Hit wicket is a method of
dismissalIn the sport of cricket, a dismissal occurs when the batsman is out . Colloquially, the fielding team is also said to have snared, bagged or captured a wicket. At this point a batsman must discontinue batting and leave the field permanently for the innings...
in the
sportA Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
of
cricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
. This method of dismissal is governed by Law 35 of the
laws of cricketThe laws of cricket are a set of rules established by the Marylebone Cricket Club which describe the laws of cricket worldwide, to ensure uniformity and fairness. There are currently 42 laws, which outline all aspects of how the game is played from how a team wins a game, how a batsman is...
. The striker is out "hit wicket" if, after the bowler has entered his delivery stride and while the ball is in play, his wicket is put down by his bat or his person. The striker may do this whilst preparing to receive or receiving a delivery or in setting off for his first run after playing the delivery. In simple language if the striking batsman knocks the bails off the stumps or uproots the stumps, while attempting to hit the ball or take off for a run, he is out hit wicket.
This method is the sixth most common method of dismissal after caught,
bowledBowled is a method of dismissing a batsman in the sport of cricket. This method of dismissal is covered by Law 30 of the Laws of cricket.A batsman is out bowled if his wicket is put down by a ball delivered by the bowler...
,
leg before wicketIn the sport of cricket, leg before wicket is one of the ways in which a batsman can be dismissed. An umpire will rule a batsman out LBW under a series of circumstances which primarily include the ball striking the batsman's body when it would otherwise have continued on to hit the batsman's...
,
run outRun out is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. It is governed by Law 38 of the Laws of cricket.-The rules:A batsman is out Run out if at any time while the ball is in play no part of his bat or person is grounded behind the popping crease and his wicket is fairly put down by the opposing...
and
stumpedStump is a term used in the sport of cricket where it has three different meanings:# part of the wicket# a manner of dismissing a batsman# the end of the day's play .-Part of the wicket:...
. It is significantly rarer than any of these, which constitute the five conventional methods, but still much more common than the other four (
timed outTimed out is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. It occurs when an incoming batsman is not ready to play within three minutes of the previous batsman being out...
,
handled the ballHandled the ball is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket.-Definition:Law 33 of the Laws of cricket provides that:"Either batsman is out Handled the ball if he wilfully touches the ball while in play with a hand or hands not holding the bat unless he does so with the consent of the opposing...
,
obstructing the fieldObstructing the field is a rare method of dismissal in the sport of cricket.-Definition:Law 37 of the Laws of cricket provides that:"Either batsman is out Obstructing the field if he wilfully obstructs or distracts the opposing side by word or action...
and
hit the ball twiceHit the ball twice, or "double-hit", is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket.-Definition:Law 34 of the Laws of cricket states:Law 34 1...
), which are extremely rare.
Although a bowler is given credit for the wicket, it is not a method of dismissal that a bowler actively seeks. A batsman may not be given out "hit wicket" if the ball is not actually delivered by the bowler or if the delivery is a
no ballIn the sport of cricket a no ball is a penalty against the fielding team, usually as a result of an illegal delivery by the bowler. The delivery of a no ball results in one run to be added to the batting team's score, and an additional ball must be bowled...
or a
wideIn the sport of cricket, a wide is one of two things:* The event of a ball being delivered by a bowler too wide or high to be hit by the batsman, and ruled so by the umpire.* A run scored by the batting team as a penalty to the bowling team when this occurs....
.
Notable dismissals
Due to the rarity of this method of dismissal, most occurrences in international cricket are notable.
