Crease (cricket) facts for kids

In cricket, you'll notice special white lines painted on the field. These lines are called creases. They are super important because they mark out different areas where players need to be. Think of them like boundaries or starting lines for different actions. There are a few types of creases: the popping creases, the return creases, and the bowling creases. Each one has a special job to make sure the game is played fairly.

What are Popping Creases?

The popping creases are perhaps the most important lines on a cricket field. There are two of them, and they stretch all the way across the pitch. Imagine a long white line that the batsmen need to stay behind to be safe!

These two lines are about 58 feet (which is around 20 meters) apart. This distance is key because it marks the main playing area for the batsmen. When a batsman is running between the wickets, they need to cross their popping crease and touch the ground behind it to score runs or avoid being run out. It's like a safe zone!

What are Return Creases?

The return creases are another set of important lines, especially for the bowler. These lines help make sure the bowler bowls fairly. There are two return creases at each end of the pitch. They run straight back from the popping crease.

The bowler must stay between these return creases when they deliver the ball. If the bowler's back foot touches or goes over a return crease before they let go of the ball, it's called a no-ball. A no-ball is a penalty for the fielding team, and the batting team gets an extra run and sometimes a free hit!

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.