Unlike cricket, the batter fails most of the time (or 70 to 75 per cent to be more specific). Either he swings and misses and strikes out or he pops it up so that a fielder can catch it. Or he hits it along the ground (a grounder) to a fielder who then throws to first base ahead of the batter. Do either of these and he's out.

Should the batter get the ball to fall between the fielders and then get himself to first base before the ball, he is credited with a "hit". But he still hasn't succeeded yet. One hit doesn't always get the job done in baseball. To score a run - which is how baseball games are scored - the batter must travel around the four bases laid out in a diamond formation.

Incidentally, that diamond designates the field of play. Again unlike cricket, where the batsman can hit the ball in any direction, only a quarter of the circle is "fair" territory in baseball.

The batter begins by straddling the scoring base, called home plate. The pitcher is the equivalent of cricket's bowler. Only the baseball pitcher does not run up to throw. He "pitches" from a mound that is in the middle of the diamond, exactly 60 feet and six inches (18.44 metres) from home plate.

The pitcher throws by pushing off a piece of hard rubber. The hardest-throwing American pitchers can deliver the ball to the plate at speeds approaching 95mph (153kmh), although the best can also get pitches to drop, sink and spin sideways by adjusting their fingers around and across the seam of the baseball.

He has to be accurate, though. If the pitcher fails to throw the ball across the plate four times - he must also deliver it between the batter's knees and chest - the batter draws a "walk" and reaches first base. A walk is as good as most hits. So is getting hit by a pitch, although that is far more painful.

If the pitcher induces the batter to swing and miss, or throws a ball in the strike zone - again, over the plate and between the knees and chest - three times before he throws four balls and before the batter hits the ball in fair territory, he has a strikeout. The home plate umpire stands behind the catcher and decides which pitches are strikes and balls.

Once on first, the batter must advance to second base and third base before reaching home to score a run. And there are many ways to score a run.

The quickest way is the home run where a ball is hit beyond the walls or fences that form the outer limits of a baseball field. In youth baseball, those fences might be as close as 180 feet (55 metres) from home plate. In the major leagues - the National and American leagues - the minimum distance down the right and left field foul lines is around 325 feet (100 metres). The longest distance to straight away centre field is usually around 410 feet (125 metres).

The home run is one of the most exciting plays in baseball. The ball must be struck with power and America's top home-run hitters become legends. Babe Ruth hit homers. So does Barry Bonds. Had he played baseball, Sir Gary Sobers would have been a home-run hitter.

In between the single (one base) and home run (four bases with that one swing) are doubles and triples - balls hit into distant corners of the ballpark, allowing the batter to run to second or third before the fielder retrieves the ball.

Once on base, the batter advances when subsequent hitters get hits - unless the defense (the pitcher's team) can get three outs before a run is scored. Three outs complete an inning. Nine innings make up a game. That seems like plenty of time to score runs. But five runs over the course of nine innings is usually enough to win most games. The pitching and defenses are that good in Major League Baseball.