Dismissal (cricket)
Encyclopedia
In the sport of cricket
, a dismissal occurs when the batsman is out (also known as the fielding side taking a wicket and/or the batting side losing a wicket). Colloquially, the fielding team is also said to have snared, bagged or captured a wicket. At this point a batsman must discontinue batting
and leave the field permanently for the innings
. A bowling team dismisses (or bowls out) the entire batting team by dismissing 10 of the 11 players (assuming player(s) from the batting team have not retired hurt or is absent). As the players bat in pairs, when only one person is undismissed, it is not possible for them to bat any longer.
in that innings. Thus dismissal is the best way to control the runs scored in an innings, and prevent the batting side from either achieving their target score or posting a large total for the fielding side to follow in the next innings.
Additionally, in Test cricket
it is usually necessary for a side fielding last to have dismissed ten players of the opposing team in their final innings to achieve victory (unless one or more of the batsmen have retired hurt or absent and unable to take the field).
to the umpire who will then decide whether the batsman is out. In competitive cricket, many difficult catching and LBW decisions will be left to the umpire; if a batsman acknowledges that he is out in such cases and departs without waiting for the umpire's decision it is known as "walking", and regarded as an honourable but controversial act.
If the umpire believes he has incorrectly dismissed a batsman, he may recall him to the crease if he has not already left the field of play. A recent example of this was in the 2007 Lord's test match
between England and India when Kevin Pietersen
was initially given out caught behind, but was recalled when television replays showed that the ball had bounced before being taken by Mahendra Singh Dhoni
.
(LBW), stumped and run out. Much rarer are hit wicket, hit the ball twice, handled the ball, obstructing the field and timed out.
The bowler is credited in the statistics with having taken a wicket if the batsman is out bowled, LBW, caught, stumped, or hit wicket. If the ball is a no ball
then the batsman cannot be out in any of these ways. The bowler is not credited with having taken a wicket if the batsman is run out, handles the ball, hits the ball twice, or obstructs the field; these dismissals may occur if the delivery is a no ball
. The fieldsman is credited in the statistics with a dismissal if he takes a catch or a stumping (for a stumping this will necessarily be the wicket-keeper
), and may be credited on scorecards for a run-out (although a run-out will not be credited to a player's statistics).
Law 2.9(b): Retired
If any batsman leaves the field of play without the Umpire's consent for any reason other than injury or incapacity, he may resume the innings only with the consent of the opposing captain. If he fails to resume his innings, he is recorded as being Retired - out. For the purposes of calculating a batting average
, retired out is considered a dismissal.
Only two players in Test history have ever been given out in this manner, Marvan Atapattu
(for 201) and Mahela Jayawardene
(for 150), both in the same innings of the same match playing for Sri Lanka against Bangladesh in September 2001. Apparently, this was done in order to give the other players batting practice; the unsportsmanlike behaviour drew criticism. In May 1983 Gordon Greenidge
of the West Indies retired out on 154 to visit his daughter, who was ill and who died two days later; he was subsequently judged to have retired not out, the only such decision in Test history.
There are numerous other recorded instances of batsmen retiring out in first-class cricket. In 1993 Graham Gooch
, immediately after completing his hundredth first-class century with a six, retired on 105.
Law 30: Bowled
If a bowler's delivery hits the stumps
and a bail
is completely removed from the top of the stumps, the striker (the batsman facing the bowler) is out (assuming the bail does not luckily land back in the stump's spigots). The ball can either have struck the stumps directly, or have been deflected off the bat or body of the batsman. However, the batsman is not bowled out if the ball is touched by a fielder
or touched by a wicket-keeper
or the umpire before hitting the stumps.
Law 31: Timed out
If a new player takes more than three minutes to be ready to face or be ready for his partner to face the next delivery after the previous batsman was ruled out, then the new player is out. (It was previously required that a batsman was on the field of play within two minutes.) If a not out batsman is not ready after a break in play, they can also be given out Timed Out on appeal. In the case of extremely long delays, the umpires may forfeit the match to either team. This method of taking a wicket has never been employed in the history of Test cricket.
There have been only four occasions in all forms of First-Class cricket where a batsman has been given out Timed Out. These are:
"Caught behind" (an unofficial term) indicates that a player was caught by the wicket-keeper, or less commonly by the slips. "Caught and bowled" (another unofficial term) indicates the player who bowled the ball also took the catch.
Law 33: Handled the ball
If the batsman touches the ball with his hand not in contact with the bat for any purpose other than, with the approval of the fielder(s), to return the ball to the bowler, he is out on appeal. It is considered etiquette for the fielding team not to appeal if the handling of the ball does not affect the play of the game, although there are occasions when this etiquette has been ignored.
