Cricket Sport is Favourite


Lesson 16


Cricket Match Vocabulary in English 

The sport, cricket originated in the late sixteenth century in south-east England first as children's game then as adults'. It became an established sport in the eighteenth century in England and evolved globally in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. 

Cricket is played between two teams. The two teams are made up of 11 members each, totalling in 22 members.

Out of the two teams, one is called fielding team, and the other one is known as batting team. 

A member of the fielding team, known as bowler tries to get the batsman out by hitting the ball with the wickets or catching the batsman's shot. 

A member of the batting team, known as batsman tries to make as many runs as possible by hitting the ball.

Playing this sport increases stamina, boosts balance, improves flexibility, ameliorates coordination, betters the functioning of cardio, tones muscles, maximises the chances of physical fitness, builds social and team skills, because the player runs constantly, concentrates while playing, moves freely, throws and catches the ball, sprints across the field, interacts with other players, learns to cope with winning and losing. It's because of the above-mentioned health benefits that I am ready to die for it. Whenever my university sports committee organises cricket match, I leave no stone unturned to join. I made a name for myself by adding many medals to my name by constantly taking the cake in cricket match. 

Cricket is an amazing game. It has earned worldwide popularity. It's one of the most popular games in India too. There's a gigantic playground for playing cricket at my university. 

I go to the playground to play cricket with my friends everyday at 3 o'clock. We enjoy playing there for two hours.

Apart from giving those benefits, cricket has been winning the hearts of millions. People of all age groups are fond of this sport. Both children and grownups find this game extremely interesting. People in my country abandon food to watch cricket matches.


Words to Learn (click on Here to learn more words)

1. Sport→Any activity that involves physical exertion either for entertainment or for achieving some goal 

2. To originate→To come into existence

Synonym→To stem 

Antonym→To cease 

3. To evolve→To develop gradually 

Synonym→To grow 

Antonym→To decline

4. Globally→In a way that involves many countries

Synonym→Internationally

Antonym→Nationally 

5. Century→A period of one hundred years

6. To total→ To amount 

Synonym→To add up 

7. Bowler→The member of the fielding team who throws the ball to the batsman

8. Batsman→The member of the batting team who hits the ball for runs 

9. To hit→To strike 

10. Wickets→“each of the sets of three stumps with two bails across the top at either end of the pitch, defended by a batsman.”

11. Runs→The running of the batsman from one wicket to the other in order to score 

12. To increase→To Make something greater in amount or size. 

Synonym→To maximise

Antonym→To decrease

13. Stamina→The ability to endure physical or mental effort

Synonym→Endurance 

14. To boost→To cause something to increase

Synonym→To uplift

Antonym→To decrease

15. Flexibility→The quality of bending without breaking

Synonym→ Pliability 

Antonym→Rigidity 

16. To ameliorate→To make something better

Synonym→To better

Antonym→To deteriorate 

17. Coordination→The ability to use many parts of body

18. To better→To make something better

Synonym→To improve

19. Cardio→Heart 

20. To tone →To give strength to body 

Synonym→To strengthen

Antonym→To weaken

21. To maximise→To make large 

Synonym→To increase

Antonym→To decrease

22. Constantly→ Continuously 

Synonym→ Continually

Antonym→ Occasionally

23. To concentrate on →To pay attention to 

24. To interact with→To communicate with

25. To organise→To conduct 

26. Medals→“a metal disc typically of the size of a large coin”

27. Amazing→Something that causes surprise

Synonym→ Surprising

Antonym→ Normal

28. Worldwide→Something reaching throughout the entire world

Synonym→ International

Antonym→ Local 

29. Popularity→The state in which one is liked and admired by many people

30. Popular→Liked 

31. Gigantic→Very big 

Synonym→Huge 

Antonym→Tiny 

32. To enjoy→To take pleasure

Synonym→To love 

Antonym→To hate 

33. Grownups→Adults 

34. Extremely→To a great degree or level

35. To abandon→To give up

Synonym→To forsake 

Antonym→To stick by something


Idioms and Phrases to Learn (click on Here to learn more idioms and phrases)

1. To become an established sport→To start growing successfully

2. To be made up of→If something is made up of something else, it consists of it. In the example given above, the group is made up of 11 members means that the group consists of 11 members. 

3. The fielding team→The team which is bowling and trying to catch it after the batsman's hitting the ball in a cricket match.

4. The batting team→The team which is hitting the ball to get runs in cricket

5. To cope with→To deal effectively with something difficult or unpleasant

6. To die for→To become very eager to do something 

7. To leave no stone unturned→To try one's best in order to achieve a goal

8. To make a name→To become famous or popular

9. To add a medal to one's name→To get medals or awards 

10. To take the cake in some competition→ To win the prize or to carry the day 

11. To earn worldwide popularity→To be popular in the whole world

12. To win the hearts of→To get someone to fall in love with something or someone

13. To be fond of→To have feelings of affection for someone or something

14. To find something interesting→Something that attracts attention


Exercise 1

Can you recall the synonyms of the following words?

1. To originate

2. To evolve

3. Globally

4. To increase 

5. To boost

6. Flexibility

7. To ameliorate

8. To better

9. To tone 

10. To maximise

11. Constantly

12. To concentrate

13. Amazing

14. Worldwide

15. Gigantic

16. To enjoy

17. Grownups

18. To abandon


Answer keys:- 

1. To stem 

2. To grow

3. Internationally

4. To maximise

5. To uplift

6. Pliability

7. To improve

8. To improve

9. To strengthen

10. To increase

11. Continuously

12. To pay attention

13. Surprising

14. International 

15. Huge 

16. To love 

17. Adults 

18. To give up


Can you recall the antonyms of the following words? 

1. To originate

2. To evolve

3. Globally

4. To increase 

5. To boost

6. Flexibility

7. To ameliorate

8. To better

9. To tone 

10. To maximise

11. Constantly

12. To concentrate

13. Amazing

14. Worldwide

15. Gigantic

16. To enjoy

17. Grownups

18. To abandon


Answer keys:- 

1. To cease 

2. To decline

3. Nationally

4. To decrease

5. To decrease

6. Rigidity

7. To deteriorate

8. To deteriorate

9. To weaken

10. To lessen

11. Occasionally

12. To give up 

13. Normal

14. Local 

15. Tiny 

16. To hate 

17. Children

18. To stick by