Cricket
A bat-and-ball team sport where two teams take turns batting and fielding, scoring runs by running between wickets or hitting boundaries.
What is Cricket?
Cricket is played between two teams of eleven on a large oval field with a rectangular 22-yard pitch at its centre. One team bats — trying to score runs — while the other bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batters. Innings can last from a few overs (a limited-overs match) to five days (Test cricket). Its blend of individual skill, team tactics and long strategic arcs has made it the second-most-followed sport in the world after football, and the flagship sport of the Indian subcontinent, the UK, Australia, South Africa, the West Indies and New Zealand.
Quick facts
Category
Ball Sports
Type
Team sport
Players
11 per team
Duration
~200 min
Where played
outdoor
Field / court
cricket ground
Country of origin
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Estimated origin
c. 16th century
Olympic
Yes
Popularity
global
How it works
Objective
Score more runs than the opposition before losing your wickets — or by bowling them out for fewer runs in the overs available.
Match structure
The team winning the toss chooses to bat or bowl. Batters bat in pairs; the bowler delivers 6 legal balls to form an over, then a new bowler bowls from the other end. When ten wickets fall, the innings ends. In limited-overs formats an over limit ends the innings sooner.
See how it works
How LBW works
See how the ball's pitch, impact and projected path decide an LBW appeal.
LBW: the ball pitches in line, strikes the batter in line, and — if projected — would have hit the stumps. Verdict: OUT.
Rules
Basic rules
The over
A bowler delivers six legal balls from one end. Another bowler then bowls from the opposite end. Bowlers cannot bowl two overs in a row.
Scoring runs
Batters can score by running between the wickets after hitting the ball, or by hitting boundaries — four runs along the ground, six over the rope on the full.
Dismissals
The 10 most common ways to be out are: bowled, caught, LBW, run out, stumped, hit wicket, obstructing the field, handled the ball, timed out and hit the ball twice.
Innings end
An innings ends when 10 batters are out, the over limit is reached, the batting side declares (Tests only), or a target is chased down.
Advanced rules
LBW (Leg Before Wicket)
If the ball would have hit the stumps but was intercepted by the batter's pad (not the bat), the batter is out — subject to conditions on where the ball pitched and made contact.
No-ball & free hit
A no-ball (over-stepping, height, throwing) awards one run and — in limited-overs cricket — the next delivery is a free hit on which the batter can only be run-out.
Powerplay
In ODIs the first 10 overs restrict fielders outside the 30-yard circle; T20 uses a 6-over powerplay. This encourages aggressive early scoring.
DRS
The Decision Review System lets each side challenge a limited number of on-field decisions using ball-tracking (Hawk-Eye), UltraEdge and Snickometer.
Scoring
Runs are scored by running between the wickets or by boundaries. Wickets fall when a batter is dismissed. The team with more runs at the end wins.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Running between wickets | 1 run per completed run |
| Boundary (ground) | 4 runs |
| Boundary (over the rope) | 6 runs |
| Wide / no-ball | 1 run + delivery re-bowled |
| Bye / leg-bye | Runs completed while the ball passes the batter without being hit |
Win condition · In limited-overs cricket, the side chasing wins the moment they exceed the target; the side defending wins if the target is not reached in the overs available. Tests can be drawn if neither side takes 20 wickets in time.
Playing area
Called
cricket ground
Dimensions
Oval field, roughly 137–150 m across; 22-yard (20.12 m) pitch at the centre.
A large grassy oval with a hard rectangular pitch in the middle. Boundaries are marked by a rope; fielding positions are arranged in an arc around the batter.
The cricket pitch
22 yards (20.12 m) end to end. All the action between bowler and batter happens on this strip.
Equipment
Cricket ball
Hard leather ball weighing 155.9–163 g.
Cricket bat
Flat willow blade with a cane handle; max 96.5 cm long, 10.8 cm wide.
Wickets
Three wooden stumps with two bails on top, one set at each end of the pitch.
Pads, gloves, helmet
Batters and wicket-keeper wear protective gear.
Positions & roles
Batter
×2Scores runs by hitting the ball delivered by the bowler.
Bowler
×1Delivers the ball to try to take wickets and restrict runs.
Wicket-keeper
×1Fielder behind the stumps; catches, stumps and takes byes.
Slip cordon
×2Fielders next to the keeper, positioned for edges.
Fielders (various)
×9Positioned around the field to save runs and take catches.
Cricket fielding positions
Names of every position around a right-handed batter. Off side is above the pitch, leg side below.
Officiating
Two on-field umpires make live decisions; a third umpire reviews close calls via replay, ball-tracking and edge detection. The match referee oversees conduct and playing conditions.