Only seven batsman have been out handled the ball in the history of Test cricket: Russell Endean
, Andrew Hilditch
, Mohsin Khan
, Desmond Haynes
, Graham Gooch
, Steve Waugh
and Michael Vaughan
. Two batsmen have been given out in this fashion in One Day Internationals:
Law 34: Hit the ball twice
If the batsman "hits" the ball twice, he is out. The first hit is considered to be if the ball has struck the batsman or his bat, whilst the second "hit" has to be an intentional and separate contact with the ball - again not necessarily using the bat. The batsman may hit the ball a second time with his bat or body (not a hand not in contact with the bat) if it is performed to stop the ball from hitting the stumps. It is therefore possible to be out hitting the ball twice, whilst not actually hitting the ball with the bat at all.
No batsman has been out hitting the ball twice in Test cricket
.
Law 35: Hit wicket
If the batsman dislodges his own stumps with his body or bat, while in the process of taking a shot or beginning his first run, then he is out. This law does not apply if he avoided a ball thrown back to the wicket by a fielder, or broke the wicket in avoiding a run out.
This law also applies if part of the batsman's equipment is dislodged and hits the stumps: Dwayne Bravo
hit Kevin Pietersen
in the head with a bouncer and his helmet hit the stumps during the 2007 England vs West Indies Test match at Old Trafford; a topspinner from Richie Benaud
once knocked off Joe Solomon
's cap, and the cap landed on Solomon's stumps.
Being out hit-wicket is often seen as a comic method of dismissal. In 1991 Jonathan Agnew
and Brian Johnston
, commentators on BBC Radio
's Test Match Special
, got themselves into difficulty while commentating on Ian Botham
's dismissal (Botham dislodged his leg bail whilst trying to step over the stumps, having lost his balance in missing a hook shot
against Curtly Ambrose
), Agnew commenting that he "couldn't quite get his leg over".
The most crucial hit-wicket dismissal in Test history was arguably that of Graeme Smith
at Trent Bridge in 2003: Smith had made 277 (South Africa's second highest ever Test innings) and 85 from 70 balls at Edgbaston, and 259 at Lord's, as South Africa dominated the first two Tests of the series. In the third, Smith was on 35 when he played back to Andrew Flintoff
and trod on his stumps. His form shattered, he did not reach 20 again in the series as England fought back for a morale-boosting 2-2 series draw, a result which marked the start of a resurgence which would ultimately lead to the 2005 Ashes victory.
A more recent example of a comic hit-wicket dismissal was during the Headingley Test match in the 2006 test series
between England and Pakistan
, when Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq
missed a sweep against Monty Panesar
, was hit in the midriff by the ball, lost his balance and collapsed on to his stumps (and nearly into wicket-keeper Chris Read
).
Law 36: Leg before wicket
If the ball strikes any part of the batsman's person (not necessarily the leg), and, in the umpire
's judgement, the ball would have hit the batsman's stumps but for this interception, then the batsman is out. The point of impact must be within line with the batsman's stumps and the bowler's stumps if the batsman is playing a stroke. The batsman can be given out if the ball strikes him outside the off stump, if the ball would have hit the stumps and if the batsman is playing no stroke. The ball must not pitch outside the line of leg stump. Also, the ball cannot have made contact with the bat or glove that is touching the bat before hitting the batsman. If the ball hits the batsman either on the full or immediately after bouncing, the umpire assumes that the ball is travelling straight on, ignoring any spin, swing or other hard to predict movement that may have changed the direction of the ball if it had not hit the batsman.
Law 37: Obstructing the field
If the batsman, by action or by words, obstructs a fielder, then he is out. However, a batsman is allowed to obstruct the view of a fielder by standing in front of him. He may also stand in between the fielder and the stumps. The rule intends to prevent batsman from interfering with a fielder by, for instance, pushing him. Also, a player may be given out if they deliberately hit a ball being thrown back to the keeper whilst being out of their crease, as happened to Inzamam-ul-Haq
(see below).
Only one individual has ever been out obstructing the field in a Test match: England's Len Hutton
, playing against South Africa at The Oval
in London in 1951, knocked a ball away from his stumps, but in doing so prevented the South African wicket-keeper Russell Endean
from completing a catch. By coincidence, Endean was one of the few people to be given out handled the ball in a Test match (see above).
In One Day International cricket, three batsmen have been given out obstructing the field:
Law 38: Run out
If a fielder uses the ball to remove the bails from either set of stumps whilst the batsmen are running between the wicket
s (or otherwise away from the crease during the course of play), then the batsman (striker or non-striker) is out. The batsman nearest the set of stumps from which the bails were removed, but not actually in safe territory, is given out. If the batsman has any part of his body or his bat (if he's holding it) on the ground behind the line of the crease, then he cannot be run out (except if both batsmen are on the same side of a crease); frequently it is a close call whether or not a batsman gained his ground in this way before the bails were removed. (The difference between stumped and run out is that the wicketkeeper may stump a batsman who goes too far forward to play the ball (assuming he isn't attempting a run), whilst any fielder, including the keeper, may run out a batsman who goes too far for any other purpose, including for taking a run.) If the bails have already been removed, a fielder can remove a remaining stump by pulling it out with the ball in their hands. A fielder can also "remake" the stumps and remove a stump/bail to effect a runout.
