Cricket glossary, A to Z.

Definitions here describe what a term means and who uses it; they are not instructions. Batting, bowling, fielding and wicketkeeping, preparing a bat, choosing or fitting protective equipment and anything to do with an injured player are matters for a qualified coach or a doctor. Every injury or condition named below needs medical care if it is suspected.

Laws are cited from the MCC's Laws of Cricket, 2017 Code 4th Edition (2026), in force from 1 October 2026, with the earlier wording noted where it changed. ICC rules name the document and its effective date, and national boards' rules name the board, the document and its date; the governing body's current rules and the match officials decide. Where sources disagree, each version is given with who says it, and anything we could not confirm is labelled unconfirmed. Events and results are as of 22 October 2026.

Jump to: 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U W

0-9

1, 3, 5 and 2, 4, 6 rules

Shorthand in Cricket Australia's Community Cricket Junior Pace Bowling Workload Guidelines (a PDF dated April 2026 in its web address), which CA describes as guidelines, not regulations, covering pace bowlers only. For under-17s the 1, 3, 5 rule means at least one rest day after a bowling day, no more than three bowling days a week counting matches and training, and no more than five overs in a spell; for ages 17 to 19 the 2, 4, 6 rule means no more than two bowling days in a row, four bowling days a week and six overs in a spell. Other boards publish different limits. (Junior cricket rules)

150th Anniversary Test

A one-off day-night (pink-ball) Test between Australia and England at the MCG, 11 to 15 March 2027, announced by the ICC on 11 March 2025 to mark 150 years of Test cricket. It is upcoming on 22 October 2026. The match now regarded as the first Test was also played at the MCG, in March 1877. (The first Test and the Ashes)

2017 Code

The current Code of the Laws of Cricket. MCC says it came into effect on 1 October 2017, was the first Code written in a gender-neutral format, and has had later editions published in April 2019, October 2022 and October 2026. The 4th Edition, announced on 3 February 2026 with 73 material changes, has been in force since 1 October 2026; the 3rd Edition (2022) had replaced "batsman" with "batter", and the 4th removed all remaining gendered language. (The MCC and the Laws)

A

Abdominal guard

Protection worn over the groin, also called a box or groin protector. A text search of the Laws (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026) finds no abdominal guard by name; such items fall only under the general definitions of external protective equipment and clothing in Appendix A.2.2 and A.12.2. Some board rules do name it: the ECB's Recreational Cricket Safety Regulations 2025, read from a copy reproduced in a Cornwall Cricket handbook, require male under-18s in hardball cricket to wear a groin protector when batting, when keeping wicket standing up and, at 16 and 17, when fielding within 8 yards (7.3 m) of the striking batter (regulations 20.3.2.1 to 20.3.2.3), and Cricket Ireland's Young Cricketer Directives 2020 require boys in the under-16 to under-18 age groups who are under 18 to wear a box when fielding within 6 yards (5.5 m) of the bat. (Pads, gloves and guards)

Affiliate Member

A former third tier of ICC membership. The ICC says it approved the Affiliate category in 1984, with Italy the first Affiliate, and that its Full Council removed the category on 22 June 2017, when former Affiliates became Associate Members, leaving two tiers. (The ICC)

All Stars Cricket

The ECB's entry programme for children aged 5 to 8; its next step, Dynamos Cricket, is for ages 8 to 11 (ECB, 20 August 2021). The ECB said about 101,000 children, about 27,000 of them girls, took part in the two programmes in 2021, which is the ECB's own figure. A launch date of 20 March 2017 comes from a county page seen only as a search summary and is unconfirmed. (How people learn)

Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy

The trophy for England v India Test series, unveiled by the ECB and the BCCI on 19 June 2025 in place of the Pataudi Trophy and the Anthony De Mello Trophy. The first series played for it, in England in 2025, was drawn 2-2 over five Tests and the trophy was shared. (Major Test series)

Anti-Corruption Code (ICC)

The ICC code under which corruption offences by players and officials are charged and decided. Official decisions under it include the ICC Anti-Corruption Tribunal's ruling of 5 February 2011 in the Lord's spot-fixing case; the two-year ban, one year suspended, that the ICC imposed on Shakib Al Hasan on 29 October 2019 after he accepted three charges of failing to report corrupt approaches; and a five-year ban reported by the ICC on 2 May 2025 for Shohaly Akhter of Bangladesh, who admitted five breaches relating to the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup, which the ICC headlined as the first female cricketer banned for corruption charges. This site records decisions only, never allegations or charges. (Match-fixing and official findings)

Anti-Corruption Unit (ICC)

The ICC's anti-corruption body. The ICC says that after match-fixing and betting by players and officials featured in the media it set up a Code of Conduct Commission under Lord Griffiths in April 1999, followed by an Anti-Corruption Unit under Sir Paul Condon, a former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police; its integrity page dates the unit to 2000 and says its work rests on prevention, investigation, disruption and prosecution. (Match-fixing and official findings)

Appeal

The fielding side's request for a decision. Under Law 31 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026), neither umpire may give a batter out, even if the batter is out under the Laws, unless a fielder appeals; a batter who is out may still leave the field without an appeal being made, and is then treated as dismissed (Law 31.2). (Dismissals)

Artificial pitch

A non-turf pitch. Law 6.5 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026) requires one to be at least 58 ft (17.68 m) long and 6 ft (1.83 m) wide. The ICC's Classification of Official Cricket (with effect from 1 July 2026) requires natural turf pitches for a match to be first-class. (How a match works)

Ashes, The

The name for England v Australia Test series. MCC says the term was first used after England's first home defeat by Australia, at The Oval on 29 August 1882, when the Sporting Times printed a mock obituary of English cricket saying the body would be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia; MCC's own pages disagree on whether it appeared a day or three days after the match. MCC says the term was then largely forgotten for about 20 years until Pelham Warner revived it after his 1903-04 tour. The latest men's series, in Australia in 2025-26, was won by Australia 4-1. (The Ashes)

Ashes urn

A small terracotta urn, 10.5 cm tall and weighing 124.8 g according to MCC, whose origin is unknown. When it was presented is disputed: MCC says Ivo Bligh was given it on Christmas Eve 1882 at Rupertswood, Sir William Clarke's estate near Melbourne, while an older version based on a statement Bligh made in 1894 has Victorian ladies presenting it after the third Test in 1883. What is inside is disputed too: MCC says a burned bail, while Martin Williamson (ESPN, 2006) records a 1998 family claim that it holds the remains of a veil, and other evidence pointing to a ball. MCC, which received the urn from Bligh's widow after his death in 1927, says it is a personal memento and is not, and never has been, a trophy; since the 1998-99 series the winning captain has been given an urn-shaped Waterford Crystal trophy that MCC commissioned. (The first Test and the Ashes)

AS/NZS 4499

The Australian and New Zealand cricket helmet standard. The NSW coroner recorded in November 2016 that the 1997 edition was the latest Australian standard in November 2014, that it was withdrawn from 18 March 2015 and declared obsolete from 18 June 2015, and that the ICC had told member boards from 15 February 2015 that BS 7928:2013 would be the de facto international standard. NZC's Helmet Policy 2024-25 says BS 7928:2013 helmets supersede the AS/NZS 4499 series and tells its Major Associations to remove helmets compliant only with AS/NZS 4499.1:1997 or BS 7928:1998. (Helmet standards)

Associate Member

One of the ICC's two membership tiers, below Full Members. The ICC says the first Associates, admitted at its July 1965 meeting when it became the International Cricket Conference, were the USA, Ceylon and Fiji, and that former Affiliates became Associates on 22 June 2017. The ICC said on 15 July 2026 that Mauritius had become its 111th Member; a split of 12 Full and 99 Associate Members after that admission is a press figure (Telangana Today) that the ICC page does not give. (The ICC)

B

Bails

The two wooden bails that sit on top of each set of stumps (Law 8.1, 2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026). Law 8.3 says they may not project more than 0.5 in (1.27 cm) above the stumps and sets each bail at 4.31 in (10.95 cm) overall; Law 8.3.4 allows devices that limit how far a bail can fly off, for player safety, if the match's governing body and the ground authority approve; and Law 8.5 lets the umpires agree to play without bails when necessary. In ODIs and T20Is the ICC Clothing and Equipment Regulations (effective January 2024) require bails in a colour that stands out from the stumps. (Stumps and bails)

Bamboo bat

A bat made from laminated bamboo. MCC said on 10 May 2021 that such a bat would be illegal, because Law 5.3.2 requires the blade to be solely wood and bamboo is a grass. The 2026 edition's wider use of laminated Type D bats does not change this, since Appendix B.7.1 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026) still allows only wood. (Willow and bat-making)

Bat gauge

The gauge in Appendix B.8 of the Laws (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026) that every bat must pass through, with or without permitted coverings (Law 5.7.2). Its aperture is 2.68 in (6.8 cm) deep in total and 4.33 in (11.0 cm) wide, with a 1.61 in (4.1 cm) edge and a 0.20 in (0.5 cm) curve. Cricket Australia said in 2017 that its umpires would carry gauges but would check a bat only if it looked oversized, at a break in play. (The bat)

Batter

The Laws' word for a player batting. MCC says the 3rd Edition of the 2017 Code (2022) replaced "batsman" with "batter", and the 4th Edition (2026) removed all remaining gendered language from the Laws. (The MCC and the Laws)

Big Bash League (BBL and WBBL)

Cricket Australia's men's and women's franchise Twenty20 competitions. BBL|15 (2025-26) was won by Perth Scorchers, who beat Sydney Sixers by six wickets at Optus Stadium, Perth, on 25 January 2026 for a record sixth title. On 22 October 2026 WBBL|12 is upcoming, from 29 October to a final on 5 December 2026, and BBL|16 is due in the 2026-27 summer. (Other leagues)

Blade

The part of the bat other than the handle, which must consist solely of wood (Law 5.3, 2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026); the Laws do not name willow. Law 5.7.2 limits the blade to 4.25 in (10.8 cm) wide, 2.64 in (6.7 cm) deep and 1.56 in (4.0 cm) at the edges. Width was already limited before 2017; the 2017 Code added the depth and edge limits, which the ICC applied in international cricket from 28 September 2017. (The bat)

