Overview: Bowler-Credited vs. Non-Bowler Dismissals
For cricket scorers, one of the most critical distinctions is determining whether the dismissal counts as a wicket for the bowler. Of the ten dismissals, exactly five are credited to the bowler, while the other five are not.
| Dismissal Type | MCC Law | Bowler Credited? | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Bowled | Law 32 | YES | Very High (~20%) |
| 2. Caught | Law 33 | YES | Most Common (~55%) |
| 3. LBW (Leg Before Wicket) | Law 36 | YES | High (~14%) |
| 4. Stumped | Law 39 | YES | Moderate (~3%) |
| 5. Hit Wicket | Law 35 | YES | Low (<1%) |
| 6. Run Out | Law 38 | NO (Team Wicket) | High (~7%) |
| 7. Obstructing the Field | Law 37 | NO | Extremely Rare |
| 8. Hit the Ball Twice | Law 34 | NO | Virtually Never |
| 9. Timed Out | Law 40 | NO | Extremely Rare |
| 10. Retired Out | Law 25 | NO | Rare (Tactical) |
Detailed Analysis of Each Dismissal
1. Bowled (Law 32)
The delivery hits the striker's wicket directly, or via an edge or the batter's body/equipment, dislodging at least one bail or striking a stump out of the ground. No dismissal can occur if the ball is a No-ball.
2. Caught (Law 33)
The ball touches the bat (or the glove holding the bat) and is caught cleanly by a fielder without the ball touching the ground. Can take place anywhere within the field of play. Cannot be given off a No-ball (Free Hit rules also protect the batter).
3. Leg Before Wicket (LBW - Law 36)
The delivery strikes any part of the batter's body (usually the pad) without touching the bat first. For an LBW to be granted by the umpire:
- The ball must pitch in line with the wickets OR outside the off-stump (a ball pitching outside leg-stump can never be LBW).
- The impact must be in line with the stumps (unless no genuine shot was attempted).
- The ball would have gone on to hit the stumps.
4. Stumped (Law 39)
The batter steps out of their crease while attempting to play a shot, misses the ball, and the wicketkeeper puts down the wicket with the ball in hand before the batter grounds their bat or foot behind the crease line. Crucial Note: A batter can be stumped off a Wide delivery, but cannot be stumped off a No-ball!
5. Hit Wicket (Law 35)
While preparing to receive or receiving a delivery, or setting off for the first run, the batter dislodges their own bails with their bat, clothing, helmet, or foot. Credited as a wicket to the bowler.
6. Run Out (Law 38)
A batter is out of their ground while attempting a run and a fielder dislodges the bails with the ball. Also includes running out the non-striker before the delivery stride (formerly termed "Mankad", officially categorized under Law 38.3). Run outs are never credited to the bowler in their individual bowling stats.
7. Obstructing the Field (Law 37)
A batter willfully obstructs or distracts a fielder by word or action. Note: In 2017, the MCC consolidated the ancient "Handled the Ball" law into Obstructing the Field. If a batter willfully touches the ball with their free hand without the fielding team's consent, they are out Obstructing the Field.
8. Hit the Ball Twice (Law 34)
If the ball is struck by the bat once, the batter cannot strike it a second time with the intent of scoring runs. A second touch is permitted only to defend their wicket from being bowled, provided no runs are attempted.
9. Timed Out (Law 40)
An incoming batter must arrive at the crease and be ready to receive the ball (or have their partner ready) within 2 minutes in T20/ODIs (or 3 minutes in Tests) of a wicket falling. Failure to do so results in being Timed Out upon appeal.
10. Retired Out (Law 25)
If a batter leaves the field without the umpire's consent and without an injury or medical emergency, they are marked as "Retired Out" in the scorecard and cannot return to bat later in the innings.
How ScoringDeck Records Dismissals
When you tap the "Wicket" button in ScoringDeck's live scoring deck, a prompt immediately requests the dismissal type, the fielder involved (for catches, stumpings, and run outs), and which batter was dismissed. The software automatically assigns the wicket to the bowler's figures only when MCC rules warrant it.