Commentary gaffe
On 9 August 1991, during a match between
EnglandThe England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
and the
West IndiesThe West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as the West Indies or the Windies, is a multi-national cricket team representing a sporting confederation of 15 mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries, British dependencies and non-British dependencies.From the mid 1970s to the early 1990s,...
at
the OvalThe Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
,
Ian BothamSir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
fell over his stumps whilst attempting to hook
Curtly AmbroseCurtly Elconn Lynwall Ambrose is a former West Indian cricketer. His skill was as a right-arm fast bowler, especially in partnership with Courtney Walsh...
and so was dismissed "hit wicket". Later in the day,
Brian JohnstonBrian Alexander Johnston CBE, MC was a cricket commentator and presenter for the BBC from 1946 until his death.-Early life and education:...
of BBC Radio's
Test Match SpecialTest Match Special is a British radio programme covering professional cricket, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 , Five Live Sports Extra and the internet to the United Kingdom and the rest of the world...
read out the details of the scorecard as normal. When he came to Botham's dismissal, his fellow presenter
Jonathan AgnewJonathan Philip Agnew is an English cricket broadcaster and former professional cricketer. He was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire and educated at Uppingham School. He is nicknamed "Aggers", and, less commonly, "Spiro"....
commented that Botham 'just didn't quite get his leg over'. This was a
double entendreA double entendre or adianoeta is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Often the first meaning is straightforward, while the second meaning is less so: often risqué or ironic....
meaning that he was not able to avoid hitting his stumps by getting his leg higher than the stumps, and also a reference to sex. Johnston slowly started laughing until he could commentate no more, leaving about a minute of broadcasting being just him in a fit of giggles. His reaction has made Botham's dismissal probably the most famous dismissal "hit wicket". A link to the broadcast is below.
Disintegrating bat
In the first innings of the 3rd Test in the 1921
Ashes seriesThe Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
, at Headingley,
Andy DucatAndrew Ducat was an England and Surrey cricketer and an England footballer, being one of an elite group to have represented their country in both sports.-Cricket career:...
, playing in his only Test for England, fended at a fast ball bowled by
AustraliaThe Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
's
Ted McDonaldEdgar Arthur "Ted" McDonald was a cricketer who played for Tasmania, Victoria, Lancashire and Australia, as well as being an Australian rules footballer who played with Launceston Football Club, Essendon Football Club, and Fitzroy Football Club.A very fast bowler with the...
. Ducat's bat broke, and a splinter flew back and dislodged a bail, the ball being caught behind by a slip fielder. Ducat was given out "caught", although it seems likely that he could also have been given out "hit wicket".
http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1920S/1920-21/ENG_IN_AUS/ENG_AUS_T3_14-20JAN1921.html
Later in 1921, in the 2nd Test between Australia and
South AfricaThe South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...
at
Old WanderersOld Wanderers was a cricket ground in Johannesburg, South Africa. The ground hosted 22 Test matches from 1895 to 1939, before being rebuilt as Johannesburg's Park Station in 1946...
in
JohannesburgJohannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, McDonald dismissed
Billy ZulchJohan Wilhelm Zulch was a South African cricketer who played 16 Tests for South Africa between 1910 and 1921....
in a similar fashion, breaking the batsman's bat so that fragments flew back to dislodge a bail, and Zulch was given out "hit wicket".
http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1920S/1921-22/AUS_IN_RSA/AUS_RSA_T2_12-16NOV1921.html
After these incidents, the MCC clarified that whole bat must break the wicket for the batsman to be given out "hit wicket". However, effective 1 October 2010, this law has been changed to allow a batsman to be dismissed "hit wicket" if a splinter, or part of his bat, breaks the wicket.
http://www.middlesexchampionship.com/MCC%20Law%20Changes%202011%97Summary%20of%20Changes%20for%20players.pdf
Flying gloves
Playing for
SurreySurrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
against
DerbyshireDerbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
at
the OvalThe Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
in 1953,
Alan RevillAlan Revill was an English cricketer who played for Derbyshire between 1946 and 1957 and for Leicestershire from 1958 to 1960. He scored over 15,000 first-class runs....
's hand was hit by a lifting delivery from
Alec BedserSir Alec Victor Bedser, CBE was a professional English cricketer. He was the chairman of selectors for the English national cricket team, and the president of Surrey County Cricket Club...
. Revill shook his hand in pain, and his glove flew off, hit the stumps, and dislodged a bail. The umpire considered that Revill was still "playing at the ball", and he was dismissed "hit wicket".
http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/231414.html
Falling headgear
In Test cricket, four batsmen have been out "hit wicket" as a result of headgear falling onto the stumps.