If a batsman has a runner due to injury/illness there is the danger of being runout due to confusion between the three (or four in very rare circumstances) batsmen/runners on the field. All of whom must be safe in their crease when the wicket is broken and also at the correct end of the wicket. For example, a batsman who is batting with a runner should always be behind the crease at the striker's end whilst the ball is live. If he forgets that he has a runner a quick minded fielder is able to break the stumps at the stiker's end to run him out - even if he finds himself safely behind the crease at the bowler's end.
A special form of run-out is when the batsman at the non-striker's end attempts to gain an advantage by leaving the crease before the next ball has been bowled (a common practice known as "backing up", but against the laws of cricket if the non-striker leaves his crease before the bowler has released the ball). The bowler may then dislodge the bails at his/her end without completing the run-up
and dismiss the batsman. This form of run-out is called the Mankad (the dismissed batsman is said to have been "Mankaded"), in reference to Vinoo Mankad, the first bowler to dismiss a batsman in this manner in a Test match, running out Bill Brown
in 1947. With the changes in the Laws of Cricket relatively recently a bowler cannot Mankad a batsman once he enters his delivery stride. It is considered etiquette to warn a batsman that he is leaving his crease early, before attempting a Mankad run out on a subsequent ball.After relatively recent changes to the Laws of Cricket, it is much harder to effect a run-out using the "mankad" technique.
A run out cannot occur if no fielder has touched the ball. As such, if a straight drive breaks the non-striker's stumps whilst he is backing up, he is not out; however, if a fielder (usually the bowler, in this case) touches the ball at all before it breaks the stumps, then it is a run out, even if the fielder never has any control of the ball.
to play the ball, leaving no part of his anatomy or the bat on the ground behind the crease, and the wicket-keeper
is able to remove the bails from the wicket with the ball, then the striker is out. A stumping is most likely to be effected off slow bowling, or (less frequently) medium-paced bowling when the wicketkeeper is standing directly behind the stumps. As wicket-keepers stand several yards back from the stumps to fast bowlers, stumpings are hardly ever effected off fast bowlers. But a keeper may throw down the stumps and the batsman is still out stumped if he is out of his ground, but not attempting a run. Similarly, the ball can bounce off a keeper (but not external non-usual wicketkeeping protective equipment, like a helmet) and break the stumps and still be considered a stumping.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, a dismissal occurs when the batsman is out (also known as the fielding side taking a wicket and/or the batting side losing a wicket). Colloquially, the fielding team is also said to have snared, bagged or captured a wicket. At this point a batsman must discontinue batting
Batting (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, batting is the act or skill of hitting the cricket ball with a cricket bat to score runs or prevent the loss of one's wicket. A player who is currently batting is denoted as a batsman, while the act of hitting the ball is called a shot or stroke...
and leave the field permanently for the innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
. A bowling team dismisses (or bowls out) the entire batting team by dismissing 10 of the 11 players (assuming player(s) from the batting team have not retired hurt or is absent). As the players bat in pairs, when only one person is undismissed, it is not possible for them to bat any longer.
Role
Once dismissed, a batsman cannot score any more runsRun (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a run is the basic unit of scoring. Runs are scored by a batsman, and the aggregate of the scores of a team's batsmen constitutes the team's score. A batsman scoring 50 or 100 runs , or any higher multiple of 50 runs, is considered a particular achievement...
in that innings. Thus dismissal is the best way to control the runs scored in an innings, and prevent the batting side from either achieving their target score or posting a large total for the fielding side to follow in the next innings.
Additionally, in Test cricket
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
it is usually necessary for a side fielding last to have dismissed ten players of the opposing team in their final innings to achieve victory (unless one or more of the batsmen have retired hurt or absent and unable to take the field).
Adjudication
By convention, dismissal decisions are handled primarily by the players - thus if the dismissal is obvious the batsman will voluntarily leave the field without the umpire needing to dismiss them. If the batsman and fielding side disagree about a dismissal then the fielding side must appealAppeal (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, an appeal is the act of a player on the fielding team asking an umpire for a decision regarding whether a batsman is out or not. According to the Laws of Cricket, an umpire may not rule a batsman out unless the fielding side appeals...
to the umpire who will then decide whether the batsman is out. In competitive cricket, many difficult catching and LBW decisions will be left to the umpire; if a batsman acknowledges that he is out in such cases and departs without waiting for the umpire's decision it is known as "walking", and regarded as an honourable but controversial act.
If the umpire believes he has incorrectly dismissed a batsman, he may recall him to the crease if he has not already left the field of play. A recent example of this was in the 2007 Lord's test match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
between England and India when Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Peter Pietersen, MBE is a South African-born English cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and occasional off spin bowler who plays for England and Surrey...
was initially given out caught behind, but was recalled when television replays showed that the ball had bounced before being taken by Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is an Indian cricketer and the current captain of the Indian national cricket team. He made his One Day International debut in December 2004 against Bangladesh, and a year later played his first Test, this time against Sri Lanka.Under his captaincy, India won the 2007 ICC...
.
