Eye on cricket: Ways of dismissal

Dr. Clifford Molefe

In this edition, our readers will learn about ways of dismissal.

There are 10 ways of dismissal, although some of them happen very rarely.

Bowled: A batsman is out bowled if his wickets are bowled ‘down’ or ‘broken’. For that to happen, the ball must touch a stump directly after being delivered from the bowler or be played onto the wicket by the batsman after coming off either his bat or any part of his body.

However, for the wicket to be down (or broken), one or both of the balls must be removed. The ball can hit the wicket and the bails remain in place; in such a case, the batsman is not out.

Caught: A batsman is caught if a fielder catches the ball before it touches the ground after the ball has touched the bat or batsman’s hand, or glove, below the wrist that is holding the bat.

Timed out: An incoming batsman must step onto the field of play within two minutes of the last batsman being dismissed. If he does not, and the umpire believes the action was wilful, the incoming batsman will be dismissed.

Handled the ball: A batsman can be given out ‘handled the ball’ if he wilfully handles the ball while in play, with his hand not holding the bat, unless the opposite side consents to his touching it.

Hit the ball twice: If a batsman, after being stuck or stopped by any part of him, wilfully strikes the ball again, other than in trying to defend his wicket, he shall be given out ‘hit the ball twice.

Hit wicket: A batsman is out if he hits the wicket. If he breaks his wicket with a bat or any part of his body or equipment while in the course of preparing for a shot, making a shot, or setting off on his first run,.

Stumped: If the batsman is out of his ground and the wicket is put down by a wicketkeeper in the course of a stroke being made, the batsman is out’stumped’. If the batsman is in the course of running and the wicketkeeper ‘breaks’ the wicket, then he is not stumped but runs out.

Leg before wicket: Simply put, leg before wicket is the act of preventing the ball from hitting the wicket with any part of the body, not just the leg.

Obstructing the field: If a batsman wilfully obstructs an opposing fielder by either word or action, he will be given out.

Run out: When running between wickets, the batsman, as we have seen, must ground their bat beyond the popping crease. They are said to have made good on their ground. If, however, a member of the fielding side puts down a wicket before ground is made, the batsman is run out.