Mohammad Abbas Reaches 900 First-Class Wickets
Listen to the story
Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Abbas has reached an important milestone in his career. He has now taken 900 First-Class wickets.
First-Class cricket includes the highest level of matches played by teams and countries, including Test matches. A wicket is recorded whenever a bowler gets a batter out.
Abbas reached this number during the second Test between England and Pakistan. Test matches are the longest form of cricket, lasting up to five days.
During the match, Abbas dismissed England batter Joe Root. Root was given out lbw, which stands for 'leg before wicket'. This happens when the ball hits the batter's leg in front of the wicket instead of the bat.
This wicket was Abbas's third in the match so far, showing his strong bowling form. The match is part of a wider series between England and Pakistan.
News about the milestone was shared alongside live commentary of the match, which gives fans updates on every ball as the game happens.
Abbas is known as one of the most reliable bowlers for Pakistan in red-ball cricket. Reaching 900 First-Class wickets places him among a smaller group of bowlers with such a high wicket count.
Vocabulary10 words
- milestone
- an important point or number reached in something
- First-Class
- the top level of cricket matches, including Test cricket
- Test match
- a long cricket match between two countries, played over several days
- wicket
- when a bowler gets a batter out
- lbw
- a way a batter is out when the ball hits the leg in front of the wicket
- series
- a set of matches played between two teams over time
- commentary
- spoken description of a game while it is happening
- fast bowler
- a bowler who throws the ball very quickly
- dismissed
- got a batter out in cricket
- red-ball cricket
- traditional, longer forms of cricket like Test matches
Quiz
Answer key
1. Fast bowler 2. Leg before wicket 3. The second Test between England and Pakistan
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Abbas has reached an important _____ in his career.
He has now taken 900 _____ wickets.
First-Class cricket includes the highest level of matches played by teams and _____, including Test matches.
Abbas reached this number during the second _____ between England and Pakistan.
During the match, Abbas dismissed England batter _____.
Root was given out _____, which stands for 'leg before wicket'.
This wicket was Abbas's third in the match, showing his strong bowling _____.
The match is part of a wider _____ between England and Pakistan.
News about the milestone was shared alongside live _____ of the match.
Abbas is known as one of the most reliable bowlers for Pakistan in _____ cricket.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think reaching 900 First-Class wickets is considered an important milestone for a bowler?
- How is First-Class cricket different from other forms of the sport, such as one-day matches?
- What skills do you think a bowler like Abbas needs to be successful over a long career?
- Do you follow live commentary during sports matches? Why or why not?