Ways of getting out
A batsman can be dismissed in a number of ways, the most common being bowled, caught, leg before wicketLeg before wicket
In the sport of cricket, leg before wicket is one of the ways in which a batsman can be dismissed. An umpire will rule a batsman out LBW under a series of circumstances which primarily include the ball striking the batsman's body when it would otherwise have continued on to hit the batsman's...
(LBW), stumped and run out. Much rarer are hit wicket, hit the ball twice, handled the ball, obstructing the field and timed out.
The bowler is credited in the statistics with having taken a wicket if the batsman is out bowled, LBW, caught, stumped, or hit wicket. If the ball is a no ball
No ball
In the sport of cricket a no ball is a penalty against the fielding team, usually as a result of an illegal delivery by the bowler. The delivery of a no ball results in one run to be added to the batting team's score, and an additional ball must be bowled...
then the batsman cannot be out in any of these ways. The bowler is not credited with having taken a wicket if the batsman is run out, handles the ball, hits the ball twice, or obstructs the field; these dismissals may occur if the delivery is a no ball
No ball
In the sport of cricket a no ball is a penalty against the fielding team, usually as a result of an illegal delivery by the bowler. The delivery of a no ball results in one run to be added to the batting team's score, and an additional ball must be bowled...
. The fieldsman is credited in the statistics with a dismissal if he takes a catch or a stumping (for a stumping this will necessarily be the wicket-keeper
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
), and may be credited on scorecards for a run-out (although a run-out will not be credited to a player's statistics).
Law 2.9(b): RetiredRetired outIn cricket, a batsman retires out if he retires without the umpire's permission, and does not have the permission of the opposing captain to resume his innings. This occasionally happens in friendly or practice matches, for instance English county sides against University Centres of Cricketing...
If any batsman leaves the field of play without the Umpire's consent for any reason other than injury or incapacity, he may resume the innings only with the consent of the opposing captain. If he fails to resume his innings, he is recorded as being Retired - out. For the purposes of calculating a batting averageBatting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
, retired out is considered a dismissal.
Only two players in Test history have ever been given out in this manner, Marvan Atapattu
Marvan Atapattu
Marvan Samson Atapattu is a former Sri Lankan cricketer and former Sri Lankan captain. Towards the end of his career he joined the Indian Cricket League and captained the Delhi Giants...
(for 201) and Mahela Jayawardene
Mahela Jayawardene
Denagamage Proboth Mahela de Silva Jayawardene , known as Mahela Jayawardene, is the former captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team. He is a specialist batsman who has a Test average of over 50, and an ODI average in the 30s...
(for 150), both in the same innings of the same match playing for Sri Lanka against Bangladesh in September 2001. Apparently, this was done in order to give the other players batting practice; the unsportsmanlike behaviour drew criticism. In May 1983 Gordon Greenidge
Gordon Greenidge
Cuthbert Gordon Greenidge MBE is a former member of the West Indies cricket team.Greenidge was an opening batsman for the West Indies. He began his Test career against India at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore in 1974 and continued playing internationally until 1991. He was half of the West...
of the West Indies retired out on 154 to visit his daughter, who was ill and who died two days later; he was subsequently judged to have retired not out, the only such decision in Test history.
There are numerous other recorded instances of batsmen retiring out in first-class cricket. In 1993 Graham Gooch
Graham Gooch
Graham Alan Gooch OBE DL is a former cricketer who captained Essex and England. He was one of the most successful international batsmen of his generation, and through a career spanning from 1973 until 2000, he became the most prolific run scorer of all time with 67,057 runs...
, immediately after completing his hundredth first-class century with a six, retired on 105.
Law 30: BowledBowledBowled is a method of dismissing a batsman in the sport of cricket. This method of dismissal is covered by Law 30 of the Laws of cricket.A batsman is out bowled if his wicket is put down by a ball delivered by the bowler...
If a bowler's delivery hits the stumpsStump (cricket)
Stump is a term used in the sport of cricket where it has three different meanings:# part of the wicket# a manner of dismissing a batsman# the end of the day's play .-Part of the wicket:...
and a bail
Bail (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a bail is one of the two smaller sticks placed on top of the three stumps to form a wicket. The bails are used to determine when the wicket is broken, which in turn is one of the critical factors in determining whether a batsman is out bowled, stumped, run out or hit wicket...
is completely removed from the top of the stumps, the striker (the batsman facing the bowler) is out (assuming the bail does not luckily land back in the stump's spigots). The ball can either have struck the stumps directly, or have been deflected off the bat or body of the batsman. However, the batsman is not bowled out if the ball is touched by a fielder
Fielding (cricket)
Fielding in the sport of cricket is the action of fielders in collecting the ball after it is struck by the batsman, in such a way as to either limit the number of runs that the batsman scores or get the batsman out by catching the ball in flight or running the batsman out.Cricket fielding position...
or touched by a wicket-keeper
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
or the umpire before hitting the stumps.
Law 31: Timed outTimed outTimed out is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. It occurs when an incoming batsman is not ready to play within three minutes of the previous batsman being out...