Bodyline

England's tactic in the 1932-33 Ashes in Australia, described by the historian Martin Williamson (ESPNcricinfo, 2007) as fast bowling aimed at the batter's body with a packed leg-side field, devised mainly to counter Don Bradman; England's captain was Douglas Jardine and its main fast bowler Harold Larwood, and England won the series 4-1. Williamson summarises a cable of 18 January 1933 in which the Australian Board of Control called the bowling unsportsmanlike, and MCC's reply; the original cable text was not read for this site. He records that MCC resolved at the end of the 1933 season that bowling aimed directly at the batter was against the spirit of the game. MCC's own history calls Bodyline England's answer to the problem of getting Bradman out. (Bodyline)

Border-Gavaskar Trophy

The trophy for India v Australia Test series. Australia won the 2024-25 series in Australia 3-1, clinching it with a six-wicket win at Sydney on 5 January 2025. The 2026-27 series, five Tests in India from 21 January to 3 March 2027, is upcoming on 22 October 2026. (Major Test series)

Boundary 4 and Boundary 6

Runs for the ball reaching the boundary, under Law 19.7 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026). A Boundary 6 is scored only if the ball was struck by the bat and first lands beyond the boundary without touching the ground inside the field, even if a fielder touched it first; a ball that reaches the boundary after landing inside it, or that was not struck by the bat, scores a Boundary 4. Under Law 16.6.3 the whole boundary allowance counts even if it takes the side past its winning target. (How a match works)

Bowled

A dismissal under Law 32 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026): the striker is out if the wicket is broken by a delivery that is not a No ball, even if the ball first touches the bat or person. New Law 32.1.2 says the striker is not out Bowled if the ball touched another player, the non-striker's wicket or an umpire first; MCC says this newly covers a straight hit that rebounds off the bowler's-end stumps onto the striker's wicket. (Dismissals)

Bowling crease

The white line marking the end of the pitch at each end, 8 ft 8 in (2.64 m) long, with the wicket at its centre (Laws 7.2 and 8.1, 2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026). (How a match works)

BS 7928

The British Standard for cricket head protectors, "Specification for head protectors for cricketers". BSI lists BS 7928:2013+A1:2019, published 30 June 2019, as current; the NSW coroner's findings date the earlier edition, BS 7928:2013, to December 2013; and the earlier BS 7928:1998 is named in NZC's Helmet Policy 2024-25. BSI says the standard covers head and neck protectors for adult and junior cricketers, with a drop test for impact attenuation and a projectile test for ball or faceguard contact with the face, but not testing with a women's-size ball. What the 2019 amendment added is reported two ways: the ICC says neck-protector specifications, while standards resellers, seen only in search summaries and unconfirmed, say a facial projectile test and junior ball sizes. Whether a helmet meets it is a matter for the standard's tests, and whether it may be worn is a matter for each body's rule. (Helmet standards)

BS 7928:2013 or BS 7928:2013+A1:2019 (ICC documents)

The ICC's own documents name different editions of the helmet standard. The ICC Clothing and Equipment Regulations (effective January 2024) require helmets worn in the mandatory positions to be certified to BS 7928:2013+A1:2019 and any other helmet worn to BS 7928:2013. The ICC Men's ODI Playing Conditions (effective October 2026) and Men's Test Match Playing Conditions (effective June 2025) list the same mandatory positions but say all helmets must be certified to BS 7928:2013. The ICC helmets page names BS 7928:2013 in the regulation and BS 7928:2013+A1:2019 as its 2019 update, and an ICC news item of 30 January 2018 says the BS 7928:2013 requirement for helmets worn while batting took effect on 1 January 2017. Each version is given here with its document; the rules of the competition decide. (Helmet rules by body)

BS 7928-2:2009

The British Standard for face protectors for cricket wicket-keepers, which BSI lists as current, published 31 December 2009. The ECB's Head Protector Regulations (2022 edition) let wicket-keepers standing up in the matches they covered wear a helmet or a face mask, and named BS 7928-2:2009 as the latest specification for face masks as of 1 February 2020. The ECB's Recreational Cricket Safety Regulations 2025 (Cornwall Cricket copy) let under-18 wicket-keepers standing up to the stumps in hardball cricket wear a face protector instead of a helmet with faceguard or grille. The ICC Clothing and Equipment Regulations (effective January 2024) require face protectors to be one plain colour. (Wicketkeeping gloves)

Bunny hop catch

MCC's informal name for a catch in which a fielder jumps from outside the boundary to knock the ball back into play. Law 19.5.2 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026) now lets a fielder who jumps from outside the boundary touch the ball only once while airborne, after which the fielder must be grounded wholly inside the boundary for the rest of that delivery. MCC says the ICC asked for the change and had already adopted it; the ICC announced it in June 2025. (The 2026 Laws changes)

Byes

Runs from a delivery, other than a Wide, that passes the striker without touching the bat or person (Law 23.1, 2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026). (Extras and results)

C

Captain

One of each side's eleven players (Law 1.1, 2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026). Captains nominate their players in writing to an umpire before the toss (Law 1.2), toss for the choice of batting or fielding (Laws 13.4 and 13.5) and are responsible for play being conducted within the Spirit of Cricket as well as the Laws (Laws 1.4 and 41.1). A substitute fielder may not act as captain (Law 24.1). (How a match works)

Caught

A dismissal under Law 33 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026): the striker is out if a delivery that is not a No ball touches the bat without first touching a fielder, and is then held by a fielder as a fair catch before it reaches the ground. Since the 2022 edition (Law 18.11), the new batter comes in at the striker's end after a catch, unless the over has ended, whether or not the batters had crossed. (Dismissals)

Centenary Test

The Australia v England Test at the MCG, 12 to 17 March 1977, marking 100 years since the first Test. The MCG's timeline and Cricket Australia record that Australia won by 45 runs, the same result and margin as in 1877. (The first Test and the Ashes)

Champions Trophy

An ICC men's one-day international tournament. The 2025 edition was won by India, who beat New Zealand by four wickets in the final in Dubai on 9 March 2025; the ICC said India became the first side to win it three times, after 2002 and 2013. That the 2002 title was shared with Sri Lanka after the final was washed out has not been confirmed against an ICC page. (Champions Trophy)

Close fielder

A fielder near the batter. Each body defines the zone in its own words: the ICC's helmet rule from 1 June 2023 covers fielders close to the batter in front of the wicket; the ECB's Head Protector Regulations (2022 edition) covered fielding closer than 8 yards from the batter's position on a middle-stump line, except behind square on the off side; NZC's Helmet Policy 2024-25 uses fielding within 7 metres of the stumps, excluding behind the wicket on the off side; and the Curtain review (2016) recommended helmets for close-in fielders other than slips. (Fielder and spectator safety)

Clothing and Equipment Regulations (ICC)

Section 19 of the ICC's regulations, effective from January 2024 for bilateral international cricket, setting what clothing and equipment may look like: plain white or cream shirts, sweaters and trousers in Tests; board colours that are not white, cream or a light colour in ODIs and T20Is; plain white batting pads in Tests; shoes at least 70% white, or matching the kit in ODIs and T20Is; one plain helmet colour per team; and thigh and shin pads worn out of sight. A match official may keep a player off the field until a non-compliant item is removed or covered, without a warning first. Event-specific ICC rules prevail at ICC events where they conflict. (Clothing and equipment rules)

Codes of Laws

The successive versions of the Laws as MCC lists them: the earliest known Code of 1744, drawn up by "Noblemen and Gentlemen" who used the Artillery Ground in London; revisions in 1755, 1774 and 1786; MCC's first Code, adopted on 30 May 1788; then new Codes in 1835, 1884, 1947, 1979 (in effect from 1980, with a second edition in 1992), 2000 and 2017. The ICC's shorter summary mentions only 1744 and 1774, saying the 1774 changes added lbw, a third (middle) stump and a maximum bat width; MCC's list is followed for dates. (The early Laws)

Commonwealth Games

The multi-sport Games, where cricket has appeared twice. An ICC history article, seen only as a search summary, records a men's 50-over event at Kuala Lumpur in 1998, won by South Africa against Australia in the final; women's T20 cricket made its first appearance at Birmingham 2022, where press reports record Australia beating India by nine runs in the final at Edgbaston on 7 August 2022. Cricket was not on the programme at Glasgow 2026. (Cricket at the Olympics)

Complete control

A term defined for the first time in Appendix A.2.7 and A.2.8 of the Laws (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026): a ball counts as held when held with complete control in the palm or fingers, including those of a wicket-keeper's glove. MCC says this matters for Run out and Stumped where the wicket is broken with the ball in hand, and is the same standard as for a catch. Wisden reported that MCC clarified on 8 October 2026 that the requirement applies only when a fielder breaks the wicket with hand or arm while holding the ball, so direct hits, deflections and kicks still count; MCC's statement itself was not read for this site, so that clarification is unconfirmed. (The 2026 Laws changes)

Concussion

The ICC's Concussion Management Guidelines (June 2025) adopt the consensus definition from the 2022 Amsterdam statement: a traumatic brain injury caused by a direct blow to the head, neck or body that transmits an impulsive force to the brain. The ICC says concussion is not common in cricket but carries possible short- and long-term health risks, that symptoms can be delayed by up to 48 hours, and that a diagnosis must not be overruled by the player, captain or coach. The ECB says helmets mainly reduce the risk of skull and face fracture rather than concussion. A suspected concussion needs medical care. (Concussion by board)

Concussion replacement

A substitute allowed to take a concussed player's place fully. The ICC approved concussion replacements in all men's and women's international cricket and in first-class cricket worldwide on 18 July 2019, in its playing conditions from 1 August 2019; the team medical representative decides, and the replacement must be like-for-like and approved by the match referee. Marnus Labuschagne, replacing Steve Smith at Lord's on 18 August 2019, was the first in Test cricket. ESPNcricinfo reported that from June 2025 the ICC's men's playing conditions require five designated replacements (a wicketkeeper, a batter, a seam bowler, a spin bowler and an all-rounder) to be named before each match. In Australian domestic cricket the first concussion substitute was used in October 2016. A suspected concussion needs medical care. (Concussion and replacements)

