but for many British people it is an essential part of summer. It is taught in most schools, and if you go to the seaside you will see whole families playing the game on the beach.
The English team plays Test Matches against other national teams. These matches are held in England during the summer months. During the rest of the year, the national team goes on tour. The countries taking part in Test Matches are Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, the West Indies, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Zimbabwe and England. The Cricket World Cup, which dates back to 1912, is held every four years.
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Answer the questions below to check how well you understand the text.
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C2 Mastery