In the 2nd Test between Australia and the West Indies at the
MCGThe Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
in 1960-61 (the Test immediately after the famous
Tied TestTied Test refers to a rare result in Test cricket. Only two ties have occurred in the 2,000 Tests played since 1877. The first was in 1960 and the second in 1986...
at
BrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
),
Joe SolomonJoseph Stanislaus Solomon is a former West Indian cricketer who played 27 Tests for the West Indies. He played Test cricket from 1958 to 1965, scoring 1326 runs, mainly from number six and seven in the batting line-up...
was first out in the second innings, following on. Playing back to a
topspinnerA top-spinner is a type of delivery bowled by a cricketer bowling either wrist spin or finger spin. In either case, the bowler imparts the ball with top spin by twisting it with his or her fingers prior to delivery...
bowled by
Richie BenaudRichard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
, his cap fell off and dislodged a bail, so he was out "hit wicket".
http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1960S/1960-61/WI_IN_AUS/WI_AUS_T2_30DEC1960-03JAN1961.html http://www.abc.net.au/calypso/synopsis2.htm The Australian crowd thought the dismissal was unsporting, and booed their own side.
Two
IndianThe Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status....
cricketers have been dismissed in a similar fashion -
Ashok MankadAshok Vinoo Mankad was a former Indian cricketer. A right-handed batsman, he played for India in 22 Test matches....
by England's
Chris OldChris Old is an English former cricketer, who played in forty six Tests and thirty two ODIs from 1972 to 1981....
during the 3rd Test at
EdgbastonEdgbaston Cricket Ground, also known as the County Ground or Edgbaston Stadium, is a cricket ground in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, England...
in July 1974,
http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1970S/1974/IND_IN_ENG/IND_ENG_T3_04-08JUL1974.html and
Dilip VengsarkarDilip Balwant Vengsarkar is an Indian cricketer and cricket administrator. He was one of the most stylish batsmen of his time, known as one of the foremost exponents of the drive. He was also known by the nickname 'Colonel'....
by Australia's
Jeff ThomsonJeffrey Robert Thomson is a former Australian cricketer. Known as "Thommo", he was one of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket and was the opening partner of fellow fast bowler Dennis Lillee; their combination was one of the most fearsome in Test cricket history...
during the 1st Test at Brisbane in December 1977.
http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1970S/1977-78/IND_IN_AUS/IND_AUS_T1_02-06DEC1977.html
In the 3rd Test between England and West Indies at Old Trafford on 9 June 2007,
Kevin PietersenKevin Peter Pietersen, MBE is a South African-born English cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and occasional off spin bowler who plays for England and Surrey...
was out "hit wicket" when his helmet fell onto the stumps. The bowler was
Dwayne BravoDwayne James John Bravo is a West Indian cricketer. A right-handed pace bowler, Bravo is expected to play a significant role in attempts by the West Indies to return to international prominence in the sport....
, who bowled a good bouncer that dislodged the helmet. Replays suggested that the force of the ball broke the chinstrap, freeing the lid to strike the stumps.
In the 3rd One Day International between
New ZealandThe New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
and Australia in
DunedinDunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
in February 2000, New Zealand's
Adam ParoreAdam Craig Parore is a former wicket-keeper and batsman for the New Zealand cricket team. He played 78 Test cricket matches for New Zealand and 179 One Day International cricket matches...
had his helmet knocked off by a short-pitched delivery from
Brett LeeBrett Lee is an Australian cricketer.After breaking into the Australian Test team, Lee was recognised as one of the fastest bowlers in world cricket...
. The helmet fell into the stumps, and Parore was also out "hit wicket", causing some disturbance in the crowd.
http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/231414.html http://aus.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1999-2000/AUS_IN_NZ/SCORECARDS/AUS_NZ_ODI3_23FEB2000.html
Playing for Warwickshire at Edgbaston, M. J. K. Smith was once dismissed when a gust of wind blew his cap on to his wicket.
http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/231414.html
Recent dismissals
PakistanThe Pakistan cricket team is the national cricket team of Pakistan. Pakistan, represented by the Pakistan Cricket Board , is a full member of the International Cricket Council, and thus participates in , and cricket matches....