County Championship

England's first-class county competition. The ICC dates the official County Championship to 1890 and lists it as first-class in its Classification of Official Cricket (1 July 2026). In 2026 Warwickshire won Division One and Durham won Division Two unbeaten, according to ECB pages seen as search summaries. (Domestic first-class)

Cricket Australia

Australia's national governing body. Its history page says the Australasian Cricket Council, formed in March 1892, disbanded about seven years later; the Australian Board of Control for International Cricket was formed in 1905, renamed the Australian Cricket Board in 1973, and became Cricket Australia on 1 July 2003. (National boards)

Cricket World Cup (men's)

The ICC's men's one-day international world championship. The first, in England in 1975 with eight teams and 60-over innings, was won by West Indies, who beat Australia by 17 runs at Lord's on 21 June 1975; MCC says it was agreed in 1972, the ICC in 1973. The ICC says 1987 was the first played outside England and the first over 50 overs a side. Australia won the 2023 edition, beating India by six wickets in Ahmedabad on 19 November 2023 for a sixth title. The 2027 edition, in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia from 2 October to 21 November 2027 according to the ICC's schedule release (seen as a search summary), is upcoming. A women's World Cup came first, in 1973. (Men's ODI World Cup)

Curtain review

The independent review Cricket Australia commissioned after the death of Phillip Hughes, led by David Curtain QC, a Melbourne barrister. CA announced it on 14 May 2015, with terms covering protective equipment, helmet standards, concussion policy and medical cover but not the Laws or playing regulations except where they related to protective equipment or head and heart injuries, and released it on 11 May 2016. It found that the medical attention Hughes received played no part in his death, recommended helmets to the highest British standard for first-class batters facing fast or medium-pace bowling, and said neck guards should be required only once shown to be safe and effective. On concussion substitutes, cricket.com.au reported that it made no recommendation because the rules were outside its terms, while AFP reported that it said they could be considered. (The Curtain review)

D

Dangerous short-pitched bowling

Under Law 41.6 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026), short-pitched bowling is dangerous if the umpire judges that, given the striker's skill, its speed, length, height and direction make injury likely; any protective equipment the striker is wearing is to be disregarded (Law 41.6.1). The NSW coroner in 2016 recommended that Cricket Australia review its playing conditions on dangerous and unfair bowling to remove anomalies and give umpires more guidance. (Fielder and spectator safety)

Day-night Test

A Test played partly under floodlights. The ICC's Men's Test Match Playing Conditions (effective June 2025, clause 12.7.12) let a home board, with the visiting board's agreement and before the Test, seek ICC approval for one, with six hours of scheduled play a day. Cricket Australia announced on 30 June 2015 that the first, Australia v New Zealand with pink balls, would be played at Adelaide from 27 November to 1 December 2015. (Red, white and pink balls)

Dead ball

A ball that is no longer in play, under Law 20 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026). Since the 2026 edition the ball can be finally settled, and so dead, in any fielder's hands or stationary on the ground, not only with the bowler or wicket-keeper (Law 20.1.1.1). The 2022 edition added a Dead ball when either side is materially disadvantaged by a person, animal or object on the field (Law 20.4.2.12), and made a bowler's throw at the striker's wicket before entering the delivery stride a Dead ball rather than a No ball (Law 21.4). (The 2026 Laws changes)

Declaration

Closing an innings early. Under Law 15.1 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026), the batting captain may declare an innings closed at any time when the ball is dead, except in the final innings of the match; a declared innings counts as completed. MCC says the bar on declaring or forfeiting the final innings is new in 2026, because doing so was only ever used for contrived results. (Extras and results)

Deliberate short running

Under Law 18.5 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026), batters may turn back and abandon a run without penalty even after crossing, while deliberate short running must be an attempt to deceive; it is penalised with 5 Penalty runs and now also lets the fielding side choose which batter faces the next ball. MCC says the ICC had already adopted this in its playing conditions, which the ICC announced in June 2025. (Extras and results)

Disability cricket formats

Cricket for players with disabilities. The ECB's Head of Disability Cricket said on 3 December 2024 that the ECB runs five formats: PD (physical disability), Learning Disability, Deaf, Blind and Wheelchair. The ECB announced the same day a Pan-Disability international T20 series between England Men and India Men for June and July 2025, each side drawn from learning-disability, physical-disability and Deaf squads. (Disability cricket)

DLS method

The Duckworth/Lewis/Stern method, which the ICC uses to set a revised target for the side batting second in an interrupted limited-overs match (ICC Women's Championship 2025-2029 Playing Conditions, July 2026, clause 1.16); the target is always a whole number, and one run less is a tie. It was devised by the British statisticians Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis; the ICC says it was first trialled in ODIs in 1997, and Bond University says the ICC adopted it in 1999. The Australian statistician Steve Stern refined it, it was renamed in 2014, and a PTI report says the ICC introduced an updated version from 30 September 2018. (Duckworth-Lewis-Stern)

DLS Par Score

The DLS benchmark used to decide a limited-overs match that cannot be completed. Under the ICC's women's ODI playing conditions (July 2026), if the second innings is suspended with at least 20 overs bowled and cannot resume, the result is decided against the Par Score at the moment of suspension: level is a tie, otherwise a win or defeat by the runs above or below par. (Duckworth-Lewis-Stern)

D'Oliveira affair

The events of 1968 around Basil D'Oliveira, a South African-born Coloured cricketer playing for England. The historian Bruce Murray (1999) records that he was left out of the MCC party for South Africa chosen on 27 August 1968, named on 16 September after Tom Cartwright withdrew injured, and that on 17 September Prime Minister B.J. Vorster's government refused to accept the team as an MCC side; MCC then cancelled the tour, on 24 September 1968 according to secondary sources including Cricinfo's tour history. Why he was first left out is disputed: MCC said it was a cricket decision on merit, while critics alleged the selectors bowed to apartheid pressure, which was always denied, and no official finding was found either way. (South Africa: isolation and return)

Draw

Under Law 16.5 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026), any match not decided in one of the other ways the Law lists. It differs from a Tie, which needs all innings completed with the scores equal. (Extras and results)

DRS (Decision Review System)

The process under which the third umpire may be consulted about an on-field decision, either at the on-field umpire's request (Umpire Review) or a player's (Player Review). The ICC's women's ODI playing conditions (July 2026, Appendix D) allow DRS only if both boards agree and minimum technology, including approved ball-tracking and sound-based edge detection, is in place. Wikipedia (secondary) records that men's Tests have allowed two unsuccessful reviews per innings since late 2017, with three for a time during COVID-19; this is unconfirmed against a current men's ICC document. (Umpires and DRS)

Dukes, Kookaburra and SG

Three cricket ball makers. In an opinion blog (ESPN, 7 February 2009) the former India Test batter Aakash Chopra said the SG is used in India's Test cricket, Dukes (and Readers) balls in England's red-ball cricket, and the Kookaburra in most white-ball cricket and in Tests elsewhere; Wikipedia (secondary) says Dukes is used in England, the West Indies and Ireland. No ICC document read for this site names an approved brand: the ICC's playing conditions require balls of an approved standard and leave the brand to the home board, which must tell the visitors at least 30 days ahead. (Red, white and pink balls)

Dynamos Cricket

The ECB's programme for children aged 8 to 11, following All Stars Cricket. The ECB gives its start two ways: a February 2020 release launched it for the 2020 season, while an August 2021 release says it was introduced in 2021. (How people learn)

E

ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board)

The governing body for cricket in England and Wales; Wikipedia (secondary) says it was formed in 1997 as successor to the Test and County Cricket Board. Its rules cited on this site include its Head Protector Regulations (2022 edition; later editions are not used here), its Recreational Cricket Safety Regulations 2025 and its concussion guidelines. (National boards)

Elite Panel

The ICC's panel of umpires contracted to the ICC, as its women's ODI playing conditions (July 2026) define it, alongside the International and First-Class Panels nominated by Full Members, the Development Panel nominated by Full and Associate Members, and an International Panel of Referees. The ICC dates a full-time panel of eight elite umpires to 2002. (Umpires and DRS)

External protective equipment

The Laws' term (Appendix A.2.2, 2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026) for any visible item worn to protect against external blows. For a batter that is a protective helmet, external leg guards (batting pads), batting gloves and, if visible, forearm guards; a fielder may wear only a protective helmet, except the wicket-keeper, who may also wear keeping pads and gloves. Anything else worn counts as clothing (Appendix A.12.2). (Pads, gloves and guards)

Extras

No balls, Wides, Byes and Leg byes, the categories set out in Laws 21 to 23 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026), alongside Penalty runs. A No ball or a Wide carries a one-run penalty, scored as a No ball or Wide extra and debited to the bowler (Laws 21.14 and 22.7). (Extras and results)

F

Fast bowler (in junior rules)

Board rules that limit young fast bowlers define the term themselves. The ECB's Recreational Cricket Safety Regulations 2025 (Cornwall Cricket copy) count anyone who bowls even one ball at high intensity as a fast bowler and apply the limits by the player's own age, not the age group of the match; Cricket Ireland's Young Cricketer Directives 2020 define a fast bowler as one to whom a wicket-keeper of the same age would normally stand back, with the umpire having the final say. (Junior cricket rules)

Fielder (Law 28)

Any member of the fielding side. Under Law 28 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026), no fielder other than the wicket-keeper may wear gloves or external leg guards, and hand or finger protection needs the umpires' consent; fielding-side helmets not in use may be put only on the ground behind the wicket-keeper, in line with both sets of stumps, and a ball in play that hits one becomes dead, with 5 Penalty runs to the batting side unless certain other Laws apply (Law 28.3). New Law 24.2.1 (2026) requires fielders to be inside the field of play when the ball is released. (Fielder and spectator safety)

