Cricket Dismissals Explained — All 10 Ways to Get Out
A complete guide to all 10 methods of dismissal in cricket: bowled, caught, LBW, run out, stumped, handled the ball, obstructing the field, hit the ball twice, hit wicket, and timed out.
The Laws of Cricket recognise ten methods of dismissal. However, the vast majority of dismissals in cricket fall into just five categories: caught (accounting for approximately 40% of all dismissals), bowled (20%), leg-before-wicket (20%), run out (8%), and stumped (5%). The remaining five methods are rarely seen, with 'timed out' virtually absent from professional cricket.
The Five Common Dismissals
- Bowled: the ball hits the stumps and dislodges at least one bail. The bowler receives the wicket credit.
- Caught: the ball touches the bat (or glove) and is caught before hitting the ground by a fielder or wicketkeeper. The fielder who takes the catch gets credit; the bowler gets the wicket.
- Leg-Before-Wicket (LBW): the ball hits the batter's body (not the bat) in line with the stumps and would have hit the stumps. Complex laws apply regarding the point of impact, whether the batter offered a shot, and the line of the delivery.
- Run Out: a batter is out of their ground (not behind the batting crease) when the fielding team breaks the stumps with the ball, at the end to which they were running.
- Stumped: the batter steps out of their crease, misses the delivery, and the wicketkeeper collects the ball and breaks the stumps. Almost exclusively off spin bowling.
The Five Rare Dismissals
- Hit wicket: the batter accidentally dislodges their own stumps with the bat or body during a delivery. Rare but occurs occasionally when batters play aggressive shots.
- Handled the ball (now subsumed under 'Obstructing the field'): since 2017, the Laws consolidated 'handled the ball' into 'obstructing the field'. A batter who picks up the ball to prevent it hitting the stumps is out obstructing the field.
- Obstructing the field: the batter intentionally interferes with a fielder attempting to field the ball, typically by physically blocking or distracting the fielder.
- Hit the ball twice: the batter intentionally hits the ball twice with the bat. Accidental double touches (e.g. bat hitting the ball then the ground) are not dismissed; only deliberate second strikes are out.
- Timed out: the incoming batter must be ready to face within three minutes of the previous dismissal. If they are not ready, they can be given out 'timed out' on appeal. This has occurred in international cricket but is extraordinarily rare.
How LBW Works
LBW requires a chain of conditions all to be met: the ball must not have hit the bat first; the point of impact must be in line between the stumps (or outside off stump if the batter did not offer a shot); the ball must not have pitched outside leg stump; and ball-tracking must show the ball would have hit the stumps. If the ball pitches outside leg stump, the batter cannot be LBW regardless of all other conditions.
Frequently asked questions
How many ways can you be out in cricket?
There are ten official methods of dismissal in cricket. In practice, roughly 95% of all dismissals in professional cricket fall into five categories: caught, bowled, LBW, run out, and stumped. The remaining five (hit wicket, obstructing the field, hit the ball twice, timed out, and the historical 'handled the ball') are rare.
What is the most common dismissal in Test cricket?
Caught out is the most common dismissal in Test cricket, accounting for approximately 35–40% of all Test wickets. The caught-behind (caught by the wicketkeeper) and caught at slip are the most frequent sub-types.
Can a batter be out obstructing the field without touching the ball?
Yes — a batter can be out obstructing the field for any deliberate physical act that prevents a fielder completing a run out or catch, including moving into the fielder's path or shouting to distract them. The act must be intentional; accidental obstruction is not out.