's
Inzamam-ul-HaqInzamam-ul-Haq , also known as Inzamam, nicknamed Inzy, is a former Pakistan international cricketer who was national captain between 2003 and 2007. He is a right-handed batsman who has been regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of his era...
was also out "hit wicket" in the 3rd Test against England at Headingley on 6 August 2006, as he attempted to sweep England spinner
Monty PanesarMudhsuden Singh Panesar, known as Monty Panesar , is an English cricketer who currently plays for Sussex. A left-arm spinner, Panesar played Test and one-day cricket for England until 2009. In English county cricket he played for Northamptonshire until 2009...
and in doing so lost his balance before falling backwards onto his stumps. He attempted to jump over the stumps, but completely fell on top of them.
The first dismissal "hit wicket" in international
Twenty20Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
took place on 12 September 2007, in an ICC World Twenty20 match between
KenyaThe Kenya national cricket team is the team that represents the country of Kenya in international cricket matches. They are considered one of the strongest of the associate member nations of the International Cricket Council, especially since reaching the semi-final of the 2003 Cricket World Cup...
and New Zealand, when New Zealand's
Mark GillespieMark Raymond Gillespie is a member of the New Zealand cricket team. He came to the selectors attention in the 2005-06 season with 43 wickets at 23.16 for Wellington...
pitched a ball just short of a length which swung back into Kenya's
David Obuya from outside off stump and pushed him back into his crease, causing him to lose his balance and tread on his stumps.
The second such dismissal occurred on 11 January 2009 in a match between Australia and South Africa, when a ball from Australia's
Shaun TaitShaun William Tait is a professional Australian cricketer, who currently plays only in the Twenty20 format. Tait plays domestic cricket for South Australia and is also a representative for Australia at Twenty20 International level; he has also represented his country in One Day Internationals and...
hit South Africa's AB de Villiers on the hip, causing him to fall back and resulting in his bat dislodging the off bail.
The most recent and one of the more bizarre hit wicket dismissals was of Sri Lanka national cricket team captain
Kumar SangakkaraKumar Sangakkara is a Sri Lankan, Sinhalese cricketer and the former captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team. He is a left-handed top-order batsman...
in the finals of the triangular ODI Compaq Cup against India at Colombo on 14 September 2009, as he attempted a shot and in the follow through his bat slipped out of his hands, flew backwards in the air and landed on the stumps.
In the Twenty 20 international at AMI Stadium on the 28th February 2010, Black Caps Wicket Keeper Gareth Hopkins swung a ball down the leg side for a four, yet stepped back on his stumps in the process of doing so.
Controversial non-dismissal
In January 1998, South Africa were pushing for victory in the 3rd and final Test against Australia at the
Adelaide OvalThe Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide...
in an attempt to square the series.
Mark WaughMark Edward Waugh AM is a former Australian cricketer, who represented Australia in Test matches from early 1991 to late 2002, and made his One-Day International debut in 1988. Waugh is regarded as one of the most elegant and gifted stroke makers to ever play the game. His nickname is "Junior" as...
was attempting to hold off the South African bowlers for a draw with only tail-end support remaining. He was hit in the arm by a short ball from
Shaun PollockShaun Maclean Pollock is a retired South African cricketer who is considered a bowling all-rounder. From 2000 to 2003 he was the captain of the South African cricket team, and also played for Africa XI, World XI, Dolphins and Warwickshire. He was also chosen as the Wisden Cricketer of the Year in...
, and upon walking away from the wicket between deliveries, dislodged the bails with his bat. The South African appeal for "hit wicket" was turned down, and Waugh went on to secure the draw which won the series for Australia. South African captain
Hansie CronjeWessel Johannes "Hansie" Cronje was a South African cricketer and captain of the South African national cricket team in the 1990s...
later speared the umpires' dressing room door with a stump.