First helmet

Three different firsts are claimed, and each describes something different. MCC says Patsy Hendren is described as the first batter to wear protective headgear, in the summer of 1933; Sports Gazette (29 November 2024) credits Dennis Amiss with the first helmet of the modern era, in World Series Cricket in 1977, while a Wikipedia summary places his regular use in 1978; and Graham Yallop is credited with the first helmet worn in a Test, against West Indies at Bridgetown, Barbados, in March 1978. (The helmet)

First-class cricket

Under the ICC's Classification of Official Cricket (with effect from 1 July 2026), men's and women's matches of two innings per side, scheduled for three or more days, between sides of eleven, on natural turf pitches and substantially following the ICC's standard playing conditions. The ICC decides the status of matches in its own competitions, and otherwise the Full Member where the match is played; age-group matches up to under-19 are never first-class, and a concussed player may be replaced by a full playing substitute without the match losing its status. (Formats)

Follow-on

Under Law 14.1 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026), in a two-innings match the side batting first may require the other side to follow on, batting again straight away, if it leads by at least 200 runs in a match of 5 days or more, 150 runs in a 3 or 4 day match, 100 in a 2-day match or 75 in a 1-day match. If no play takes place on the first day, the margin follows the number of days remaining (Law 14.3). (Extras and results)

Footwear

The Laws (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026) contain no rule on footwear, shoes, boots or spikes. The ICC Clothing and Equipment Regulations (effective January 2024) list boots and shoes as cricket equipment and require them to be at least 70% white, including tongue and laces, with any colour on the rest; in ODIs and T20Is a shoe may instead be the colour of the playing kit. Rules on spikes were not researched for this site. (Footwear)

Forfeiture

Giving up an innings before it starts. Under Law 15.2 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026), a captain may forfeit either of the side's innings, except the final innings of the match, which MCC says is barred from 2026 because declaring or forfeiting it was only ever used for contrived results. (Extras and results)

Fourth umpire

In televised ICC matches with DRS, the fourth umpire acts as emergency on-field umpire (ICC Women's Championship 2025-2029 Playing Conditions, July 2026, clause 2.1.2). The ICC's Men's ODI Playing Conditions (effective October 2026) also have the fourth umpire take a box of at least six new balls to the dressing room and supervise the fielding captain's choice of ball. (Umpires and DRS)

Franchise league

A competition between franchise teams, such as the IPL and WPL in India, the Big Bash League in Australia, The Hundred in England, SA20, the PSL, the CPL and Major League Cricket. The ICC's Classification of Official Cricket (1 July 2026) counts franchise competitions in Full Member countries among List A and Twenty20 matches where the governing body grants that status, and the ICC's July 2026 Annual Conference created a Franchise Leagues Committee chaired by Tamim Iqbal of the Bangladesh Cricket Board. (Other leagues)

Full Member

The top tier of ICC membership, whose men's and women's teams may play Test matches. The ICC admitted Ireland and Afghanistan as Full Members on 22 June 2017, and trade press counts 12 Full Members since then. The ICC dates Test status to the founder members England, Australia and South Africa, then West Indies (1928), New Zealand (1930), India (1932), Pakistan (1952), Sri Lanka (1982), Zimbabwe (1992) and Bangladesh (2000). (The ICC)

G

Gillette Cup

English county cricket's first limited-overs knockout competition, which MCC says was modelled on football's FA Cup, with innings of 65 overs. MCC says the first final, at Lord's in 1963, was won by Sussex, captained by Ted Dexter, by 14 runs against Worcestershire; ESPNcricinfo's scorecard dates it 7 September 1963. (One-day and T20 cricket)

Golden Age

The ICC's name for the period from 1890 to the First World War, for which it names W.G. Grace, Wilfred Rhodes, C.B. Fry, Ranjitsinhji and Victor Trumper. (Origins)

Greig v Insole

The 1977 High Court case in London in which Tony Greig, John Snow and Mike Procter, backed by Kerry Packer's company, challenged the bans on players who joined World Series Cricket. Mr Justice Slade found for the players, holding the bans to be an unreasonable restraint of trade; the case is reported as Greig v Insole [1978] 1 WLR 302. ESPNcricinfo prints the judgment date as 26 November 1977, while other reports give 25 November. (World Series Cricket)

Guildford deposition

The earliest generally accepted reference to cricket: a deposition in a Guildford, Surrey, court case over a plot of land, dated 1597 in the calendar of the time, which is January 1598 by modern reckoning (Wikipedia, secondary). In it John Derrick, a coroner aged 59, said that as a schoolboy about fifty years earlier he and his friends had played "creckett" on that land. Secondary summaries give the day as 17 January 1597 Old Style or 27 January 1598 New Style, and the original record was not found online. Where the game began remains a matter of theory: the ICC mentions children in the Weald and bowls, and others propose Flemish weavers. (Origins)

H

Hambledon Club

The Hampshire club the ICC calls the focal point of the game for about thirty years, until MCC was formed and Lord's opened in 1787. (Origins)

Hamstring strain

A strain of the hamstring muscles. Orchard, Kountouris and Sims (Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine, December 2016), analysing elite Australian male cricketers over ten seasons from 2006-07, found it the most common injury by incidence, about 8.7 per 100 players per season and the top injury in every season from 2007-08, and linked its rise to the growth of T20 cricket. A suspected injury needs medical care. (Injuries named)

Hand and finger injuries

A study of New Zealand ACC injury claims from cricket, 2005 to 2016 (BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine, 2022), found hand and finger injuries had the highest pooled rate, 9.2 per 1,000 participants, followed by the lumbar spine, and recommended prevention aimed at contact injuries to the hands, fingers and head among players aged 10 to 20. A ten-year review at one English first-class county (Ribbans, Chaudhry and Goudriaan, 2021) recorded 45 hand injuries, about 11% of which needed surgery. A suspected injury needs medical care. (Injuries named)

Handle

One of the bat's two parts, with the blade (Law 5.1, 2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026). It is made principally of cane and/or wood (Law 5.2); except for bats of size 6 and smaller it may be at most 52% of the bat's overall length (Law 5.7.3); and Appendix B.2.3 limits other materials to one tenth of its volume for Type A and B bats and one fifth for Types C and D. (The bat)

Handled the ball

A former separate way of being out. The 2017 Code deleted it and merged it into Obstructing the field, cutting the number of ways to be out from ten to nine, according to the Club Cricket Conference's report of the Code. (Dismissals)

Head Protector (ECB)

The ECB's term, in its Head Protector Regulations (2022 edition), for the complete assembly of helmet, faceguard and neck protector, with compliant headgear meaning headgear certified to the most recent BSI specification for the size of ball used; for wicket-keepers that could be a helmet or a face mask. The regulations named, as of 1 February 2020, BS 7928:2013+A1:2019 for head protectors, BS 7928:2013 for helmets and BS 7928-2:2009 for face masks, and required a head protector in women's cricket to be certified against both the men's and the junior ball. Those regulations made compliant headgear mandatory in the matches they covered, unless the ECB agreed otherwise, when batting against all types of bowling, keeping wicket standing up and fielding closer than 8 yards on a middle-stump line except behind square on the off side, and said headgear altered against the maker's guidance was not compliant. The ECB's concussion guidelines list later regulations, which are not used on this site. (Helmet rules by body)

High full-pitched delivery

A full toss that arrives high, dealt with under Law 41.7. MCC says the 2nd Edition of the 2017 Code (in force from 1 April 2019) reworked Law 41.7 to give umpires more say on whether such a delivery is dangerous, and defined the waist in the Laws for the first time. In the 2026 edition, as with short-pitched bowling, any protective equipment the striker wears is disregarded when judging whether bowling is dangerous. (Fielder and spectator safety)

Hit the ball twice

A dismissal under Law 34 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026): the striker is out if, after the ball has struck the bat or person and before a fielder has touched it, the striker wilfully strikes it again with bat or person (other than a hand not holding the bat), except solely to guard the wicket. (Dismissals)

Hit wicket

A dismissal under Law 35 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026): the striker is out if, after the bowler enters the delivery stride and while the ball is in play, the striker breaks their own wicket with bat or person while preparing to receive or receiving a delivery, among other listed circumstances. MCC says the 2026 edition makes receiving the ball last until the batter regains balance after the shot, and protects a striker when a detached piece of equipment touches another player first or a fielder knocks the striker onto the stumps. Under Law 29.2.1.4, the detached equipment that can break the wicket does not include the striker's protective helmet or any part of it as defined in Appendix A.2.3, and the 3rd Edition (2022) has the same wording; separately, ESPNcricinfo reported that the ECB's playing conditions excluded the striker's helmet in its competitions from the 2021 season. (Dismissals)

Hundred, The

The ECB's 100-ball competition for men's and women's teams, launched in 2021 according to MCC. Its official rules page (2026) gives 100 balls per innings, ends changed every 10 balls, bowlers delivering 5 or 10 consecutive balls, at most 20 balls per bowler, a 25-ball powerplay with two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle, and one strategic timeout per bowling side of up to 90 seconds; the ECB's original announcement, seen only as a search summary, allowed two and a half minutes. Manchester Super Giants (men) and Trent Rockets (women) won in 2026. The official winners list uses 2026 team names, so titles won as Oval Invincibles appear under MI London and as Northern Superchargers under SunRisers Leeds. (The Hundred)

I

ICC (International Cricket Council)

The body the ICC and MCC call the sport's global governing body; MCC remains the guardian of the Laws. The ICC and MCC date its founding meeting to 15 June 1909 at Lord's, as the Imperial Cricket Conference of England, Australia and South Africa; it became the International Cricket Conference in July 1965 and, the ICC says, the International Cricket Council in July 1989 (one secondary source gives 1987). The ICC says it moved its headquarters from Lord's to Dubai in 2005. On 15 July 2026 it said it had 111 Members. Jay Shah has been Chair since 1 December 2024 and Sanjog Gupta Chief Executive since 7 July 2025. (The ICC)

ICC team rankings

The ICC's rolling tables of team strength in each format, which change after every series. At its annual update of 11 May 2026, which counts matches since May 2025 in full and those from the two years before at 50%, Australia led the men's Test, women's ODI and women's T20I tables and India the men's ODI and T20I tables. The ICC Men's T20I rankings on 31 December 2026 decide the remaining automatic men's places at LA28. (Events)