If a new player takes more than three minutes to be ready to face or be ready for his partner to face the next delivery after the previous batsman was ruled out, then the new player is out. (It was previously required that a batsman was on the field of play within two minutes.) If a not out batsman is not ready after a break in play, they can also be given out Timed Out on appeal. In the case of extremely long delays, the umpires may forfeit the match to either team. This method of taking a wicket has never been employed in the history of Test cricket.There have been only four occasions in all forms of First-Class cricket where a batsman has been given out Timed Out. These are:
- A. JordaanAndrew JordaanAndrew Jordaan was a South African cricketer who represented Eastern Province cricket team. Jordaan was the first ever cricketer to be timed out in a first class cricket match when he failed to arrive at the ground to continue his innings in a game against Transvaal at Port Elizabeth in 1988. He...
- Eastern Province v Transvaal at Port Elizabeth in 1987-88 (Jordaan, not out overnight, was prevented from reaching the ground by flooded roads the following day) - H. YadavHemulal YadavHemulal Yadav is an Indian cricketer who played first-class cricket for Tripura. His rather dubious claim to fame is that he is the only batsman in the history of first-class cricket to be given out timed out. He was dismissed in this rare and bizarre fashion on December 20, 1997 in a Ranji Trophy...
- Tripura v Orissa at Cuttack in 1997-98 (Yadav, in conversation with his team manager on the boundary, did not attempt to reach the crease) - V.C. DrakesVasbert DrakesVasbert Conniel Drakes is a West Indian cricketer. He was a right-arm fast bowler and handy right-hand lower order batsman....
- Border v Free State at East London in 2002 (Drakes was still on his way to the match by aeroplane from his native West Indies when he was due to bat) - A.J. Harris - Nottinghamshire v Durham UCCE at Nottingham in 2003 (Harris, suffering from a groin strain, took too long to walk to the crease and was given out on appeal).
Law 32: Caught
If the batsman hits the ball with the bat (or with the glove when the glove is in contact with the bat) and the ball is caught by the bowler or a fielder before it hits the ground, then the batsman is out. The batsman can not be given out caught if the ball strikes a helmet (or other external protective equipment excluding a keeper wearing gloves or pads) worn by a member of the fielding side prior to being caught, regardless of whether it touches the ground or not."Caught behind" (an unofficial term) indicates that a player was caught by the wicket-keeper, or less commonly by the slips. "Caught and bowled" (another unofficial term) indicates the player who bowled the ball also took the catch.
Law 33: Handled the ballHandled the ballHandled the ball is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket.-Definition:Law 33 of the Laws of cricket provides that:"Either batsman is out Handled the ball if he wilfully touches the ball while in play with a hand or hands not holding the bat unless he does so with the consent of the opposing...
If the batsman touches the ball with his hand not in contact with the bat for any purpose other than, with the approval of the fielder(s), to return the ball to the bowler, he is out on appeal. It is considered etiquette for the fielding team not to appeal if the handling of the ball does not affect the play of the game, although there are occasions when this etiquette has been ignored.Only seven batsman have been out handled the ball in the history of Test cricket: Russell Endean
Russell Endean
William Russell Endean was a South African cricketer who played in twenty eight Tests from 1951 to 1958....
, Andrew Hilditch
Andrew Hilditch
Andrew Mark Jefferson Hilditch is a former Australian cricketer who played in 18 Tests and 8 ODIs from 1979 to 1985. He played for New South Wales from 1977 to 1981 and for South Australia from 1982 to 1992...
, Mohsin Khan
Mohsin Khan
Mohsin Hasan Khan is a former Pakistani cricketer who played in 48 Tests and 75 ODIs from 1977 to 1986 mainly as an opening batsman.-Life and Career:...
, Desmond Haynes
Desmond Haynes
Desmond Leo Haynes is a West Indian cricketer and cricket coach. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1991. Haynes formed a formidable partnership with Gordon Greenidge for the West Indies cricket team in Test cricket during 1980s. Between them they managed 16 century stands, four in excess of...
, Graham Gooch
Graham Gooch
Graham Alan Gooch OBE DL is a former cricketer who captained Essex and England. He was one of the most successful international batsmen of his generation, and through a career spanning from 1973 until 2000, he became the most prolific run scorer of all time with 67,057 runs...
, Steve Waugh
Steve Waugh
Stephen Rodger "Steve" Waugh, AO is a former Australian cricketer and fraternal twin of cricketer Mark Waugh. A right-handed batsman, he was also a successful medium-pace bowler...
and Michael Vaughan
Michael Vaughan
Michael Paul Vaughan OBE is a retired cricketer who represented Yorkshire and England. A classically elegant right-handed batsman and occasional off-spinner, Vaughan was ranked one of the best batsmen in the world following the 2002/3 Ashes, in which he scored 633 runs, including three centuries...
