The Complete Guide to Cricket Rules

People all over the world cherish cricket, which is known for its exciting history and detailed set of rules. Both newcomers and regular cricket fans need to know its laws to truly enjoy the sport. You will find a clear explanation of cricket rules, starting from easy to more complex situations.

Cricket Introduction

Two teams of eleven players face off in cricket by using a bat and a ball, both teams trying to score points by hitting the ball while standing at the pitch—a patch of ground 22 yards long. The main parts of cricket are:

• Batting
• Bowling
• Fielding

A Cricket Ground

Usually, the field is an oval and a rectangular pitch 22 yards long takes up the center. The most important happenings in a match happen when it’s time for batting and bowling.

Important field areas include:

• Four creases on the pitch: two popping creases, a bowling crease and two return creases
• Each goal of the pitch has three wooden stumps and two bails balanced as the wickets
• Wickets are what bowlers aim for and what protect batsmen

Basic Laws

Teams

• Every team consists of 11 people
• A player who substitutes for the field can take a fielder’s place, but not bat, bowl or act as a wicket-keeper

An Innings

• An innings lasts while one team bats and the opposing team tries to bowl and field in order to dismiss them
• Test cricket: Two chances to bat per team
• ODI and T20: One innings per team
• A run is earned when you bat the ball and run between the wickets or hit a boundary:
  • Four runs if the ball bounces before the boundary line
  • Six runs if it doesn’t bounce

Dismissals

Batsmen have the chance to get dismissed in different ways:

• Bowled: Ball hits the stumps and dislodges the bails
• Caught: Fielder catches the ball after it hits bat or gloves
• LBW (Leg Before Wicket): Ball hits above the knee and would have struck the stumps
• Run Out: Ball hits the wicket when batsman is outside the crease
• Stumped: Wicketkeeper removes bails when batsman is outside the crease
• Hit Wicket: Batsman hits the stumps with bat or body
• Blocking: Batter sends the ball back using bat/body without asking
• Handled the Ball: Batsman touches the ball with hand not on the bat
• Runs Unexpected: More than three minutes pass between dismissals

Umpires

Umpires make important decisions during the game:

• Two on-field umpires at either end of the pitch
• Third umpire in the television booth
• Fourth umpire supports the third

Umpire’s Signals

• Don’t use it: Putting up just a finger
• No Ball: Arm out horizontally
• Wide Ball: Arms straight from shoulders
• Four Runs: Arm moves back and forth
• Six Runs: Hands crossed above head
• Bye: Open hand above head
• Leg Bye: Hand taps raised knee

Instructions for Bowling

• Bowler throws overarm from one end of the pitch
• Must stay within crease or it’s a No Ball, granting:
  • An extra run
  • Free hit in limited-overs games

Types of Bowling

• Fast Bowling: Uses speed and bounce
  • Swing or seam deliveries
• Spin Bowling: Tricks to deceive batter
  • Includes off-spin and leg-spin

Over

• An over equals six legal deliveries
• A bowler cannot bowl two overs in a row
• Limited-overs matches have fixed over limits

Batting Rules

• Batsman stands in front of two stumps
• Can:
  • Take shots to run
  • Block the ball to protect wickets

Base Pathways

• Two batsmen must coordinate running
• Both must reach the opposite crease to avoid being run out

Protective Gear

Batsmen wear safety equipment:

• Helmets
• Pads
• Gloves
• Guards

Fielding Rules

• Fielders prevent runs and attempt dismissals
• Key positions:
  • Slip
  • Gully
  • Point
  • Cover
  • Mid-off
  • Mid-on
  • Square leg
  • Fine leg

Fielding Restrictions

• During Powerplays, fielders are restricted outside the 30-yard circle

Extras

Runs awarded to batters due to bowler errors:

• No Ball: Extra run and free hit (in limited-overs)
• Wide Ball: Outside batsman’s reach = 1 extra run
• Bye: Ball bypasses batsman and keeper, runs allowed
• Leg Bye: Ball hits batsman (not bat), runs allowed

Conclusion

Unless you know why the game is played the way it is, you can’t appreciate cricket to its fullest. All the details of cricket begin with the simple acts of batting, bowling and fielding and the more detailed rules make it interesting. Knowing the rules allows the cricket values to be shared.

I hope this blog post has been informative and helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below, for more following updates you can also follow us on Facebook, And Instagram or you can visit our website.