In a nutshell Meggie there are 2 games in cricket. 5 Day Tests and One Day matches. In a one day match, there are 50 overs bowled per side. An over is 6 balls (the bowler does his 6, then a new bowler comes on for a while). So the aim is to get as many runs off 300 balls as you can. Each team will bat until their side is out, or the over limit is reached. Then they swap.
Runs are straight forward, however many times you can get from one end to the other. You can get an automatic 4 runs if the ball is hit and reaches the boundary (usually the fence around the field, or on larger ground it will be roped on the field for visibility). 6 runs are when you hit the ball clean into the stand. If it bounces first, its only a 4. The batters dont have to run for these. So you'll see them just standing there looking chuffed.
To get out, the ball can hit the batter's leg provided it is inline with the wickets behind him. That is called an LBW, or leg before wicket. If a fielder catches a ball before it hits the ground, it is caught out. A fielder may throw the ball at the wickets while the batter is running, if he is out of his crease (the white line he must stand behind to hit the ball) he is out. If a batter is in crease, or behind the white line, he is 'safe'. same logic as a baseball. A batter can also be clean bowled. Which is simply him missing the ball, and it hitting the wickets behind him, in crease or not.
A Duck is an out with no runs to the batter's name, a Golden Duck is out on the first ball bowled to him. A hatrick is a bowler getting 3 people out in a row, off 3 consecutive balls - or when his overs continue. Rare thing to see, but it does happen. Once someone got a hatrick over a 3 day time perios or something unusual.
A maiden over is an over of 6 balls with no runs being made by the batting team. What every bowler aims for when he can't get them out.
I dont think this is terribly clear, but it is pretty much everything you need to know to follow the game reasonably. Thre is a whole heap more to it, but you can enjoy it on this much knowledge or decide it truly is the most dull of sports next to golf
One Day Internationals are more exciting than Tests. Start with a One Day'er before deciding if you hate it or not