. Two batsmen have been given out in this fashion in One Day Internationals:
- Mohinder AmarnathMohinder AmarnathMohinder Amarnath Bhardwaj is a former Indian cricketer and current cricket analyst. He is commonly known as "Jimmy". He is the son of Lala Amarnath, the first post-independence captain of India. His brother Surinder Amarnath was a Test player...
was dismissed after pushing away a turning ball from Greg MatthewsGreg MatthewsGregory Richard John "Mo" Matthews is a former New South Wales and Australian cricketer who is now a television cricket commentator....
that spun back towards his wicket. - Darryl Cullinan was given out handled the ball after chopping Keith ArthurtonKeith ArthurtonKeith Lloyd Thomas Arthurton is a former West Indian cricketer. Having become only the third player to hail from Nevis, the left-arm unorthodox bowler played in 33 Tests between July 1988 and August 1995 and continued playing in one day matches until May 1999. However, he never recovered from the...
into the ground and catching the rebound, which may have been heading towards the stumps.
Law 34: Hit the ball twiceHit the ball twiceHit the ball twice, or "double-hit", is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket.-Definition:Law 34 of the Laws of cricket states:Law 34 1...
If the batsman "hits" the ball twice, he is out. The first hit is considered to be if the ball has struck the batsman or his bat, whilst the second "hit" has to be an intentional and separate contact with the ball - again not necessarily using the bat. The batsman may hit the ball a second time with his bat or body (not a hand not in contact with the bat) if it is performed to stop the ball from hitting the stumps. It is therefore possible to be out hitting the ball twice, whilst not actually hitting the ball with the bat at all.No batsman has been out hitting the ball twice in Test cricket
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
.
Law 35: Hit wicketHit wicketHit wicket is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. This method of dismissal is governed by Law 35 of the laws of cricket. The striker is out "hit wicket" if, after the bowler has entered his delivery stride and while the ball is in play, his wicket is put down by his bat or his person...
If the batsman dislodges his own stumps with his body or bat, while in the process of taking a shot or beginning his first run, then he is out. This law does not apply if he avoided a ball thrown back to the wicket by a fielder, or broke the wicket in avoiding a run out.This law also applies if part of the batsman's equipment is dislodged and hits the stumps: Dwayne Bravo
Dwayne Bravo
Dwayne James John Bravo is a West Indian cricketer. A right-handed pace bowler, Bravo is expected to play a significant role in attempts by the West Indies to return to international prominence in the sport....
hit Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Peter Pietersen, MBE is a South African-born English cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and occasional off spin bowler who plays for England and Surrey...
in the head with a bouncer and his helmet hit the stumps during the 2007 England vs West Indies Test match at Old Trafford; a topspinner from Richie Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
once knocked off Joe Solomon
Joe Solomon
Joseph Stanislaus Solomon is a former West Indian cricketer who played 27 Tests for the West Indies. He played Test cricket from 1958 to 1965, scoring 1326 runs, mainly from number six and seven in the batting line-up...
's cap, and the cap landed on Solomon's stumps.
Being out hit-wicket is often seen as a comic method of dismissal. In 1991 Jonathan Agnew
Jonathan Agnew
Jonathan Philip Agnew is an English cricket broadcaster and former professional cricketer. He was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire and educated at Uppingham School. He is nicknamed "Aggers", and, less commonly, "Spiro"....
and Brian Johnston
Brian Johnston
Brian Alexander Johnston CBE, MC was a cricket commentator and presenter for the BBC from 1946 until his death.-Early life and education:...
, commentators on BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
's Test Match Special
Test Match Special
Test Match Special is a British radio programme covering professional cricket, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 , Five Live Sports Extra and the internet to the United Kingdom and the rest of the world...
, got themselves into difficulty while commentating on Ian Botham
Ian Botham
Sir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
's dismissal (Botham dislodged his leg bail whilst trying to step over the stumps, having lost his balance in missing a hook shot
Hook shot
A hook shot, in basketball, is a play in which the offensive player, usually turned perpendicular to the basket, gently throws the ball with a sweeping motion of his arm in an upward arc with a follow-through which ends over his head. Unlike the jump shot, it is shot with only one hand; the other...
against Curtly Ambrose
Curtly Ambrose
Curtly Elconn Lynwall Ambrose is a former West Indian cricketer. His skill was as a right-arm fast bowler, especially in partnership with Courtney Walsh...
), Agnew commenting that he "couldn't quite get his leg over".
The most crucial hit-wicket dismissal in Test history was arguably that of Graeme Smith
Graeme Smith
Graeme Craig Smith is a South African cricketer and captain of the South African cricket team Test Match side, having succeeded Shaun Pollock after the 2003 Cricket World Cup...
at Trent Bridge in 2003: Smith had made 277 (South Africa's second highest ever Test innings) and 85 from 70 balls at Edgbaston, and 259 at Lord's, as South Africa dominated the first two Tests of the series. In the third, Smith was on 35 when he played back to Andrew Flintoff
Andrew Flintoff
Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff MBE is a former English cricketer who played for Lancashire County Cricket Club, England and the Indian Premier League team Chennai Super Kings. A tall fast bowler, batsman and slip fielder, Flintoff according to the ICC rankings was consistently rated amongst the top...
and trod on his stumps. His form shattered, he did not reach 20 again in the series as England fought back for a morale-boosting 2-2 series draw, a result which marked the start of a resurgence which would ultimately lead to the 2005 Ashes victory.