If in doubt, sit them out

The slogan of the ECB's Recreational Cricket Concussion Guidelines. NZC's Concussion Policy 2024-25 applies "if in any doubt, sit them out" to matches without medical staff, where the umpires decide to remove a player, who may not return until a medical doctor has excluded concussion and cleared the return. The ECB says anyone with a suspected concussion should be assessed by a healthcare professional, or by calling NHS 111, within 24 hours. A suspected concussion needs medical care. (Concussion by board)

Illegal bowling action

An action the ICC's Illegal Bowling Regulations (effective 1 July 2018, Article 2.1) define as one with elbow extension of more than 15 degrees, measured from when the bowling arm reaches the horizontal until the ball is released. The ICC explains that research found almost all actions involve some straightening, and that above 15 degrees it becomes visible to the naked eye and starts to look like a throw. Wisden, seen only in a search summary, dates the single 15-degree limit to November 2004. (Overarm bowling)

Imperial Cricket Conference

The ICC's original name. The ICC and MCC date its founding meeting to 15 June 1909 at Lord's, where England, Australia and South Africa agreed to hold a triangular Test tournament; the ICC says the body itself was set up at a second meeting about a month later. MCC says it was largely an adjunct of MCC until the late 1920s. It became the International Cricket Conference in 1965. (The ICC through the years)

Indian Premier League (IPL)

The BCCI's men's franchise Twenty20 league. Its first match, Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kolkata Knight Riders at Bengaluru on 18 April 2008, was won by Kolkata. Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the 2026 title, beating Gujarat Titans by five wickets in Ahmedabad; the IPL's match page dates the final 31 May 2026, while some press pages are dated 1 June 2026. (IPL and WPL)

Innings

A side's turn to bat. Under Law 13 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026), a match is of one or two innings per side, as agreed before the match, and innings may be limited by overs or by time; an innings is complete when the side is all out, no further batter is available, the captain declares or forfeits, or the agreed overs or time run out. (How a match works)

International Women's Cricket Council

The body that oversaw international women's cricket before the ICC took it over. The ICC and MCC date its founding to 1958; the ICC says it oversaw international women's cricket at the time of the 1973 Women's World Cup and merged with the ICC in 2005. (Women's cricket history)

J

Junior fast-bowling limits

Limits on how much young fast or pace bowlers may bowl, which differ by board and by status. The ECB's Recreational Cricket Safety Regulations 2025 (Cornwall Cricket copy) set mandatory maximums for players aged 19 or under in hardball cricket, from 4 overs a spell and 8 a day at 11 and under to 7 a spell and 18 a day at 18 and 19. Cricket Australia's 2026 guidelines recommend, for example, 5 overs a spell and 12 a match day at 13 to 15. Cricket Ireland's Young Cricketer Directives 2020 set 6 a spell and 12 a day for under-14s and under-15s. For a 14-year-old that is 5 and 12 (ECB), 5 and 12 (CA) and 6 and 12 (Cricket Ireland). (Junior cricket rules)

Junior helmet rules

Each board publishes its own rule. The ECB's Recreational Cricket Safety Regulations 2025 (Cornwall Cricket copy) make a helmet with faceguard or grille mandatory in hardball cricket for under-18s batting against a hard ball in matches and practice, for under-18 wicket-keepers standing up to the stumps (who may wear a face protector instead) and for 16- and 17-year-olds fielding within 8 yards (7.3 m) of the striking batter, and do not accept written parental consent to go without one, as the ECB and PCA's guidance of 24 August 2016 had already said; Cricket Ireland's Young Cricketer Directives 2020 require a helmet for any batter under 18 on the day of the match and a head protector for any wicket-keeper under 18 standing up to the stumps, at any speed of bowling; NZC's Helmet Policy 2024-25 makes helmets with a face guard mandatory for junior and youth hardball players under 19 when batting, keeping within 5 metres of the stumps or fielding within 7 metres. No national Cricket Australia rule making helmets mandatory for junior community cricketers was found; CA strongly recommends them in community cricket. (Junior cricket rules)

K

Kashmir willow

Willow grown in Kashmir for cricket bats. Bat makers quoted by Cosmos (republished by The Canberra Times, 28 January 2023) claim that English and Kashmir willow are both Salix alba and genetically the same, differing because of where they grow; those are makers' claims. Kashmir Life reported on 7 March 2022 that research for a geographical indication (GI) application for Kashmir willow bats had been completed; a 2026 explainer, seen only as a search summary, says the GI tag was granted in 2025, which is unconfirmed. (Willow and bat-making)

King Commission

The commission at which Hansie Cronje, the former South Africa captain, made admissions in June 2000 about dealings with bookmakers between 1996 and 2000 and about offering team-mates inducements to underperform. On that basis the United Cricket Board of South Africa's general council banned him for life from all its cricket activities, announced on 12 October 2000. The date of the resolution is given as October 2000 by AAP and November 2000 by a Mail and Guardian piece seen only in a search summary. (Match-fixing and official findings)

Knocking-in and oiling

Bat preparation practices that are commonly named. This site names them only and gives no procedure; the maker's instructions and qualified advice apply. The Laws (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026, Appendix B.4.1) allow the blade to be treated with non-solid materials to resist moisture or mask blemishes, provided this does not materially change its colour or dry into a hard layer thicker than 0.01 cm. (Bat care, named)

L

LA28

The 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, where cricket returns for the first time since Paris 1900. The IOC approved T20 cricket as one of five added sports on 16 October 2023. The ICC and IOC confirmed on 29 June 2026 a men's and a women's T20 event of six teams each, with squads of 15 and 28 matches in all, at the Fairgrounds in Pomona; five places per event come through ICC events and rankings and the sixth through a 2027 Olympics Qualifier. The ICC gives these matches T20I status. On 22 October 2026 the event is upcoming. (Cricket at the Olympics)

Laws of Cricket

The rules of the game, written by MCC, which says it has been recognised since its formation in 1787 as the sole authority for the Code and holds the world copyright. The current text is the 2017 Code 4th Edition (2026), in force from 1 October 2026: 42 Laws plus appendices, opening with a Preamble on the Spirit of Cricket. Leagues and governing bodies add their own playing conditions on top, and MCC says the ICC and national boards decide whether to adopt each Law change. (The MCC and the Laws)

Laws sub-committee

The MCC committee that debates, decides and drafts changes to the Laws, which MCC's Cricket Committee and Main Committee then ratify. MCC set it up in 2007 in place of the Laws Working Party; on 5 May 2010 MCC members agreed that the MCC Committee may change the Laws without seeking their approval. (The MCC and the Laws)

LBW (leg before wicket)

A dismissal under Law 36 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026). The striker is out LBW only if all of these apply: the delivery is not a No ball; it lands in line between wicket and wicket or on the off side (or is intercepted before landing); it hits the striker's person without first touching the bat; the impact is between wicket and wicket, or outside off stump if the striker made no genuine attempt to play the ball with the bat; and it would have hit the wicket. The ICC says lbw entered the Laws in the 1774 revision. (Dismissals)

Leg byes

Runs taken after the ball first hits the striker's person, allowed only if the umpire is satisfied that the striker tried to play it with the bat or tried to avoid being hit (Law 23.2, 2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026). (Extras and results)

Leg theory

A bowling approach named in MCC's honours-board entry for Frank Foster, which calls him one of its pioneers and says Douglas Jardine consulted him before the 1932-33 Bodyline tour. Today Law 28.4 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026) allows no more than two fielders, other than the wicket-keeper, behind the popping crease on the on side at the moment of delivery. (Bodyline)

List A

The ICC's category for senior limited-overs matches: ODIs, and one-day, one-innings matches of at least 40 overs per side at state, county or provincial level or above, including franchise competitions in Full Member countries, that the governing body accords that status; a match cut below 40 overs by weather keeps it. The ICC says List A was created by the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians and that since 2007 the ICC has owned the definition and left decisions to Full Members (ICC Classification of Official Cricket, 1 July 2026). (Formats)

Lord's

The London ground of MCC. MCC says Thomas Lord laid out his first ground at Dorset Fields in St Marylebone in 1787, with MCC founded in connection with it that year; MCC dates the first match there to 31 May 1787, while Wikipedia and Westminster Guides give 21 May. Britannica, seen only in a search summary, says Lord's moved to its present St John's Wood site in 1814, which is unconfirmed. The ICC had its headquarters at Lord's until it moved to Dubai in 2005. (Origins)

Lumbar stress fracture

A stress fracture of the lower spine. Orchard, Kountouris and Sims (2016) found it the most prevalent injury among elite Australian male cricketers from 2006-07 to 2015-16, keeping about 1.9% of players out at any time and accounting for about 15% of all missed playing time; fast bowlers had the highest overall injury prevalence, about 20.6%. Cricket Australia's junior bowling guidelines (2026) identify teenage pace bowlers as at highest risk of lumbar bone stress injury, with sudden workload increases and rapid growth as risk factors. A suspected injury needs medical care. (Injuries named)

M

Mandatory helmet positions (ICC)

From 1 June 2023 the ICC made helmets mandatory in international cricket for batters facing fast bowling, wicket-keepers standing up to the stumps and fielders close to the batter in front of the wicket, starting with the England v Ireland Test at Lord's and applying to the World Test Championship final from 7 June 2023 (ICC, 15 May 2023). The ICC Clothing and Equipment Regulations (effective January 2024) word the batting position as against pace bowlers, and the ICC's documents differ on which edition of BS 7928 applies. Other bodies' rules are wider or narrower: the ECB's 2022 regulations covered batting against all types of bowling, including spin. Helmets are not concussion prevention: the ECB says they mainly reduce the risk of skull and face fracture. (Helmet rules by body)

Match referee

The ICC official to whom, under the ICC's women's ODI playing conditions (July 2026), each captain nominates eleven players and up to four substitute fielders before the toss. The match referee approves concussion replacements, with a decision that is final, and may reinstate an unsuccessful DRS review if the technology failed, but not where it worked and the evidence was simply inconclusive. (Umpires and DRS)

