Crease (cricket) facts for kids

In cricket, the creases are lines on the field that separate different areas of the field from each other. There are two popping creases (which are the main creases), return creases, and two bowling creases.

Popping creases

The two popping creases extend across the field, and are 58 feet (about 20 meters) away from each other in the center of the field. They are the edges of the area between the two batsmen's grounds.

Return creases

The return creases define which parts of the field the bowler may bowl legal deliveries from; a no-ball is called when the bowler's back foot touches or goes over a return crease before he has released the ball.

Images for kids

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  Jim Allenby bowling; he must ground some part of his foot behind his popping crease and within the return creases for the ball to be a legal delivery. As a member of the fielding side, he can also – after delivering the ball – attempt to run out a batsman by breaking the stumps with the ball before the batsman manages to return to the popping crease.