There are ten ways a batsman can get out.

First of all these expressions and definitions:

If a batsman gets out, it is said that the batsman’s wicket has fallen.

For the fielding team, it is said that they have taken a wicket.

If during a game, the bails (wooden blocks on the wicket) fall down, for some reason. But they were not hit by a ball, so for example because of the wind, then the batsman does not get out. The fielding team will have to hit the stumps (the three wooden sticks that make the wicket), so that one of them will come out of the ground. This does not make it easier for the fielding team, it makes it even harder.

It is also important to know that the field in divided with a virtual line in the middle of the pitch. The half in front of the striker is called off side. The other half is called leg side or on side. To find out which side is the off side and which is the onside/leg side, one has to look from the bowlers view. The bowler is standing opposite from the striker, if the striker is right handed his left elbow will face the bowler. Now, all the positions on the left hand side of the bowler are off side, all positions on the right hand side or leg side/on side. Notice, this changes when the batsman is left handed. Then the positions will be the opposite.

Last but not least, the stumps are called off stump, middle stump and leg stump. These are again depending where the batsman is standing.

The ten ways of getting out:

• Out Caught
• Bowled
• Leg before wicket (LBW)
• Stumped
• Run out
• Hit-Wicket
• Handle the ball
• Obstructing the field
• Double hit
• Timed out

These ways of getting out are listed in the approximate order they occur. The first five are quite common, while the other five are rarer. The last three nearly never occur.

Notice, the bowler is credited with taking the wicket if the batsman gets out through:

• Out caught
• Bowled
• Leg before wicket
• Stumped
• Hit wicket

If the batsman gets out through another method, nobody is credited.