Match-fixing (official decisions)

Corruptly arranging a match result or part of a match. This site records only official decisions, each with the body, the date and the sanction, and any later court ruling. According to press reports, the BCCI banned Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Sharma for life on 5 December 2000, and a division bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court declared Azharuddin's ban illegal in November 2012 (ESPNcricinfo's report is dated 8 November; one source gives 6 November). A Pakistani judicial commission recommended a life ban for Salim Malik in 2000, which the PCB imposed and a Lahore civil court lifted on 23 October 2008. The United Cricket Board of South Africa banned Hansie Cronje for life in 2000. (Match-fixing and official findings)

MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club)

The club, founded in 1787, that writes the Laws of Cricket and holds their world copyright. Who founded it is told two ways: MCC ties its founding to the gentlemen of the White Conduit Club and Thomas Lord's new ground, while the ICC's history page says members of the Star and Garter Club, who had drawn up the Laws, founded it at Lord's. MCC says a vote in September 1998 opened its membership to women (The Cricket Monthly and The Lawyer, seen only as search summaries, date it 27 and 28 September), and Clare Connor became its first female President in 2021. (The MCC and the Laws)

Minimum fielding distances (juniors)

Distances young fielders must keep from the striking batter, even when wearing protective equipment. The ECB's Recreational Cricket Safety Regulations 2025 (Cornwall Cricket copy) set 11 yards (10 m) for ages 10 to 13 and 8 yards (7.3 m) for ages 14 and 15, with no minimum at 16 and 17 but, in hardball cricket, a helmet required within 8 yards, measured from the batter's position on the popping crease on a middle-stump line, except behind the wicket-keeper on the off side. Cricket Ireland's Young Cricketer Directives 2020 set 8 yards (7.3 m) for under-15s and younger and 11 yards (10 m) for under-13s and younger, except behind the wicket on the off side. (Junior cricket rules)

N

Neck protector

A protector fitted to the back of a helmet, in Cricket Australia's wording, which the ICC says is aimed at injuries to the back of the head and upper neck; it is also called a neck guard or stem guard. The Laws (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026, Appendix A.2.3) count neck guards as part of the protective helmet, and the ICC says BS 7928:2013+A1:2019 added neck-protector specifications with a coverage and drop test. Rules differ: the ICC's regulations and playing conditions make one optional in international cricket; Cricket Australia requires one for batters facing fast or medium pace in all CA-sanctioned competitions from 2023-24; and NZC's 2024-25 policy requires one for its international and Major Association domestic players against fast or medium pace. The NSW coroner found Phillip Hughes was struck on an area of the neck not protected by his helmet and recommended continued work towards a neck protector that could be mandated in first-class cricket. (Neck protectors)

New ball

Under Law 4.3 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026), either captain may demand a new ball at the start of each innings unless agreed otherwise, and under Law 4.4, in a match scheduled for more than one day, the fielding captain may take a new ball once 80 or more overs have been bowled with the old one; MCC added the word "scheduled" in 2026 so this still applies if a multi-day match is shortened to one day. In men's ODIs two new balls are used from alternate ends for overs 1 to 34, after which the fielding side keeps one of them (from 2 July 2025; ICC Men's ODI Playing Conditions, effective October 2026). The ICC's women's ODI playing conditions (July 2026) keep two new balls, with one per innings in a match cut to 25 overs or fewer a side before it starts. (The ball)

No ball

An illegal delivery, called under Law 21 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026). It carries a one-run penalty, scored as a No ball extra and debited to the bowler, and does not count as one of the over (Laws 21.14 to 21.16); a call of No ball overrides a call of Wide (Law 21.12). Since 2026 a bouncer passing over head height is a Wide in Law rather than a No ball, and since 2022 a delivery that would force the striker to play it from off the pitch is a No ball (Law 25.8). Under the ICC's women's ODI playing conditions (July 2026, Appendix D), in televised matches the third umpire checks replays of the bowler's front foot and tells the bowler's end umpire when to call No ball. (Extras and results)

No Result

An outcome in ICC limited-overs playing conditions when a match cannot be constituted. Under the ICC's women's ODI playing conditions (July 2026), unless both teams have had the chance to bat at least 20 overs, the result is a No Result unless a match is awarded. The Laws themselves (Law 16, 2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026) describe results as a win, a Tie or a Draw. (Extras and results)

Non-striker run out

Running out a non-striker who leaves the ground early. Under Law 38.3 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026), the bowler may run out a non-striker who is out of their ground from the moment the ball comes into play until the bowler's arm reaches the highest point of the normal bowling action. The 2022 edition moved this from Law 41 (Unfair play) to Law 38 (Run out) without changing its wording, and the ICC treated it as a normal run out from 1 October 2022; MCC says the 2026 rewording makes it clearer without changing its meaning. (Dismissals)

O

Obstructing the field

A dismissal under Law 37 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026): either batter is out if, while the ball is in play, they wilfully try to obstruct or distract the fielding side by word or action. New in 2026, a batter who drops or throws the bat to hit the ball or to avoid dismissal is liable to be out this way (Law 37.1.3), after which the fielding captain chooses which batter takes strike (Law 37.5.2). The 2017 Code merged Handled the ball into this Law. (Dismissals)

ODI (One Day International)

Under the ICC's Classification of Official Cricket (1 July 2026), a match under the ICC's standard ODI playing conditions between teams in the men's or women's World Cup and its qualifying events or the Men's Asia Cup, between two Full Members, or involving Associates with ODI status (eight men's and five women's teams on that date). The ICC's women's ODI playing conditions (July 2026) set one innings per side of at most 50 overs, scheduled for one day. The first men's ODI, Australia v England at the MCG on 5 January 1971, replaced a washed-out Test. The first women's ODIs came at the 1973 Women's World Cup, so women did not play ODIs before men, although they did have a World Cup and T20 internationals first. (Formats)

On-side fielding limit (Law 28.4)

Under Law 28.4 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026), at the moment of delivery no more than two fielders, other than the wicket-keeper, may be behind the popping crease on the on side, with No ball called for a breach; the 1980 Code had the same limit as Law 41.2. Martin Williamson (ESPNcricinfo, 2007) says MCC limited fielders behind square on the leg side to two after Bodyline, making the tactic unworkable. When the limit arrived is unconfirmed: Wikipedia's article on fielding (secondary, seen only as a search summary) gives 1957, and an ESPNcricinfo article dates a clause in the then Law 44 to 1960. Wisden reported England conceding a No ball under it in an ODI against Australia at Durham in September 2024. (Bodyline)

Over

Under Law 17.1 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026), the ball is bowled from each end alternately in overs of 6 valid balls; No balls, Wides and balls called dead before the striker could play them do not count (Law 17.3); if the umpire miscounts, the over as counted stands (Law 17.5); and a bowler may not bowl two consecutive overs, or parts of them, in the same innings (Law 17.6). Earlier editions and secondary summaries describe an over simply as 6 balls. The ICC records that a 1921 meeting of the Imperial Cricket Conference dealt mainly with eight-ball overs. (How a match works)

Overarm bowling

Bowling with the arm above the shoulder. Martin Williamson (ESPNcricinfo, 2006) records Edgar Willsher being no-balled six times in a row for it by umpire John Lillywhite at The Oval on 26 August 1862; the ICC dates its legalisation to 1864, and Williamson says MCC changed the Laws for the 1864 season so that the bowler could do anything except throw the ball. A day of 10 June 1864 is given only by Wikipedia (secondary). (Overarm bowling)

Overthrow

Defined in the Laws for the first time in 2026 (Law 19.8, 2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026) as an attempt to direct the ball at the stumps to stop runs or to run a batter out; MCC says a misfield is not an overthrow. (The 2026 Laws changes)

P

Pads

External leg guards. For a batter they are external protective equipment (Appendix A.2.2, 2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026), and among fielders only the wicket-keeper may wear them (Laws 27.1 and 28.1). The ICC Clothing and Equipment Regulations (effective January 2024) require plain white batting and keeping pads in Tests, and plain coloured pads, not white or a light colour and uniform across the team, in ODIs and T20Is, and do not permit discoloured or faded pads. (Pads, gloves and guards)

Penalty runs

Awards of 5 runs to either side for offences set out in the Laws (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026), signalled by the umpire under Law 2.13: for example deliberate short running (Law 18.5.2), a ball in play hitting a fielding-side helmet on the ground (Law 28.3) or, since 2022, unfair movement by the fielding side (Laws 27.4 and 28.6). Under Law 41.17.2 they may be awarded until the umpires leave the field at the end of the match, and if they undo the result, play continues. The ICC also awards them for saliva on the ball (Men's ODI Playing Conditions, effective October 2026, clause 41.3) and for repeated breaches of the stop clock (ICC, 15 March 2024 for white-ball internationals, and 27 June 2025 for Tests). (Extras and results)

Phillip Hughes inquest

The NSW inquest into the death of the Australian batter Phillip Hughes, held from 10 to 14 October 2016 before Magistrate Michael Barnes, NSW State Coroner, who delivered findings on 4 November 2016. The coroner found that Hughes died on 27 November 2014 of a traumatic basal subarachnoid haemorrhage, two days after being accidentally struck by a ball while batting in a first-class match at the Sydney Cricket Ground; that he was hit on an area of the neck not protected by his helmet, which had not malfunctioned; that no one was to blame; and that the death was a tragic accident. His four recommendations included that Cricket Australia keep working towards a neck protector that could be mandated at least in first-class matches. (Phillip Hughes and the inquest)

Pink ball

The ball used in day-night Tests. cricket.com.au reported in July 2014 that Kookaburra had supplied a harder pink ball for trial, with a green seam, after earlier pink balls went soft and the white seam was hard to see; a Kookaburra manager quoted by Cosmos, seen only in a search summary, described a black seam, so the seam colour is given two ways and may reflect different stages of development. AAP reported on 2 June 2026 that the ICC Board had approved trialling a pink ball in Tests when bad light is expected, with both teams' prior agreement; reports that this applies to series starting on or after 1 October 2026 are unconfirmed, since AAP gave no start date. (Red, white and pink balls)

