Bail (cricket) facts for kids

In the exciting game of cricket, a bail is one of two small wooden pieces. These bails sit on top of three tall wooden sticks called stumps. Together, the stumps and bails form what is known as a wicket. Bails are super important because they help decide if a batsman is out. If a bail falls off, it often means the wicket is "broken" or "put down." This can lead to a batsman being out in ways like bowled, stumped, run out, or hit wicket.

A wicket has three stumps hammered into the ground. Two bails sit on top of them.

What Makes a Wicket Broken?

A wicket is considered broken if one or both bails fall off the stumps. It can also be broken if a stump is knocked out of the ground. This can happen in a few ways:

• The ball hits it.
• The batsman's bat, or any part of their body or clothes, touches it.
• A fielder knocks it with their hand or arm while holding the ball.

For example, if the bowler throws the ball and it hits the wicket directly, the batsman is only out if a bail actually falls off. So, the ball can even brush against the stumps without the batsman being dismissed, as long as the bails stay in place!

If a bail falls off for any other reason while the game is still going, and then something happens later (like a run-out attempt) that needs the wicket to be broken, the other bail can be removed. Or, a stump can be knocked out of the ground or pulled up.

How Bails Are Made

Each bail is made from a single piece of wood shaped like a cylinder. It has two smaller wooden cylinders sticking out from each end. The main, larger part is called the barrel. The smaller sticky-out parts are called spigots.

The spigots are not the same length. One spigot is longer and rests on one stump by itself. The shorter spigot rests on the middle stump, sharing space with the short spigot of the other bail.

Special Bails and Rules

Sometimes, if it's very windy, special heavy bails are used. These are made from a denser wood, often called lignum vitae. This stops them from being blown off the stumps easily.

In very strong winds, the umpires might even decide to play without bails at all. In this case, the umpires will decide if the wicket would have been broken. However, modern technology like Hawk-Eye, which is part of the Decision Review System, still pretends the bails are on the stumps when showing replays.

Modern Innovations

Cricket is always changing! One cool modern invention is Zing Bails. These are bails that light up when they are dislodged from the stumps. This makes it super clear when a wicket is broken, especially during night games.

Images for kids

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  The bails