LIVE DATA Defined terms

Glossary

01

Short, quotable definitions of the cricket terms that come up at the scorers' table.

01Defined terms

Pitch

The central strip of the ground between the two sets of stumps, on which the bowling and the batting take place.

02Defined terms

Session

A block of play in a multi-day match, usually divided by the scheduled breaks.

03Defined terms

Wicket-keeper

The fielder behind the stumps who keeps wicket and takes the ball the batter misses.

04Defined terms

Appeal

The fielding side asking the umpire whether a batter is out.

05Defined terms

Googly

A wrist-spun delivery that turns the opposite way to the batter’s expectation.

06Defined terms

Yorker

A full-length delivery aimed at the base of the batter’s stumps.

07Defined terms

Bouncer

A short-pitched delivery that rises sharply towards the batter’s head or chest.

08Defined terms

Walkover

A result awarded when the other side cannot play. A league admin matter; still write it as the competition instructs.

09Defined terms

Tie

Scores finished level under the playing conditions, with no further tie-break, or after the named tie-break still level.

10Defined terms

No-result

The match started but could not produce a winner under the playing conditions, often due to weather and minimum overs.

11Defined terms

Abandoned

The match did not become a result under the playing conditions, often before a meaningful start.

12Defined terms

Drinks interval

A pause. Freeze the over. Do not “tidy” totals during drinks.

13Defined terms

New ball

In longer formats, a fresh ball taken after a set number of overs. Note the over in the book.

14Defined terms

Hat-trick

Three wickets in three consecutive balls by one bowler, which may span overs. Mark it; do not skip balls to make it look prettier.

15Defined terms

Duck

A batter dismissed for 0. A golden duck is first ball. Write the dismissal, not the nickname, in the official book.

16Defined terms

Not out

A batter who has not been dismissed when the innings ends.

17Defined terms

Batting average

Runs scored divided by times dismissed. Not runs divided by innings if not-outs matter.

18Defined terms

Strike rate

For a batter, runs per 100 balls. For a bowler, balls per wicket. Always say which.

19Defined terms

Economy rate

Runs conceded by a bowler per over bowled.

20Defined terms

Current run rate

Runs scored divided by overs faced so far in the innings.

21Defined terms

Required run rate

Runs still needed divided by overs still available.

22Defined terms

Par score

A DLS figure describing the score that would be par at a given moment. Not the same as the final target unless the innings ends there.

23Defined terms

Target

The score the chasing side must reach to win. May be revised under DLS.

24Defined terms

Innings

One side’s turn to bat, or one batter’s turn, depending on context. In the book, usually the side.

25Defined terms

Obstructing the field

A rare dismissal. Write the umpire’s call; do not improvise the column.

26Defined terms

Hit wicket

The batter puts their own wicket down with bat or body while playing a shot or setting off, under the Laws.

27Defined terms

Bowled

The wicket is put down by the bowler’s delivery, including via the batter’s body or bat as the Laws allow.

28Defined terms

Caught

A batter dismissed when a fielder catches the ball from the bat before it bounces, under the Laws.

29Defined terms

LBW

Leg before wicket: a form of dismissal decided by the umpire. The scorer writes the decision, not the appeal.

30Defined terms

Stumped

The wicketkeeper puts the wicket down with the batter out of their ground, not running, after a delivery.

31Defined terms

Run out

A batter dismissed by putting down a wicket while they are running or backing up, as the Laws describe.

32Defined terms

Retired out

A batter leaves and is treated as dismissed. Rare; write it clearly.

33Defined terms

Retired hurt

A batter leaves through injury and may return. Not a wicket.

34Defined terms

All out

The batting side has no further batter able to bat under the Laws, so the innings ends.

35Defined terms

Follow-on

Enforcing the other side to bat again immediately in multi-day cricket, under the Laws and first-innings lead.

36Defined terms

Declaration

Closing a batting innings before all out, in formats that allow it.

37Defined terms

Super over

A tie-break mini-innings with its own batters and bowler. Do not fold it into the previous innings total.

38Defined terms

Free hit

A delivery after a no-ball (in formats that use it) from which the batter cannot be dismissed in most ways. Still score the original no-ball.

39Defined terms

Powerplay

Overs with fielding restrictions defined in the playing conditions.

40Defined terms

Non-striker

The batter at the bowler’s end.

41Defined terms

Striker

The batter facing the bowler.

42Defined terms

Over

A set of six legal deliveries by one bowler from one end.

43Defined terms

Maiden over

An over from which no runs were scored off the bat or as extras credited to the bowler, depending on how the league treats wides.

44Defined terms

Leg-bye

A run taken after the ball hits the batter’s person, not the bat, under the Laws. Recorded as an extra.

45Defined terms

Bye

A run taken that did not come off the bat or the batter’s person in the leg-bye sense. Recorded as an extra.

46Defined terms

No-ball

An illegal delivery. It is an extra and not a legal ball of the over. What happens next depends on the playing conditions, including free hits.

47Defined terms

Wide

A delivery judged too wide to score from under the playing conditions. It is an extra and not a legal ball of the over.

48Defined terms

DLS

Duckworth-Lewis-Stern: a method for revising targets when overs are lost, based on remaining batting resources.

49Defined terms

Net run rate

Runs scored per over faced minus runs conceded per over bowled, using the competition’s rule for overs when a side is all out.

FAQ

Questions about the glossary

01 What is the difference between a glossary term and a law?: A glossary term is a short definition. A law guide explains how the scorer records the event and what to check. Each term links to the guides where it matters.
02 Why do some terms have two meanings?: Cricket uses words such as innings, average and strike rate in more than one way. Each entry says which meaning it covers.
03 Can I suggest a term?: Yes. Terms are added when a scorer or captain asks about them, so tell us which word needs an entry.