What is century in cricket
Cricket, a popular sport primarily in Australia, England and some parts of Asia, is characterized by its unique jargon which may be unfamiliar to those new to the game. A term frequently used in this sport is “century”, a milestone that every batsman in cricket aims to achieve.
Definition of Century
In cricket lingo, a century refers to a score of one hundred or more runs by a single player without getting dismissed. This term is considered one of the most noted achievements for any individual batsman. Generally speaking, a century scored in as fewer balls as possible is regarded as superior.
The Origin of Century
Although cricket has been played since the 16th century, the use of the term “century” came into being much later. In truth, it borrowed its vocabulary from everyday English language where “century” similarly denotes one hundred of something. The first ever recorded instance of a player scoring a century in a cricket game dates back to 1772.
Centuries in Different Formats of Cricket
Scoring a century can happen across all formats – Tests, One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 (T20). However, achieving centuries becomes progressively harder with quicker formats due mainly to fewer available balls and higher risk gameplay.
A Test match allows limitless overs allowing players ample chance to play long innings while an ODI gives each team 50 overs per innings; thus reducing the chances compared to Tests but still feasible especially for top-order batsmen. T20s however offer only 20 overs leading to very few centuries largely attributed again towards the top order.
The Importance of Scoring a Century
Why is making a century considered such an impressive feat? To begin with, it provides evidence that the particular player has exceptional concentration abilities and fantastic stamina along with sheer skill.
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A player reaching a century is often the key to his team posting a high total and potentially taking control of the match. After all, cricket is fundamentally a game where higher scores are definitive.
The Celebration of a Century
The act of scoring a century is traditionally celebrated by the batsman raising his bat to acknowledge the crowd’s applause; it’s an iconic moment cherished by both spectators and players alike.
Double, Triple, Quadruple Centuries and More
While making a century is in itself noteworthy, the real legends of cricket have gone beyond this mark achieving “double centuries” (200 runs), “triple centuries” (300 runs) and so forth up until “quadruple centuries”. A select few have even scored quintuple centuries in first-class cricket!
Owing to the limited number of overs in ODIs and T20s, these formats only see centuries and occasionally double centuries with no record exceeding that limit yet.
Famous Century Makers
The list of famous century makers includes numerous legendary figures like Sachin Tendulkar who holds the current record for most centuries in international matches at 100 while others like Ricky Ponting, Brian Lara, Sir Donald Bradman have also left indelible marks on the sport through their prolific ability to score hundreds consistently during their playing careers.
All said it remains instilled in every aspiring cricketer’s dream – invoking images of raised bats, roaring crowds and personal glory upon achieving this revered milestone: The Century.
