Cricket – How to Score and Ways of Getting Out
Different Ways that Runs can be Scored and Batsmen can Get Out
Sep 7, 2009
Whether its Test Match cricket, One-day 50-over cricket or Twenty20 cricket the way runs are scored and ways the batsmen can get out are the same.
At any point during the game, the wicket-keeper will stand behind the wicket of the batsman facing the bowler and the other nine fielders will be at different parts of the field. They are strategically placed by the captain to prevent the batsman making runs.
How the Runs are Scored
There are three different ways that runs can be scored.
- By hitting the ball and actually running between the wickets.
- Hitting the ball so that it reaches the boundary before a fielder can get to it.
- Hitting the ball so that it goes over the boundary without bouncing within the ground.
The Runs (Value) Allocated to the Various Ways of Scoring
Actual running between the wickets- The two batsmen stand at the opposite ends of the pitch. One batsman will face the bowler and when the ball is bowled, he will hit the ball and the batsmen cross. This has to be done before a fielder can throw the ball back to the wicket-keeper. Depending on how far the batsman hits the ball and how long it takes a fielder to return the ball to the wicket-keeper, the opportunity is there to score one, two or three runs.
- If the batsman only gets to the other side, he will get one run.
- If he returns to the side he started from, he will get two runs.
- If the batsman then makes another return run, he will get three runs.
Hitting the ball so that it reaches the boundary before a fielder can get to it, gives the batsman four runs. In this instance the batsman does not have to run between the wickets.
When the batsman hits a ball that goes over the boundary without touching the field of play, it gives the batsman six runs. Again, the batsman does not have to run between the wickets and this is the maximum runs that a batsman can score from one ball.
Therefore, the maximum number of runs that a batsman can score from one over is 36.
Ways Batsmen Can Get Out
There are many ways a batsman can get out but the most common ways are bowled, leg before wicket (LBW), stumped, caught and run out.
- Bowled- This is what the bowlers aspire to. They try to bowl the ball so that it avoids the probing bat of the batsman and hits the wicket dislodging the bails.
- LBW- If the ball hits the batsman's leg below the knee, the umpire can adjudicate that, had the batsman not been standing in front of the wicket, the ball would have hit the wicket. Therefore, the batsman is given out.
- Stumped- The batsman is expected to stand behind a designated line, called the batting crease, when batting. When the ball is bowled and the batsman misses it and the ball is collected by the wicket-keeper, he can take off the bails. If the batsman is outside the batting crease when the bails are taken off, he is given out 'stumped'.
- Caught- If the ball is hit in the air and a fielder catches it before it touches the ground, the batsman is given out 'caught'. But if the ball is caught by the wicket-keeper it is termed 'caught behind'.
- Run out- Bowled, LBW, Stumped and Caught are all ways in which only the batsman hitting the ball can get out. However, both batsmen can be run out. When one batsman hits the ball and both batsmen start running to the opposite side, the fielder who collects the ball can throw it to either wicket and if the batsman running towards that wicket is not within the designated line at the time the bails are dislodged, then he is deemed to be 'run out'. Whether he is the batsman who hit the ball or not is of no consequence.
One of the other unlucky ways a batsman can get out is called 'hit wicket'. This is when the batsman himself accidentally dislodges the bails. It can happen if he steps back on to the wicket, or hits the wicket with the bat when playing a shot.
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