Baseball has a number of rules, terminology and strategies which are very similar to cricket. Although the origins of baseball remain uncertain, it may be derived from cricket, or the two may share similar predecessor games.

Play

Fielding / defense

Baseball games have far lower scores than cricket matches; therefore moments of poor pitching (bowling) and individual defensive mistakes are more costly. A player who is a good batter but who is not a competent fielder will not play regularly, or only in the designated hitter position in leagues that use it. Perhaps the most striking fielding difference between baseball and cricket is in throwing. Baseball requires hard throws with shallow arcs, often made while in midair or off-balance. Also, many defensive plays in baseball (most commonly, the double play) require cooperation among several fielders in a rapid sequence of actions. In cricket, outfielders tend to throw the ball with a much higher arc usually so that it can make it all the way to the wicket-keeper without further intervention. Another major difference is that the fielders in cricket are not allowed to used any sort of protection for the hands --- padded or otherwise, inspite of the balls being of similar hardness. The only exception to this rule in cricket is made for the Wicketkeeper -- who is allowed to wear padded gloves as well as leg guards.

Batting

Cricket batsmen display far more variety in their approach than baseball batters, using a wider variety of batting strokes to direct the ball in many directions into a field which provides much more open space.

Bowling / pitching

Cricket bowlers, since they are not restricted to a small strike zone as their target, also use a wide variety of approaches which are not available to baseball pitchers (many involving unpredictable movement caused by contact with the ground on the pitch before the ball reaches the batsman). Baseball pitchers, by contrast, must use changes in ball speed and movement caused only by air friction and spin to deceive batters, as most pitches which come near touching the ground are ineffectively allowed to pass as balls. Cricket's bowlers are grouped into different categories based on their bowling style: pacemen, seamers, off-spinners, leg-spinners, wrist-spinners (as opposed to finger-spinners), etc., though a bowler often falls into more than one category. Baseball's pitchers are grouped primarily by their throwing hand (left or right) and their usual role in games (a starting pitcher begins a game and usually pitches five or more innings, while a relief pitcher enters later in a game and usually pitches fewer innings); they are sometimes secondarily grouped according to pitching style, type of pitch most often used, or velocity.

Strategy

"Baseball is to cricket, what checkers is to chess," claim cricket's supporters. A wide array of factors affect both games (from composition of the pitch or field soil to weather conditions, wind, and moisture) and numerous strategies in both games can be employed to exploit these different factors. Cricket places very few restrictions on fielding placement, even for the wicket-keeper, and its variety of bowling styles, 360 degrees of open field, wide bowling area (target zone), and so on provide for strategic play (Bodyline was an infamous instance). In baseball, though only the positions of pitcher and catcher are prescribed by the rules, fielders' positions are dictated closely by custom, and shifts in fielders' positions according to circumstance are less dramatic; the smaller strike zone and smaller angle of fair territory limit the usefulness of some strategies which cricket makes available to batters. In cricket, coaches cannot intervene or direct gameplay; the captain must make all the calls once the players are out on the field, and the coach is reduced to a mere spectator. In baseball, by contrast, managers and coaches will often direct the players to carry out a play (such as a stolen base or hit and run). Baseball's strategy varies with the game situation; pitcher, batter and fielders all play far differently in the late innings of a close game (e.g., waiting for walks, trying for stolen bases or the squeeze play to score a decisive run) than they do early, or when one team has already scored many more runs than the other (where batters will be likely to swing at many more pitches and try for home runs). The number, speed, and position of baserunners, which have no equivalent in cricket, all dramatically change the strategies used by pitcher and batter.

Game length

Baseball games are much shorter than cricket. While baseball games last a few hours on average (upwards of 6 hours if a games goes into extra innings), cricket games can last up to several days. The shorter version of the game (termed ODIs - One Day Internationals) lasts for a day, while the longer version (termed Test matches) lasts for five days.

Equipment

Baseball players use thin, round bats and wear gloves to field, while cricketers use wide, flat bats and field barehanded (except for the wicket keeper, who wears gloves and protective leg-pads).

Another difference between the two sports involves the condition of the ball as a match progresses. In cricket, if a ball is hit into the stands, the spectators must return it to the field. Also, a ball that is scuffed or scratched will continue in use; a ball must be used for a minimum number of overs (currently 80 in Test cricket) before it can be replaced. If a ball is damaged, lost, or illegally modified, it is replaced by a used ball of similar condition to the old one. Finally, cricketers are allowed to use natural substances (e.g. saliva and sweat) to modify the ball, and may polish it on their uniforms, although they cannot deliberately scratch the ball. In major league baseball, a ball that is hit into the stands is not returned to play unless caught by a fielder before it touches the ground; spectators are free to keep any balls that come into their possession. Baseball rules prohibit the deliberate scratching or scuffing of a ball, or the application of any foreign substance that could conceivably affect the flight or visibility of a ball. Balls that become scuffed or scratched due to normal game play are immediately removed from play and never reused. The current rules regarding the condition of baseballs did not come into effect until 1920, and were not consistently enforced for several decades afterwards; before then, they were far closer to those still present in cricket. Because of financial or practical limits on the supply of fresh balls, enforcement of these rules is much more limited in minor league and amateur baseball games, where balls become worn and scuffed in the course of play; even so, deliberate scratching or polishing of the ball (or use of the spitball) is universally forbidden.

Similarity in terminology

Terms shared between the two sports:

• Break
• Drive
• Fielder
• Infield
• Innings
• Lineup
• Out
• Outfield
• Pinch hitter
• Runs

Comparisons

Different meanings