Caught Behind in Cricket Explained
Caught behind is a dismissal where the batter edges the ball to the wicketkeeper, who catches it cleanly — one of the most common dismissals in Test cricket against pace bowling.
What Is Caught Behind in Cricket?
Caught behind is a mode of dismissal where the batter plays at a delivery, the ball catches the outside edge of the bat, and the wicketkeeper catches the ball before it hits the ground. It is recorded in the scorecard as 'c [keeper name] b [bowler name]'. Caught behind is one of the most common forms of dismissal in Test cricket, particularly in the first hour of an innings when the new ball is swinging and seaming. A batter who edges to the keeper is statistically the most frequently dismissed batter in all forms of cricket combined.
How It Is Detected
Caught behind dismissals were among the most controversial before the introduction of the Decision Review System (DRS). Fielding teams would appeal loudly for catches the batter did not touch; batters stood their ground for catches they knew they had taken. Snickometer (audio waveform analysis) and Ultra-Edge technology — which detect sound spikes corresponding to the ball passing the bat — are now used by the third umpire to adjudicate close caught-behind decisions. If a spike appears on Ultra-Edge as the ball passes the bat, a DRS review will typically overturn an 'not out' decision and give the batter out caught behind.
Famous Caught-Behind Controversies
Caught-behind dismissals have produced some of the most memorable controversies in Test cricket. Umpire decisions on edged catches have regularly determined series outcomes. The introduction of DRS reduced the controversy significantly — batters can now review 'not out' caught-behind decisions if they believe they hit the ball, and fielding teams can challenge 'not out' decisions if they believe a catch was taken. The rate of overturned caught-behind decisions in DRS reviews is high relative to other dismissal types, indicating how often the original on-field decision was incorrect.
Frequently asked questions
What is caught behind in cricket?
Caught behind is a dismissal where the batter edges the ball to the wicketkeeper, who catches it before it hits the ground.
How does DRS detect caught behind dismissals?
Ultra-Edge technology detects sound spikes as the ball passes the bat edge. A spike coinciding with ball-bat proximity is used as evidence in DRS caught-behind reviews.
Is caught behind common in all formats?
Caught behind is most common in Test cricket where the new ball swings and seams. In T20 cricket, batters play more aggressively and often get caught in the deep instead.