Run Out in Cricket Explained: Dismissal Between the Wickets
How a run-out dismissal works in cricket, what batter is out when two batters are in the same half of the pitch, the Mankad run-out, and why run-outs are among the most dramatic moments in cricket.
A run-out dismissal in cricket occurs when a batter's bat or body is not grounded behind the batting crease when a fielder breaks the stumps with the ball — dismissing the batter while they are attempting a run. Run-outs are among cricket's most dramatic moments: they often involve sprinting between the wickets, diving for the crease, and fielders making split-second decisions about whether to throw at the stumps or return the ball to the bowler's end.
How a Run-Out Happens
A run-out most commonly occurs when two batters call for a run, sprint toward each other's ends, and a fielder collects the ball and throws it to break the stumps before the batter has grounded their bat over the crease. The batter must touch the bat (or body) down behind the crease — touching the crease with the toe of the bat counts. Being run out is the only dismissal in cricket that does not require the bowler to be credited with the wicket: run-outs are attributed to the fielders involved, not to the bowler who bowled that delivery.
Which Batter Is Out?
When both batters are running and a run-out occurs, the batter who is out is the one who has not yet reached the crease at the end they are running toward — the batter in the middle of the pitch. If both batters are at the same end (both in the same half of the pitch), the batter who came in from the other end is out — they should have stayed in their crease. The batter who was already in the crease is safe.
Overthrow Runs
Overthrow runs occur when a fielder's throw at the stumps misses and the ball goes to the boundary — the batting team then scores four runs as a boundary for the overthrow, in addition to any runs already completed before the throw. Overthrows are one of cricket's unique scoring mechanisms: fielders' errors in returning the ball result in additional runs for the batting team. An overthrow to the boundary is particularly dramatic: a batter who was being run out can end up scoring five runs (one run completed + four overthrow boundary runs) from the same delivery.
Run-Out Reviews
In professional cricket with the Decision Review System (DRS), run-out decisions can be reviewed by the third umpire using slow-motion replays. The third umpire determines whether the bat was behind the crease when the stumps were broken — a determination that often requires frame-by-frame analysis. Run-out reviews are among the most exciting moments in televised cricket: the replay is shown multiple times at different speeds, and the ground-level and overhead camera angles often tell different stories before the conclusive frame is identified.
Frequently asked questions
What is a run-out in cricket?
A run-out occurs when a batter's bat or body is not grounded behind the batting crease when a fielder breaks the stumps with the ball while the batter is attempting a run. It is the only dismissal not credited to the bowler — run-outs are attributed to the fielders involved.
Which batter is out in a run-out?
The batter who has not yet reached the crease at the end they were running toward — the one who is still in the middle of the pitch when the stumps are broken. If both batters are at the same end, the one who came from the other end is out.
What is the Mankad dismissal?
The Mankad (now officially called 'run-out at the non-striker's end') is when the bowler removes the stumps at the non-striker's end before delivering the ball, when the non-striker has left their crease early. It is legal under the Laws of Cricket. Famous from Deepti Sharma's dismissal of Charlie Dean in the 2022 Women's Ashes.