What doew "spare" "collapse" and "133 for nine" mean here?

Yes sir.
I knew that. I made the mistake inadvertently.

Not a bad explanation, wabbit, from someone with no interest in cricket.

This is a good news story. India, one of the strongest teams in world cricket, is easily beaten by Pakistan, a country a bit further down the list.

Australia, just behind India in the top teams, meet India later this year. Let's hope their form continues. (Both forms, that is - Australia is currently carving up Sri Lanka)

I think all the mystery bits have been explained for the original poster - I'm just giving the world perspective (from Australia)!

Cricket: As explained to a foreigner...
You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that's in the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out. When they are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out.
When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who stay out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have been out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game.

That's a way better description, Ceili. Now I understand.

That's an oldie but a goodie!

You have two sides of 11 players. Typically, although it isn't mandatory, it just works best, there are 6 batsmen, 4 bowlers and a wicket-keeper. Although all 11 have to bat if required and sometimes batsmen bowl a bit if the bowlers are exhausted which only happens in Test matches over 5 days. In T20 it is possible that the opening batsmen have not been got out by the time the 20 overs have been bowled so the other 9 batsmen don't bat at all.

At the beginning the captains toss up and the winner can decide to bat first or bowl (field) first. Which he decides will depend on various factors associated mainly with the weather and the condition of the pitch and the fact that it is thought psychologically easier to be chasing a target rather than setting one. In day/night matches under lights there is often a dew in the second innings which makes the ball feel like a bar of wet soap and thus more difficult for the bowlers to grip it and exercise their usual fingerwork.

Interviews then take place with the two captains just off the pitch (the wicket-- which is not to be confused with the wickets the wicket-keeper keeps), because the pitch is a specially prepared piece of ground nearly in the middle of the field and is not allowed to be trodden on because it is sacred. Any necessary treading on the pitch is allowed during the game and is policed rigorously by the umpires. Pretending unnecessary treading on the pitch is necessary is deemed bad form and ungentlemanly. The captains then retire to the pavilion, which is also sacred, and, with the coach, tell the players what their plans are depending whether they are batting or fielding (bowling).

The wickets the wicket keeper keeps are two sets of three stumps made of ash-wood (I think) which are set into the ground at either end of the pitch (the wicket) 22 yards apart. The top of each stump is grooved out so that a pair of bails can rest in them which, if either or both become separated from the stumps, signify that the wicket the wicket keeper keeps is broken. Which might be significant or not depending on a number of factors. The middle stump at each end has a mini-camera in it so that the viewers can see what being bowled at looks like. Without the risks of course.

About 5 minutes before play is due to start the 11 men of the fielding side run onto to the field and limber up intimidatingly. Then they go into a bonding huddle for when the two opening batsmen are walking to the crease swinging their bats around to show they mean business. (I'll explaind the crease later on). The huddle is positioned so that the batsmen can hear the fielding side's captain tell his fastest bowler such things as "don't bowl the groiner first ball Stewie". Which doesn't mean he won't of course.

Then the ads are shown. Which neatly psychoanalyse cricket fans.

(to be continued.....)

..and then, of course, if it's in England - it starts to rain seriously!

You're confusing croquet with cricket? That's a bad place to start.

American baseball phraseology and jargon baffles me, most of the time.

And have you ever tried to read an article about poker?

These are specialist subjects.

I am also confused. That diagram looks remarkably similar to a game of croquet. "133 for nine" would be an interesting score. I'm pretty sure cricket involves a different kind of wicket, too, though all explanations of cricket to date have not been especially clear to me, either.

Leaving aside the fact it's a twenty twenty game for a minute. India scored 133 runs and lost 9 wickets. If they'd lost one more the whole side would be out, but it's a twenty twenty game so they stop bowling once they've bowled twenty overs. An over is six deliveries.

When Pakistan went into bat, they still had five wickets remaining when they passed the 133 mark, meaning they'd lost six wickets.

Six acceptable deliveries. "Wides" and "no-balls" are not counted.

To help the barbarians and other forms of uncivilised life it would help, Mac, if you explained what a "wide" and a "no-ball" actually is.

izzy--"wicket" is a source of confusion. You should explain the difference between a wicket as in "sticky wicket", a wicket as a set of stumps, and a wicket lost or taken.

If we Englishmen are going to educate our friends in the matter of cricket we will have to get our arses in gear. It is no small task. A superficial approach will leave them even more confused than they had been.

That "India scored 133 runs and lost 9 wickets" is mumbo jumbo to them. It's like saying that the electrons spin around the nucleus in an atom and thinking something scientific has been said.