A more recent example of a comic hit-wicket dismissal was during the Headingley Test match in the 2006 test series
Pakistani cricket team in England in 2006
The Pakistani cricket team toured England in the 2006 English cricket season, following England's winter tour of Pakistan where Pakistan had won a 3-Test series 2–0 and the ODI series 4–1...
between England and Pakistan
Pakistani cricket team
The Pakistan cricket team is the national cricket team of Pakistan. Pakistan, represented by the Pakistan Cricket Board , is a full member of the International Cricket Council, and thus participates in , and cricket matches....
, when Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq
Inzamam-ul-Haq
Inzamam-ul-Haq , also known as Inzamam, nicknamed Inzy, is a former Pakistan international cricketer who was national captain between 2003 and 2007. He is a right-handed batsman who has been regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of his era...
missed a sweep against Monty Panesar
Monty Panesar
Mudhsuden Singh Panesar, known as Monty Panesar , is an English cricketer who currently plays for Sussex. A left-arm spinner, Panesar played Test and one-day cricket for England until 2009. In English county cricket he played for Northamptonshire until 2009...
, was hit in the midriff by the ball, lost his balance and collapsed on to his stumps (and nearly into wicket-keeper Chris Read
Chris Read
Christopher Mark Wells Read is an English cricketer, a wicket-keeper who is the captain of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club...
).
Law 36: Leg before wicketLeg before wicketIn the sport of cricket, leg before wicket is one of the ways in which a batsman can be dismissed. An umpire will rule a batsman out LBW under a series of circumstances which primarily include the ball striking the batsman's body when it would otherwise have continued on to hit the batsman's...
(LBW)
If the ball strikes any part of the batsman's person (not necessarily the leg), and, in the umpireUmpire (cricket)
In cricket, an umpire is a person who has the authority to make judgements on the cricket field, according to the Laws of Cricket...
's judgement, the ball would have hit the batsman's stumps but for this interception, then the batsman is out. The point of impact must be within line with the batsman's stumps and the bowler's stumps if the batsman is playing a stroke. The batsman can be given out if the ball strikes him outside the off stump, if the ball would have hit the stumps and if the batsman is playing no stroke. The ball must not pitch outside the line of leg stump. Also, the ball cannot have made contact with the bat or glove that is touching the bat before hitting the batsman. If the ball hits the batsman either on the full or immediately after bouncing, the umpire assumes that the ball is travelling straight on, ignoring any spin, swing or other hard to predict movement that may have changed the direction of the ball if it had not hit the batsman.
Law 37: Obstructing the fieldObstructing the fieldObstructing the field is a rare method of dismissal in the sport of cricket.-Definition:Law 37 of the Laws of cricket provides that:"Either batsman is out Obstructing the field if he wilfully obstructs or distracts the opposing side by word or action...
If the batsman, by action or by words, obstructs a fielder, then he is out. However, a batsman is allowed to obstruct the view of a fielder by standing in front of him. He may also stand in between the fielder and the stumps. The rule intends to prevent batsman from interfering with a fielder by, for instance, pushing him. Also, a player may be given out if they deliberately hit a ball being thrown back to the keeper whilst being out of their crease, as happened to Inzamam-ul-HaqInzamam-ul-Haq
Inzamam-ul-Haq , also known as Inzamam, nicknamed Inzy, is a former Pakistan international cricketer who was national captain between 2003 and 2007. He is a right-handed batsman who has been regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of his era...
(see below).
Only one individual has ever been out obstructing the field in a Test match: England's Len Hutton
Len Hutton
Sir Leonard "Len" Hutton was an English Test cricketer, who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England in the years around the Second World War as an opening batsman. He was described by Wisden Cricketer's Almanack as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket...
, playing against South Africa at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
in London in 1951, knocked a ball away from his stumps, but in doing so prevented the South African wicket-keeper Russell Endean
Russell Endean
William Russell Endean was a South African cricketer who played in twenty eight Tests from 1951 to 1958....
from completing a catch. By coincidence, Endean was one of the few people to be given out handled the ball in a Test match (see above).
In One Day International cricket, three batsmen have been given out obstructing the field:
- Rameez RajaRameez RajaRameez Hasan Raja is a former Pakistani right handed batsman in cricket, who represented the Pakistan cricket team during the 1980s and 1990s. He also worked as captain of the national team...
- for Pakistan v Australia in November 1987 (seeking a second run to complete his century off the final ball of the match and found short of the crease, Rameez blocked a fielder's return with his bat, being given out for 99) - Mohinder AmarnathMohinder AmarnathMohinder Amarnath Bhardwaj is a former Indian cricketer and current cricket analyst. He is commonly known as "Jimmy". He is the son of Lala Amarnath, the first post-independence captain of India. His brother Surinder Amarnath was a Test player...
