The 10 Ways a Batsman Can Get Out in Cricket
By LBW Editorial Team · learnbeyondwicket.com · August 2026 · 7 min read
One of cricket's most distinctive features is the variety of ways in which a batsman can be dismissed. While most fans are familiar with bowled and caught, the Laws of Cricket recognise ten distinct dismissal types. Understanding each one is essential to following the game — and knowing which ones are rare or virtually never seen adds to the appreciation of the sport's history and depth.
1. Bowled
The most fundamental dismissal: the ball, delivered by the bowler, passes the batsman and strikes the stumps, dislodging one or both bails. The batsman does not need to have played the ball — if it deflects off the pad, the inside edge, or any part of the batsman and still hits the stumps, the batsman is out bowled. A batsman who plays over the ball and is clean bowled is said to have been bowled through the gate.
2. Caught
The batsman hits the ball in the air and a fielder (including the wicketkeeper) catches it before it bounces. This is the most common dismissal in all formats, typically accounting for 40–50% of all wickets. For a catch to be legal, the fielder must have their feet fully inside the field of play when they complete the catch.
Catches come from edges, miscues, top edges, or deliberate lofted shots that do not clear the fielders.
3. LBW (Leg Before Wicket)
The ball strikes the batsman's body (not the bat) in front of the stumps, and the umpire judges that the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps. Multiple conditions must be satisfied: the ball must not have pitched outside leg stump; the impact must be in line with the stumps (unless no shot was offered); and the ball must have been going on to hit the stumps.
The Decision Review System uses ball-tracking technology to assess these conditions with high precision in international cricket.
4. Run Out
A batsman is run out when they are outside their crease and a fielder breaks the wicket with the ball before the batsman makes their ground. Run outs happen when batsmen attempt runs that are not there, when direct hits catch a batsman mid-pitch, or during confusion between two batsmen.
5. Stumped
A dismissal unique to cricket: the batsman leaves their crease to play a shot, misses the ball, and the wicketkeeper collects it and breaks the wicket before the batsman can return. Stumped differs from run out because the batsman must not be attempting a run. Stumpings are most common against spinners.
6–10. The rarer dismissals
Hit Wicket: the batsman accidentally dislodges the bails with their bat or body while playing a shot. Obstructing the Field: the batsman deliberately impedes a fielder attempting to field the ball — the 2017 Laws update merged Handled the Ball into this dismissal. Hit the Ball Twice: the batsman intentionally strikes the ball a second time other than to guard the wicket. Timed Out: a new incoming batsman takes too long to be ready to face, extremely rare in professional cricket.
Conclusion
The ten dismissals make cricket strategically rich: a captain must think not just about which bowler takes wickets but which type of wicket — a spinner might generate stumpings and LBWs, a fast bowler generates bowleds, catches at slip, and run outs from direct hits. Understanding dismissals transforms how you watch the fielding team set their tactics.