Ways to Get Out in Cricket: The Ten Dismissals Explained

In cricket, a batter's innings ends when they are dismissed, or "out". The laws list ten ways this can happen, and most matches are decided by just a handful of them. If you have ever heard commentators mention an unfamiliar dismissal and wondered what it was, this guide explains all ten, starting with the most common. Follow dismissals live on our cricket live scores page.

1. Bowled

The bowler delivers the ball and it hits the stumps, dislodging at least one bail. It does not matter whether the ball touched the bat or the batter's body first. In the scorecard it appears as "b Bowler".

2. Caught

A fielder catches the ball cleanly after it has touched the bat (or the glove holding the bat) and before it bounces. The catch can be taken by a fielder or the wicketkeeper. Scorecards show it as "c Fielder b Bowler". If a fielder touches the boundary rope while holding the ball, it is a six, not a catch.

3. Leg Before Wicket (LBW)

If the ball hits the batter's body, usually the pad, and would have gone on to hit the stumps, the batter can be given out. There are conditions about where the ball pitched and where it hit the batter, which we explain in our LBW guide.

4. Run out

A batter running between the wickets is out if a fielder breaks the stumps with the ball while the batter is short of the crease. Either batter can be run out, whether they were the one who hit the ball or not. This also includes the bowler removing the bails at the non-striker's end when the non-striker has left the crease before the ball is delivered, which was formerly known as a "Mankad" and is now officially a run out.

5. Stumped

When a batter steps out of the crease to play a shot, misses it, and the wicketkeeper removes the bails with the ball while the batter is out of the crease, they are stumped. Only the wicketkeeper can stump a batter. If the batter was attempting a run when the bails came off, it is recorded as a run out instead.

6. Hit wicket

The batter breaks their own wicket with their bat, body or clothing while playing a shot or setting off for a run. It is relatively rare, though it is sometimes seen when a batter steps back onto their stumps.

7. Hit the ball twice

A batter is out if they deliberately hit the ball a second time, except to protect their wicket or if they are playing it away from fielders without trying to score. Accidental double-hits are not dismissals.

8. Obstructing the field

If a batter deliberately gets in the way of a fielder who is trying to field or catch the ball, they can be given out. An example is running into a fielder's path or blocking a throw on purpose.

9. Handled the ball

Handling the ball used to be a separate dismissal. In the current Laws it is treated as a form of obstructing the field, so it no longer has its own entry in the scorecard. The principle is unchanged: a batter who deliberately uses a hand that is not holding the bat to touch the ball, without the fielding side's consent, can be given out.

10. Timed out

An incoming batter must be ready to receive a ball within a set time of the previous wicket falling. The limit is two minutes in the Laws, and some competitions set a shorter one for limited-overs matches. If the batter is not ready in time, the fielding side can appeal and the new batter can be given out without facing a ball. It is rare, but has been seen at the top level.

Retired out and other terms

You may also see retired hurt, where a batter leaves the field injured and can return later; and retired out, where a batter leaves the field without the opposition's agreement and cannot return. Neither is a standard dismissal in the first sense, but they are listed on scorecards.

Which dismissals are most common?

Caught, bowled and LBW account for the majority of dismissals in most matches, followed by run outs. Stumpings are more common in spin-friendly conditions and in T20 cricket, where batters are encouraged to attack.

Now that you know the full list, the next time you open a scorecard you can read exactly how every wicket fell.