- for India v Sri Lanka in October 1989 (Amarnath pushed a ball away from his stumps) - Inzamam-ul-HaqInzamam-ul-HaqInzamam-ul-Haq , also known as Inzamam, nicknamed Inzy, is a former Pakistan international cricketer who was national captain between 2003 and 2007. He is a right-handed batsman who has been regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of his era...
- for Pakistan v India in February 2006 (Inzamam blocked a fielder's return throw with his bat while short of the crease).
Law 38: Run outRun outRun out is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. It is governed by Law 38 of the Laws of cricket.-The rules:A batsman is out Run out if at any time while the ball is in play no part of his bat or person is grounded behind the popping crease and his wicket is fairly put down by the opposing...
If a fielder uses the ball to remove the bails from either set of stumps whilst the batsmen are running between the wicketWicket
In the sport of cricket the word wicket has several distinct meanings:-Definitions of wicket:Most of the time, the wicket is one of the two sets of three stumps and two bails at either end of the pitch...
s (or otherwise away from the crease during the course of play), then the batsman (striker or non-striker) is out. The batsman nearest the set of stumps from which the bails were removed, but not actually in safe territory, is given out. If the batsman has any part of his body or his bat (if he's holding it) on the ground behind the line of the crease, then he cannot be run out (except if both batsmen are on the same side of a crease); frequently it is a close call whether or not a batsman gained his ground in this way before the bails were removed. (The difference between stumped and run out is that the wicketkeeper may stump a batsman who goes too far forward to play the ball (assuming he isn't attempting a run), whilst any fielder, including the keeper, may run out a batsman who goes too far for any other purpose, including for taking a run.) If the bails have already been removed, a fielder can remove a remaining stump by pulling it out with the ball in their hands. A fielder can also "remake" the stumps and remove a stump/bail to effect a runout.
If a batsman has a runner due to injury/illness there is the danger of being runout due to confusion between the three (or four in very rare circumstances) batsmen/runners on the field. All of whom must be safe in their crease when the wicket is broken and also at the correct end of the wicket. For example, a batsman who is batting with a runner should always be behind the crease at the striker's end whilst the ball is live. If he forgets that he has a runner a quick minded fielder is able to break the stumps at the stiker's end to run him out - even if he finds himself safely behind the crease at the bowler's end.
A special form of run-out is when the batsman at the non-striker's end attempts to gain an advantage by leaving the crease before the next ball has been bowled (a common practice known as "backing up", but against the laws of cricket if the non-striker leaves his crease before the bowler has released the ball). The bowler may then dislodge the bails at his/her end without completing the run-up
Run-up (cricket)
The term "run-up" is a cricketing term which refers to the approach a bowler makes when preparing to deliver the ball. The ball must be delivered from behind a bowling crease, but preparation to bowl the ball can be done any way the bowler wishes...
and dismiss the batsman. This form of run-out is called the Mankad (the dismissed batsman is said to have been "Mankaded"), in reference to Vinoo Mankad, the first bowler to dismiss a batsman in this manner in a Test match, running out Bill Brown
Bill Brown (cricketer)
William Alfred "Bill" Brown, OAM was an Australian cricketer who played 22 Tests between 1934 and 1948, captaining his country in one Test. A right-handed opening batsman, his partnership with Jack Fingleton in the 1930s is regarded as one of the finest in Australian Test history...
in 1947. With the changes in the Laws of Cricket relatively recently a bowler cannot Mankad a batsman once he enters his delivery stride. It is considered etiquette to warn a batsman that he is leaving his crease early, before attempting a Mankad run out on a subsequent ball.After relatively recent changes to the Laws of Cricket, it is much harder to effect a run-out using the "mankad" technique.
A run out cannot occur if no fielder has touched the ball. As such, if a straight drive breaks the non-striker's stumps whilst he is backing up, he is not out; however, if a fielder (usually the bowler, in this case) touches the ball at all before it breaks the stumps, then it is a run out, even if the fielder never has any control of the ball.
Law 39: Stumped
If the striker steps in front of the creaseCrease (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, the crease is a certain area demarcated by white lines painted or chalked on the field of play.The term crease also refers to any of the lines themselves, particularly the popping crease. Law 9 of the Laws of Cricket governs the size and position of the crease markings...
to play the ball, leaving no part of his anatomy or the bat on the ground behind the crease, and the wicket-keeper
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
is able to remove the bails from the wicket with the ball, then the striker is out. A stumping is most likely to be effected off slow bowling, or (less frequently) medium-paced bowling when the wicketkeeper is standing directly behind the stumps. As wicket-keepers stand several yards back from the stumps to fast bowlers, stumpings are hardly ever effected off fast bowlers. But a keeper may throw down the stumps and the batsman is still out stumped if he is out of his ground, but not attempting a run. Similarly, the ball can bounce off a keeper (but not external non-usual wicketkeeping protective equipment, like a helmet) and break the stumps and still be considered a stumping.