Pitch

The rectangle between the two sets of stumps: 22 yards (20.12 m) long and 10 ft (3.05 m) wide (Law 6.1, 2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026). The umpires are the sole judges of its fitness for play (Law 6.2); it may be changed during a match only if the umpires judge it dangerous or unreasonable and both captains consent (Law 6.4); and the national governing body sets its length for junior cricket (Law 6.6). MCC says the 2026 edition uses "pitch" only for this area and says "landing" or "bouncing" where the ball hits the ground. (How a match works)

Pitching Zone, Impact Zone and Wicket Zone

The areas DRS ball-tracking uses for LBW, as the ICC's women's ODI playing conditions (July 2026, clauses 5.11 to 5.13) define them: the Pitching Zone is the area between the two sets of stumps, as wide as the outer stumps; the Impact Zone is that footprint extended upward without limit; and the Wicket Zone is bounded by the outer stumps, their base and the outline of the top of the bails. The ICC announced in June 2025 that the Wicket Zone is now the actual outline of the stumps and bails. (Umpires and DRS)

Player Review

A DRS review requested by a player. Under the ICC's women's ODI playing conditions (July 2026, Appendix D), it may be requested of any decision on whether a batter is out, except Timed out; only the batter involved may challenge an Out decision and only the fielding captain a Not out decision, with a "T" sign made with both forearms no more than 15 seconds after the ball becomes dead. Each team may make at most two unsuccessful reviews per innings, and a review that stands only because of Umpire's Call does not count. The current men's limit is unconfirmed against an ICC men's document. (Umpires and DRS)

Playing conditions

The rules a governing body adds to the Laws for its own matches. MCC's preface says leagues and governing bodies add playing regulations, for example for junior, T20 and Test cricket, usually leaving the fundamentals unchanged; the ICC's women's ODI playing conditions (July 2026) say the Laws are incorporated within them and then varied for the format. The ICC publishes separate Men's Test (effective June 2025) and Men's ODI (effective October 2026) playing conditions. (The MCC and the Laws)

Popping crease

The crease 4 ft (1.22 m) in front of, and parallel to, the bowling crease, marked at least 6 ft (1.83 m) either side of the middle-stump line and treated as unlimited in length (Law 7.3, 2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026). Board safety rules measure close-fielding distances from the batter's position on it, for example the ECB's Recreational Cricket Safety Regulations 2025 (Cornwall Cricket copy). (How a match works)

Powerplay

Overs with fielding restrictions. The ICC's women's ODI playing conditions (July 2026, clause 28.7.2) allow no more than two fielders outside the fielding restriction area in overs 1 to 10 of a 50-over innings, and no more than four in the remaining overs; The Hundred's rules give a 25-ball powerplay with two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. The men's ODI restrictions for overs 41 to 50 were not confirmed against a men's ICC document. (Formats)

Q

Qayyum commission

A Pakistani judicial commission headed by Malik Mohammad Qayyum, a retired Lahore High Court judge, that inquired into match-fixing by Pakistan players. The PCB accepted its 2000 recommendation of a life ban for Salim Malik and imposed it; on 23 October 2008 a civil court in Lahore lifted Malik's ban, ruling that the commission had no authority to impose one (Dawn, 24 October 2008). (Match-fixing and official findings)

R

Ranji Trophy

India's domestic first-class competition. The 2025-26 final at Hubballi, Karnataka v Jammu and Kashmir, was drawn on 28 February 2026, and Jammu and Kashmir won their first Ranji Trophy on first-innings lead, according to BCCI video captions and press reports. (Domestic first-class)

Rebel tours

Unofficial tours by international players to South Africa during its isolation, which the ICC says took place from the 1970s into the 1980s. Which South African body ran them is given two ways: the ICC's history page names the South African Cricket Board, while the United Cricket Board's own history points to the South African Cricket Union, whose Ali Bacher announced an end to rebel tours on 1 April 1990. The ICC says a special meeting in 1989 agreed rules that in effect barred players with sporting links to South Africa from Test cricket. (South Africa: isolation and return)

Recall

A regulator's notice withdrawing a product from sale and use. The only cricket recall this site records from a regulator's own page is Health Canada's of 14 August 2023: junior cricket sets from Garden Games and Big Game Hunters (product code 530) were recalled because they may contain lead and/or phthalates above allowable limits, with 73 units sold in Canada and no incidents reported there. No regulator recall of a cricket helmet was found. (Recalls)

Replacement player

Under Law 1.2.3 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026), a player who replaces another after the toss, with the opposing captain's consent, counts as the same player: they may not bat in an innings in which the replaced player has already completed their innings, and they inherit any unserved penalty time, warnings or suspensions. The 2022 edition introduced this treatment, then numbered Law 1.3. (How a match works)

Return crease

Lines at right angles to the popping crease, 4 ft 4 in (1.32 m) either side of the middle-stump line, marked at least 8 ft (2.44 m) behind it and treated as unlimited in length (Law 7.4, 2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026). (How a match works)

Return to play after concussion

Minimum times before a concussed player may play again, which differ by body and level and are given here each with its body and date. The ICC requires a seven-day stand-down (Concussion Management Guidelines, June 2025, worded for a match in which a replacement is activated; a PTI report described it as applying to any player diagnosed in a match; the February 2024 edition had no stand-down clause). The ECB's professional guidelines (current in 2026) set at least 7 days for low-risk adults aged 19 or over, 12 days for ages 17 and 18 or higher-risk adults, and 21 days for ages 12 to 16. The ECB's recreational guidelines say no return to competitive cricket before 21 days, with at least 14 days free of symptoms. Cricket Australia's community guidelines say at least 21 days, cleared by a doctor. A suspected concussion needs medical care. (Concussion by board)

Roundarm bowling

Bowling with the arm raised out to the side, at most to shoulder height. Martin Williamson (ESPNcricinfo, 2006) says the Laws were changed in 1816 to ban it, that John Willes was no-balled for it at Lord's on 15 July 1822, and that MCC allowed the hand up to elbow height in 1828 and rewrote the Laws in 1835 to permit roundarm; sources differ on which step counts as legalisation, 1828 or 1835. Who invented it is disputed in accounts reported by Wikipedia (secondary, partly seen only as a search summary): a popular story credits Willes's sister Christiana, which John Major doubts, and other accounts credit Tom Walker of Hambledon. (Overarm bowling)

Run out

A dismissal under Law 38 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026): either batter is out if, while the ball is in play, they are out of their ground and their wicket is fairly broken by a fielder's action or by the ball rebounding off a fielder, whether or not a run is being attempted and even if No ball was called, subject to the exceptions in Law 38.2. Where the wicket is broken with the ball in hand, the 2026 standard of complete control applies. (Dismissals)

S

Safe Hands

The ECB's safeguarding policy, named here only; its contents are not summarised on this site. Its current edition is dated March 2026 in its ECB web address, which was seen in a search result, and the policy itself was not opened. The ECB's Recreational Cricket Safety Regulations 2025 (Cornwall Cricket copy) require clubs to follow Safe Hands when juniors play open-age cricket, with appropriately DBS-checked adults supervising them. (Safeguarding)

Saliva ban

The 3rd Edition of the Laws (2022, Law 41.3) banned using saliva on the ball, treating it like other unfair ways of changing its condition, and the ICC made its COVID-19 saliva ban permanent from 1 October 2022. Under clause 41.3 of the ICC's Men's ODI (effective October 2026) and Men's Test (effective June 2025) playing conditions, if the umpires believe saliva has been applied the batting side receives five Penalty runs and the ball is replaced, unless they believe it was applied deliberately to get the ball changed. ESPNcricinfo reported in June 2025 that deliberate use no longer forces a ball change; that report is unconfirmed against the ICC's own page. (Red, white and pink balls)

SCAT6

A concussion assessment tool named in cricket's medical rules. The ECB's professional concussion guidelines (current in 2026) mandate baseline testing for professional players, an annual SCAT6 plus a computerised neurocognitive test; the ICC's Concussion Management Guidelines (June 2025) recommend baseline testing for elite teams but not for community sport, and give the age range for the Child SCAT6 two ways, 2 to 12 on one page and 5 to 12 on another, while the instructions they link are titled for ages 8 to 12. A suspected concussion needs medical care. (Concussion and replacements)

Scorers

Under Law 3 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026), two scorers are appointed to record runs, wickets and, where relevant, overs, and must agree the scores with the umpires at least at every interval other than drinks and at the end of the match. Once the umpires and scorers have agreed the scores at the end of the match, the result cannot be changed (Law 16.10). (How a match works)

Serious-injury replacement

A replacement for a player seriously injured during a match. The ICC announced in June 2025 a six-month trial, from October 2025, letting domestic first-class cricket replace a player seriously injured on the field after the match starts with a like-for-like, fully participating player. ESPNcricinfo reported on 16 August 2025 that the BCCI introduced such a rule for domestic multi-day cricket from 2025-26, starting with the Duleep Trophy, for injuries sustained in the match that are external, such as a fracture or deep cut; who approves it is reported two ways, the match referee on a medical report (ESPNcricinfo) or mainly the on-field umpires (a law firm's summary, seen only as a search summary). A suspected injury needs medical care. (Concussion and replacements)

Sheffield Shield

Australia's domestic first-class competition. The ICC dates it to three years after England's official County Championship of 1890, without giving the season. South Australia won the 2025-26 final against Victoria at the Junction Oval, Melbourne, ending on 30 March 2026, for a second title in a row. (Domestic first-class)

Size 1, Size 2 and Size 3 balls

The three ball sizes in Law 4.1 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026), which MCC says replace the old names men's, women's and junior balls. When new, Size 1 weighs 5.5 to 5.75 oz (156 to 163 g) and measures 8.81 to 9 in (22.4 to 22.9 cm) round; Size 2 weighs 5 to 5.25 oz (142 to 149 g) and measures 8.46 to 8.66 in (21.5 to 22 cm); Size 3 weighs 4.69 to 4.84 oz (133 to 140 g) and measures 8.07 to 8.27 in (20.5 to 21 cm). The 3rd Edition (2022) allowed 140 to 151 g for the women's ball and 133 to 144 g for the under-13 ball, so Sizes 2 and 3 were narrowed, not just renamed; an Arab News report, seen only as a search summary, giving Size 3 as 133 to 144 g repeats the old range, and the MCC text is followed. The governing body for the match decides which size is used (Law 4.6). (The ball)

