The Laws of Cricket - Answers

1.   To defend his wicket. If he thinks that the ball will hit is wicket he is allowed to use his bat to defend it – but if in doing so, he prevents the wicket-keeper from taking a catch, he would be out, ‘obstructed the field’. Yes – he is out ‘hit wicket’. The key word is ‘immediate’ – if there was a gap in time, for instance if he waited to see whether the ball passed a fielder before setting off, he could not be out ‘hit wicket’.

2.   At the moment of delivery, call and signal ‘no ball’. A fielder encroaching on, or over, the pitch is unfair, and is a no ball’. The pitch is defined as the cut strip which should be 10 feet in width.

3.  ‘No balls’, ‘wide balls’, and ‘dead balls’ called either before the striker receives the delivery, or called because the striker has been distracted. If ‘dead ball’ is called after the striker receives the delivery, it will count as a ball in the over, unless the umpire decides that the striker has been distracted. Distraction may be by word or action – or even from a loud noise outside the playing area, such as an explosion.

4.   An injured batsman may resume his innings only at the fall of any wicket, or on the retirement of another batsman. A batsman may resume his innings if he retires through illness or injury. If he does not resume his innings the scorebook should record him ‘retired – not out’. If he retires for any other reason, he may not resume his innings, and the scorebook should record him ‘retired – out’.

5.             Either if the ball touches the striker’s bat or person, or if the striker sets off for a run Only in either of these instances is the wicket-keeper allowed to move in front of the wicket to take the ball. Otherwise he must remain completely behind the wicket until he takes the ball.

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