Defining of Terms

Here are three sticks. I set them up on end

Like so. This is my CASTLE, understand?

My castle. It is mine. I shall defend

It with the weapon in my hand,

This other stick. And you shall have this BALL.

Your weapon is this leather ball. You BOWL

It fast and straight to make my castle fall

If I should fail to strike it with the pole

I call my stick, or rather call my BAT.

But if I do, strike it I mean, I RUN

From here to here, a SCORE to me, and that

Is surely clear enough for anyone.

But here’s some more. My castle is the WICKET.

The ground we call the PITCH. The game is CRICKET. 

If, over time, more men desire to play,

We stand them in the field where we have set

The pitch, to CATCH me out, FIELDERS we say,

To FIELD the ball you bowled I hit. And let

These fielders be your TEAM. I will have others,

My team, who take their turn when I am OUT,

When you have hit my wicket, then my brothers

Shall severally go IN. Then, turn about,

Your team goes in to see what they can score

Before we bowl them out. When they are done

We total up the runs. The team with more

Shall celebrate with beer. For they have won

The MATCH. And there is little more to trouble you

Before THE ASHES, LORD’S and LBW.