- Two on-field umpires
- Third umpire (video review)
- Match referee
- TV / broadcast umpire
Penalties & fouls
Penalties
Wide ball
A delivery outside the batter's reach — 1 penalty run to the batting side and the ball is re-bowled.
No-ball
Illegal delivery (front-foot over the line, over-height, throwing) — 1 penalty run, next ball is a free hit in white-ball cricket.
Slow over rate
Fielding side is penalised runs and fined; captain may be suspended for repeat offences.
Fouls
Obstructing the field
A batter is out if they wilfully obstruct or distract the fielding side.
Ball tampering
Altering the condition of the ball unfairly is a Level 3 offence — five penalty runs, ball changed, sanction against the player.
Strategies
Field settings
Captains set attacking (close catchers) or defensive (deep boundary riders) fields depending on match situation.
Bowling changes
Rotating pace and spin bowlers to keep batters guessing and to attack specific weaknesses.
Pace of the innings
In limited-overs cricket, batters build a base then accelerate; setting a par score often outweighs individual milestones.
Terminology
- Over
- Six legal balls bowled from one end.
- Wicket
- The three-stump target — also the dismissal of a batter.
- Maiden over
- An over in which no runs are scored off the bat.
- Duck
- A batter being dismissed for zero.
- Century
- An individual score of 100 runs.
- Yorker
- A ball pitched right at the batter's toes.
- Bouncer
- A short-pitched ball that rises to the batter's shoulders or above.
- Googly
- A wrist-spinner's disguised delivery that turns the opposite way to a leg-break.
- Silly point
- A close-in fielding position on the off side just in front of the batter.
- Powerplay
- Overs during which fielding restrictions apply.
Major competitions
ICC Cricket World Cup
quadrennial · worldwide · since 1975
ICC T20 World Cup
biennial · worldwide · since 2007
ICC World Test Championship
biennial · worldwide · since 2019
Indian Premier League (IPL)
annual · India · since 2008
The Ashes
biennial · England vs Australia · since 1882
Where it is played
Governing bodies
International Cricket CouncilICC
Founded 1909 · Dubai, UAE
Official site ↗Board of Control for Cricket in IndiaBCCI
Founded 1928 · Mumbai, India
England and Wales Cricket BoardECB
Founded 1997 · London, UK
Cricket AustraliaCA
Founded 1905 · Melbourne, Australia
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Sachin Tendulkar
- Sir Don Bradman
- Sir Vivian Richards
- Virat Kohli
- Shane Warne
- Sir Garfield Sobers
- Wasim Akram
Records
Most international runs
Sachin Tendulkar — 34,357 runs (2013)
Highest Test score by a batter
Brian Lara — 400* (2004)
Highest ODI innings
Rohit Sharma — 264 runs (2014)
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1What is cricket?
A two-team bat-and-ball sport played on a large oval. One team bats, the other bowls; roles swap after an innings.
- 2The pitch and the field
A 22-yard hard strip in the centre of a grass oval — bowler at one end, batter at the other.
- 3How runs are scored
Batters run between the wickets after hitting the ball; boundaries score 4 or 6 without needing to run.
- 4How you get out
Bowled, caught, LBW, run out, stumped are the five most common dismissals.
- 5Match formats
T20 (3 hours), ODI (a full day), Test (up to 5 days). Rules are the same; the length differs.
- 6See the pitch & fielding map
The 22-yard strip and every fielding position, drawn to scale.
advanced
- 1The LBW law
Complex intersection of where the ball pitched, where it hit the batter, and whether it would have hit the stumps.
- 2Powerplays and fielding restrictions
How captains attack or defend in specific overs of a limited-overs innings.
- 3Spin vs pace
Different tactical roles — spinners strangle, pacers strike.
Frequently asked
How long does a cricket match last?+
T20 matches finish in about 3 hours, ODIs take a full day, and Test matches can go on for up to 5 days.
What is LBW?+
Leg Before Wicket — the batter is out if the ball would have hit the stumps but was stopped by their pad (subject to strict interception rules).
Is cricket in the Olympics?+
Yes, cricket returns to the Olympics at LA 2028 in the T20 format after a 128-year absence.
How is cricket different from baseball?+
Cricket is played on a round field, uses a flat bat, has two batters simultaneously and can last five days; baseball uses a diamond field, a round bat and finishes in 3–4 hours.
Sources & provenance
- Laws of Cricket (MCC, 2017 Code, 3rd Edition 2022)— Marylebone Cricket Club
- ICC Playing Conditions— International Cricket Council
- Britannica — Cricket— Encyclopaedia Britannica