Dismissals in cricket explained: Here are all 10 ways a batter can be given out

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:​

• Cricket recognises 10 official ways for a batter to be dismissed under MCC laws.
• Bowled, caught, LBW, run out and stumped are the five common methods.
• Rare dismissals include timing out, obstructing the field and hitting the ball twice.

Dismissals in cricket explained​

In the long history of the gentleman's game, cricket has come up with multiple rules that have been made, changed, revised and sometimes altogether abandoned. Of all of them, the contest between the bat and ball and when a bowler can claim that he has gotten the opposing batter out has been perhaps the oldest and most complex of rules.

The Laws of the game, maintained by the Marylebone Cricket Club, have laid out exactly how a batter can lose or be dismissed. While most fans could reel off four or five methods without much thought, the full list runs to 10.

Some of these are seen in almost every innings, while others are so rare that a single occurrence can make headlines around the world. Angelo Mathews being timed out at the 2023 ODI World Cup is a recent example of one of the game's more obscure laws coming into play on the biggest stage.

Understanding all 10 offers a fuller picture of how the sport works and why certain dismissals spark debate about the spirit of the game as much as the letter of the law. Here is each of them explained.

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All ten ways by which a batter can be dismissed in cricket​

These are all the methods by which a batter can be dismissed, and fans can often witness multiple dismissals of a single kind within a single innings. Some of these dismissals are so straightforward that sometimes the umpire isn't even referred to.

Bowled​

This is perhaps the most straightforward. A batter is out if a legal delivery hits the stumps and dislodges at least one bail, whether it strikes the stumps directly or comes off the bat or body first.

Fans often see stumps flying out or bails falling during broadcasts or from the stands, and it generally doesn't warrant a challenge from the dismissed player.

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Caught​

This is the most frequent dismissal in the game, accounting for well over half of all wickets. It occurs when a fielder cleanly catches the ball off the bat or glove before it touches the ground, keeping the catch within the boundary under full control.

When there is doubt over whether the ball came off the bat or glove, broadcasters turn to detection technology. UltraEdge, often called Snicko, syncs the stump-microphone audio with the video to show a spike as the ball passes the bat, while Hot Spot uses infrared cameras to reveal a white mark where the ball grazed the edge or glove.

Diving catches are also reviewed frame by frame to confirm the ball was fully controlled and did not brush the ground, with reversals not uncommon once the replay shows a grounded ball. The umpire is separately consulted to check whether the fielder's foot touched the boundary, in which case it is given as a six.

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Leg before wicket (LBW)​

This is among the most technical dismissals. A batter is out if the ball strikes their body, usually the pad, and would have gone on to hit the stumps, provided it did not pitch outside leg stump and did not first make contact with the bat.

LBW relies heavily on the umpire's judgement and is the dismissal most often sent to the decision review system. The review uses Hawk-Eye ball-tracking, which shows the projected path of the delivery, where it pitched, where it struck the pad, and finally the "wickets zone" visual where the ball's line meets the stumps.

If the projection shows the ball clipping the stumps and lighting up the bails, the batter is out, while marginal cases fall under "umpire's call". UltraEdge is also used first to confirm the ball did not hit the bat before the pad, which would make an LBW impossible.

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Run out​

This happens when a fielder breaks the stumps while a batter is out of their ground attempting a run. Either batter can be dismissed this way, and a run-out can occur even off a no-ball.

Close calls are almost always sent upstairs to the third umpire, who uses side-on cameras to judge whether the bat or body was grounded behind the crease at the exact moment the bails were dislodged. The line, not the batter's momentum, is what counts, and a bat bouncing in the air over the line can be given out.

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Stumped​

This sees the wicketkeeper break the stumps while the batter is out of their crease and not attempting a run, having missed the ball. It is the only dismissal credited to the bowler that can occur off an illegitimate delivery such as a wide.

Stumpings are almost always referred to the third umpire, who checks the exact frame the bails were disturbed against the position of the batter's back foot. It is a common mode against spinners, where batters advance down the pitch and fail to get back in time.

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Hit wicket​

This occurs when a batter dislodges their own stumps with their body, bat or equipment while playing a shot or setting off for a run. A batter is not out this way if it happens while avoiding a run-out.

It is often an unfortunate, almost comical dismissal, with batters losing balance, a bat slipping, or a helmet or cap falling onto the stumps. Kevin Pietersen was once given out when a bouncer knocked his helmet onto the stumps, underlining how little the batter needs to do to be dismissed this way.

Obstructing the field​

This applies when a batter deliberately uses words or actions to prevent the fielding side from making a play. The 2017 code merged the old "handled the ball" dismissal into this law, so deliberately using a hand to stop the ball now falls under it.

It requires an appeal from the fielding side, and the umpire must be satisfied the act was deliberate, which makes it contentious. Instances usually involve a batter changing course to block a throw at the stumps or knocking the ball away with a hand.

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Hit the ball twice​

This is one of the rarest dismissals, given when a batter deliberately strikes the ball a second time with the bat or body, other than to protect their wicket. It has never occurred in international cricket.

The law exists mainly to prevent unfair play, as a batter is permitted a second hit only to stop the ball rolling onto the stumps. Any second stroke intended to score runs or otherwise gain an advantage would bring the dismissal into effect.

Timed out​

This applies when a new batter is not ready to face, or for the other batter to face, within three minutes of the previous dismissal. Mathews became the first player timed out in international cricket in 2023, receiving a diamond duck without facing a ball.

The dismissal sparked huge debate about the spirit of the game, as Mathews had reached the crease but was delayed by a faulty helmet strap. It served as a reminder that even the most obscure laws can be invoked and that the incoming batter carries a responsibility to be ready on time.

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Retired out​

This is when a batter leaves the field without the umpire's permission and without a genuine injury and does not return with the opposing captain's consent. Unlike retiring hurt, this counts as a dismissal.

It has occasionally been used as a tactic, with teams sending a batter back to bring in someone better suited to the situation. In such cases the retirement is voluntary and strategic rather than injury-related, which is what distinguishes being retired from being retired hurt.


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