Bowled facts for kids

In cricket, a player called a batter tries to hit the ball and score runs. But sometimes, a batter can get "out," which means they have to leave the field. There are many ways to get out in cricket, and two common ways are being bowled or getting out leg before wicket (LBW). These rules help make the game fair and exciting!

What Does 'Bowled' Mean in Cricket?

A batter is bowled out when the bowler throws the ball, and it hits the wicket directly behind the batter. The wicket is made up of three wooden sticks called stumps with two small pieces of wood called bails resting on top. For a batter to be bowled out, the ball must knock at least one of these bails off the stumps.

How Does a Bowled Dismissal Happen?

When a bowler bowls the ball, it must be a legal delivery. This means the ball is thrown correctly according to the rules. If the ball then travels past the batter and hits the stumps, knocking off a bail, the batter is out. It doesn't matter if the ball touched the batter's bat or body first, as long as it didn't touch another player or the umpire before hitting the wicket.

Why is Being Bowled Important?

Being bowled is one of the most direct ways for a batter to get out. It shows that the bowler has bowled a very good ball that the batter couldn't defend. It's a clear way to get a batter out because there's no doubt if the wicket was hit and the bails fell.

What is 'Leg Before Wicket' (LBW)?

Another way a batter can get out is called leg before wicket, often shortened to LBW. This rule is a bit trickier than being bowled. An LBW dismissal happens when the ball hits the batter's body (usually their leg) instead of their bat, and the umpire believes the ball would have gone on to hit the wicket if the batter's body hadn't been in the way.

How Does an LBW Dismissal Work?

For a batter to be out LBW, several things need to happen:

• The ball must be a legal delivery from the bowler.
• The ball must hit the batter's body, not their bat first.
• The umpire must think the ball would have hit the stumps if the batter's body wasn't there.
• The ball must have pitched (bounced) in a certain area on the field, and not outside the leg stump.

Why Do We Have the LBW Rule?

The LBW rule is important because it stops batters from using their legs or other parts of their body to block balls that would otherwise hit the wicket. Without this rule, batters could just stand in front of their stumps and block every ball with their legs, making it very hard for bowlers to get them out. It helps keep the game fair and exciting for both batters and bowlers.

Images for kids

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  A batsman is dismissed by being bowled

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  NSW Breakers all-rounder Nicola Carey is bowled. Note the ball, and the flying bails, one of which has broken into two pieces.