Brian Johnson, the well known cricket commentator, explained the game to an American colleague.

"To start with you have two sides. One out on the field and one in. Each man on the side that 's in goes out and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he is out. When they are all out, the side that is out on the field comes in, and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get out those coming in. Sometimes you get men still in and not out.

When both sides have been in and out, including the not outs, that's the end of the game.

And it's as easy as that."