Cricket is a bat-and-ball sport that’s played with two teams. One side bats while the other bowls and fields. The aim is to score more runs than the opposition. The rules of cricket can seem complicated at first because they cover batting, bowling, dismissals, overs and different match formats. The Laws of Cricket are written by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), and the ICC adds playing conditions for international matches. This guide explains the fundamental cricket rules. They include scoring, wickets, overs, dismissals, extras, and the differences between Test, ODI and T20 cricket. It also shows how innings develop, how dismissals affect a match, and why the main formats follow different structural rules.
What Are the Basic Rules of Cricket?
Cricket is played between two teams of 11 players. One of them bats while the other bowls and fields. Two batters are on the field at a time: the striker, who faces the bowling, and the non-striker at the opposite end. The bowler delivers the ball from one end of the pitch towards the striker. Each team normally has a captain, and the captain makes tactical decisions such as setting the field, choosing bowlers and deciding the batting order. The toss often determines which side chooses to bat or bowl first before the game begins.
The batting team tries to score runs while protecting its wickets. The fielding team tries to dismiss batters and limit runs. Teams switch roles according to the match format and innings structure. The team with the higher score under the relevant competition rules wins.
A wicket refers to the set of three stumps and two bails at each end, and also to the dismissal of a batter. An innings is a period in which one team bats. An over consists of six valid deliveries from one bowler. Runs are the units of scoring. These elements form the foundation of how cricket works, and the rules of cricket build upon them throughout a match.
How Are Runs Scored in Cricket?
Runs are the currency of cricket, and teams accumulate them through several methods. Scoring involves a combination of running between the wickets, hitting boundaries, and collecting extras. The batting team aims to accumulate as many runs as possible while preserving wickets, as each dismissal reduces their resources. Different formats often encourage different scoring approaches, from patient accumulation to rapid acceleration.
Running Between the Wickets
Batters can score by running to opposite ends of the pitch. Each successful exchange of ends scores one run. They can complete multiple runs from one delivery where possible, depending on how far the ball travels and how quickly fielders return it.
Boundaries
A ball reaching the boundary after touching the ground normally scores four runs. A ball hit over the boundary without bouncing normally scores six runs. These are the main boundary values under cricket scoring rules: four and six in cricket are awarded automatically once the ball reaches or clears the rope.
Extras
According to the rules of cricket, extras are runs awarded to the batting side without the batter hitting the ball. They include wides, no-balls, byes, leg byes and penalty runs. Extras are covered in detail later in this guide.
Understanding how to score runs in cricket also means recognising that fours and sixes are not the only scoring methods. Singles, twos and threes through running remain essential, particularly in longer formats where steady accumulation matters.
What Is an Over in Cricket?
An over consists of six valid deliveries from one bowler. After the over, bowling normally continues from the opposite end. Cricket rules state that a bowler cannot normally bowl consecutive overs.
Wides and no-balls do not count as one of the six valid balls, so an over can contain more than six deliveries. ICC playing conditions confirm that only valid balls count towards the six-ball over. This means an over may extend until six legal deliveries have been completed.
Overs are important because limited-overs formats restrict how many each team can face. In T20 cricket, each innings is limited to up to 20 overs. In ODI cricket, the limit is up to 50 overs per innings. Test cricket is not restricted to a fixed number of overs per innings.
So how many balls in an over? Six valid deliveries, which is a useful starting point for understanding cricket over rules and match pacing.
How Can a Batter Be Out in Cricket?
There are several ways to get out in cricket, and the cricket dismissal rules below cover the most common. Umpires make the final decision on each one.
Bowled
The delivery hits the wicket and puts it down. This is one of the most straightforward dismissals.
Caught
A fielder catches the ball before it touches the ground after it has been hit with the bat. The batter is dismissed regardless of where the catch is taken, provided it is within the field of play.
LBW
Leg before wicket, commonly known as LBW, occurs when the ball hits the batter’s body and the umpire determines that, subject to the LBW conditions, the delivery would otherwise have hit the wicket. The LBW rule that applies in cricket includes conditions relating to where the ball pitched, where it struck the batter, and whether the batter attempted to play a shot. It is not simply a case of the ball hitting the leg in front of the stumps.
Run Out
A wicket is put down while a batter is outside their ground during play. This can occur at either end and does not require the ball to have been delivered to that particular batter.
Stumped
The wicketkeeper puts down the wicket while the striker is outside their ground and not attempting a run, subject to the dismissal conditions.
Other Dismissals
Less common methods include hit wicket, obstructing the field and hit the ball twice. These rarely occur but remain part of the rules of cricket.
What Are Wides, No-Balls and Other Extras?
Extras are runs awarded to the batting team beyond what the batters score from the bat. Cricket extras include several categories. They can influence match totals, extend overs and create additional pressure on bowlers under cricket rules. Extras also affect momentum and can shift the balance of a competitive game.
Wide
A wide ball in cricket is called when a delivery passes too far from the striker to be played with a normal stroke. The batting side receives one penalty run, plus any additional runs scored. A wide does not count as one of the six valid balls in the over.
No-Ball
A no-ball in cricket can result from an illegal delivery, including certain bowling-crease infringements. The batting team receives at least one extra run. The delivery does not count towards the six valid balls in the over. In limited-overs international cricket, the following delivery is generally a free hit under ICC playing conditions. During a free hit, the batter can only be dismissed in certain ways, most commonly run out.
Byes and Leg Byes
Byes can be scored when the ball passes the striker without touching the bat or body. Leg byes can be scored in certain circumstances after the ball hits the batter’s body. Both are forms of extras that add to the batting team’s total.
Penalty Runs
Penalty runs are awarded in units of five for specific breaches of the Laws. For example, the batting side receives five runs if the ball strikes a fielding side’s helmet placed on the ground behind the wicketkeeper.
How Do Innings and Wickets Work?
An innings is the period in which a team bats. A batting side normally has 10 wickets available because once 10 of the 11 players are dismissed, only one batter remains and the innings generally ends.
Each wicket lost reduces the batting team’s resources and brings a new batter to the crease. The number of wickets remaining often influences how aggressively a team bats, especially when chasing a target. In Test cricket, each team has up to two innings, so a team can lose up to 20 wickets across the match.
An innings can end when the allocated overs are completed, when 10 wickets have fallen, when a target is reached, when the batting captain declares in formats where declarations are allowed, or when playing conditions produce another permitted conclusion.
Test matches can involve two innings per team. ODI and T20 matches normally involve one innings per team. Understanding innings in cricket and how many wickets in cricket are available helps clarify cricket innings rules and match progression.
What Are the Main Cricket Formats?
Cricket formats differ mainly in their duration, innings structure and over limits.
Test Cricket
Played over as many as five days. Each team can normally bat twice. There is no fixed over limit for an innings. A Test can end in a win, loss, draw or tie.
One Day International (ODI)
One innings per team. Maximum 50 overs per side. The team scoring more runs wins, subject to competition rules for tied matches. The ICC Cricket World Cup is played in this format.
Twenty20 (T20)
One innings per side. Maximum 20 overs. Designed to be completed in a much shorter period than Tests or ODIs. The ICC T20 World Cup is played in this format.
| Format | Innings per team | Maximum overs |
| Test | Up to 2 | No fixed overs limit |
| ODI | 1 | 50 |
| T20 | 1 | 20 |
Each format places different demands on players. Test cricket rewards patience, technique and endurance across multiple days. ODI cricket balances attack and defence across a full day of play. T20 cricket emphasises aggressive batting, inventive bowling and sharp fielding within a short timeframe. The format chosen often influences team selection, tactics and how spectators experience the game. Understanding these differences helps newcomers follow matches more easily and clarifies overall match pacing.
When comparing Test vs ODI vs T20, the key differences lie in duration, innings structure and over limits. The 20-over limit in T20 cricket rules means teams have fewer balls to score from, while Test cricket allows for extended tactical play.
What Are the Basic Fielding and Bowling Rules?
The fielding team has 11 players on the field, including the bowler and wicketkeeper. Fielders take up fielding positions around the ground according to strategy, competition restrictions and cricket rules.
Bowlers must deliver legally according to bowling-action and crease rules. A legal bowling action does not permit the bowler to throw the ball in the ordinary sense. Under ICC regulations, cricket bowling rules allow no more than 15 degrees of elbow extension during delivery.
Limited-overs cricket also uses fielding restrictions during parts of an innings, commonly known as Powerplay cricket restrictions. Exact fielding restrictions differ between formats. The wicketkeeper occupies a specialised position behind the striker’s wicket. Cricket fielding rules govern where fielders may stand during these restricted periods.
Captains set fields according to the batter’s strengths, the match situation and the format. In limited-overs cricket, only a limited number of fielders may stand outside the inner circle during Powerplay phases. These cricket fielding rules and cricket bowling rules help maintain balance between bat and ball on the field.
How Does a Team Win a Cricket Match?
The objective is generally to score more runs than the opposition within the rules of cricket for that format. In a run chase, the second team wins if it reaches the target before losing all available wickets or running out of permitted overs. If the defending team prevents this, it wins by runs.
In Tests, winning normally requires dismissing the opposition and finishing with the superior score across the innings. Ties, draws and no-results are possible depending on the format and circumstances. Some limited-overs competitions use a Super Over or other competition-specific procedure to resolve ties.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cricket Rules
How many players are in a cricket team?
Eleven players per side.
How many balls are in an over?
Six valid deliveries. Wides and no-balls are bowled again.
What is LBW in cricket?
Leg before wicket: the batter is out if the ball would have hit the stumps but struck their body instead, subject to the LBW conditions.
What is a free hit?
In limited-overs international cricket, the delivery after a no-ball is a free hit, from which the batter can’t be bowled, caught or given out LBW.
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