Soft signal

The on-field umpire's signal given when referring a decision to the TV umpire. The ICC scrapped it from 1 June 2023, starting with the England v Ireland Test at Lord's, on the recommendation of its Men's and Women's Cricket Committees (ICC, 15 May 2023). (Umpires and DRS)

South African isolation

South Africa's exclusion from official international cricket. The ICC says South Africa left the Commonwealth in May 1961 and so ceased to be eligible for membership, and was suspended indefinitely from international cricket in 1970 because of apartheid. The United Cricket Board of South Africa was formed on 29 June 1991, and the ICC readmitted South Africa as a full member in July 1991 (10 July according to Wikipedia, secondary). Its first match back, against India in Calcutta, is dated 10 November 1991 by South African History Online and most sources, and 12 November by a Hindustan Times piece. (South Africa: isolation and return)

Spirit of Cricket

The Preamble that opens the Laws, recognised there since the 2000 Code, according to MCC. Laws 1.4 and 41.1 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026) make the captains responsible for play being conducted within the Spirit of Cricket as well as within the Laws. The version reproduced in the ICC's women's ODI playing conditions (July 2026) names respect as central and extends responsibility to players, officials and, in junior cricket, teachers, coaches and parents. (What cricket is)

Spot-fixing (Lord's, 2010)

The case arising from the Lord's Test between England and Pakistan in August 2010. An ICC Anti-Corruption Tribunal sitting in Doha ruled on 5 February 2011 that Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir had committed offences under the ICC Anti-Corruption Code. The ICC records a ten-year ban for Butt with five years suspended and minimum five-year bans for Asif and Amir; press reports of the tribunal give Asif's as seven years with two suspended. The Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed Butt's and Asif's appeals in April 2013, Amir did not appeal to it, and a London Crown Court separately sentenced all three to prison terms. (Match-fixing and official findings)

Standing up

Keeping wicket close behind the stumps. The ECB's Recreational Cricket Safety Regulations 2025 (Cornwall Cricket copy) define a wicket-keeper standing up as one who can reach the stumps with an outstretched arm without moving their feet, and require under-18s doing so in hardball cricket to wear a helmet with faceguard or grille, or a face protector, and male keepers also a groin protector. The ICC's helmet rule from 1 June 2023 covers wicket-keepers standing up to the stumps. (Wicketkeeping gloves)

Stop clock

An ICC playing condition limiting the time between overs. The ICC made it mandatory in all Full Member men's ODIs and T20Is from 1 June 2024, after a trial from December 2023: the fielding side must start the next over within 60 seconds, with two warnings and then five runs for each further breach (ICC, 15 March 2024). From 17 June 2025 it applies in Tests, with five Penalty runs for the third and each later breach in an innings and warnings reset after each 80 overs (ICC, 27 June 2025). (Extras and results)

Stumped

A dismissal under Law 39 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026): the striker is out if, from a delivery not called No ball, they are out of their ground and not attempting a run, and the wicket-keeper breaks the wicket without another fielder's intervention. (Dismissals)

Stumps

The three wooden stumps of each wicket, which stand 28 in (71.12 cm) above the playing surface, are dome-shaped on top apart from the bail grooves, and measure 1.38 to 1.5 in (3.50 to 3.81 cm) in diameter; each wicket is 9 in (22.86 cm) wide (Laws 8.1 and 8.2, 2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026). For junior cricket the national governing body sets the dimensions (Law 8.4). (Stumps and bails)

Substitute fielder

Under Law 24.1 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026), the umpires allow a substitute fielder for injury or illness during the match or another wholly acceptable reason; a substitute may not bowl or act as captain, and may keep wicket only with the umpires' consent. The ICC's women's ODI playing conditions (July 2026) have each captain name up to four substitute fielders before the toss. (How a match works)

Super Over

A tie-breaker of one six-ball over per side, in which the side scoring more runs wins regardless of wickets; the ICC's women's ODI playing conditions (July 2026, clause 16 and Appendix G) use it for tied matches, with further Super Overs if needed. The ICC says the 2019 men's World Cup final was tied and decided on boundary countback after a tied Super Over. (Extras and results)

T

T20 International (T20I)

Under the ICC's Classification of Official Cricket (1 July 2026), a match under the ICC's standard T20I playing conditions between teams in a men's or women's T20 World Cup, or between any two Full or Associate Members; the ICC gave international status to all T20 matches between its members from 1 July 2018 for women and 1 January 2019 for men. The first women's T20 international, England v New Zealand at Hove in August 2004, came before the first men's, New Zealand v Australia at Eden Park, Auckland, on 17 February 2005; its margin is given two ways (England lost by 10 runs per Sussex Cricket, New Zealand won by nine per Wikipedia). (Formats)

T20 World Cup (men's)

The ICC's men's Twenty20 world championship, first held in South Africa in 2007 and won by India; the ICC renamed it from the World T20 on 23 November 2018. India won the 2026 edition, co-hosted with Sri Lanka, beating New Zealand by 96 runs in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad (BCCI, 9 March 2026); the ICC's tournament guide set the final for 8 March 2026. It was India's third title in the event, after 2007 and 2024 on the ICC's list of winners. (Men's T20 World Cup)

Test match

Under the ICC's Classification of Official Cricket (1 July 2026), a match under the ICC's standard men's or women's Test playing conditions between teams selected by Full Members; A teams and age-group sides cannot play Tests. The match now regarded as the first Test, Australia v England at the MCG from 15 March 1877, was won by Australia by 45 runs; the ICC says the 1877 matches are now regarded as the first Tests. (Formats)

Thigh pad

A protective pad for the thigh. The Laws (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026) do not name thigh guards; the ICC Clothing and Equipment Regulations (effective January 2024) list thigh pads as cricket equipment and require thigh pads, shin pads and similar items to be worn under playing clothing and not be visible, in any colour and without visible logos. (Pads, gloves and guards)

Third umpire

The umpire who uses broadcast replays. Under the ICC's women's ODI playing conditions (July 2026, Appendix D), one is appointed where the minimum camera specification is met; without DRS the third umpire still decides matters the on-field umpires refer, and in televised matches checks the bowler's front foot for No balls and keeps count of each team's unsuccessful reviews. Cricket Pakistan reported on 1 April 2021 an ICC change under which the third umpire checks any called short run and corrects errors before the next ball. (Umpires and DRS)

Tie

Under Law 16.5 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026), a match in which all innings are completed and the scores are equal. Under the ICC's women's ODI playing conditions (July 2026), a Super Over then decides a tied match, and a score one run short of a DLS revised target is a tie. (Extras and results)

Timed out

A dismissal under Law 40 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026): after a wicket falls or a batter retires, the incoming batter must be ready to receive (or the other batter ready for the next ball) within 3 minutes, or the incoming batter is out Timed out. The ICC set shorter limits for international cricket from 1 October 2022: 2 minutes in Tests and ODIs, down from 3, with 90 seconds kept in T20Is (ICC, 19 September 2022). Under the ICC's women's ODI playing conditions (July 2026) it is the one dismissal players cannot challenge with a Player Review. (Dismissals)

Toss

Under Law 13.4 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026), the captains toss a coin on the field, with at least one umpire present, no earlier than 30 and no later than 15 minutes before the scheduled start; the winner chooses to bat or field and cannot change that decision once notified (Law 13.5). (How a match works)

Twenty20

Cricket of 20 overs a side. The ICC says Twenty20 was first introduced at professional level in 2003, having been raised in English county cricket circles. Wikipedia (secondary) dates the first official matches, in the English counties' Twenty20 Cup, to 13 June 2003; accounts seen only in search summaries disagree on which match was first (Hampshire v Sussex or Sussex v Middlesex), and Wikipedia describes the ECB's Stuart Robertson as its champion in England while crediting the New Zealand cricketer Martin Crowe with the idea. The ICC names no inventor. (One-day and T20 cricket)

Type A to Type D bats

The four bat categories in Law 5.8 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026). Type A may be used at any level; Types B (with toe or side inserts) and C (also with a cloth covering and more non-cane material in the handle) only at or below levels the national governing body sets; and Type D, which may be laminated from no more than three pieces of wood with a single piece forming the face, and may be coloured, only at lower levels of the game, as the national governing body decides (Law 5.8.5). Under the 3rd Edition (2022) Type D bats were for junior cricket only; MCC says the 2026 change aims to slow rising bat costs and that its testing found no significant performance advantage, and Reuters reported that the pieces need not be willow, the Law saying only wood. The ICC's Men's Test and ODI playing conditions allow only Type A bats. (The bat)

U

Umpire

Under Law 2.1 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026), two umpires are appointed, one for each end, to control the match with absolute impartiality, and must report to the ground at least 45 minutes before the scheduled start of each day; the ICC's women's ODI playing conditions (July 2026) require 90 minutes. Law 2.5.3 makes the umpires responsible for ensuring that no player uses equipment other than that permitted. The NSW coroner recommended in 2016 that umpire training be reviewed so that medical help is summoned effectively and quickly. (Umpires and DRS)

Umpire's Call

Under the ICC's women's ODI playing conditions (July 2026, clause 5.10), the on-field decision stands when ball-tracking shows a marginal result for the Impact Zone or the Wicket Zone. A review of an LBW decision that stands only for that reason is classed "Unchanged, Umpire's Call" and does not count against the team's review allowance. Cricket Pakistan's report of an ICC change (1 April 2021) says the Wicket Zone's height margin was raised to the top of the stumps so the margin is the same for height and width. (Umpires and DRS)

Underarm bowling

The original way of bowling: Martin Williamson (ESPNcricinfo, 2006) says all bowling was originally underarm. Law 21.1.2 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026) does not permit it except by special agreement before the match. The MCG timeline records that on 1 February 1981, in the third World Series Cup final, Greg Chappell told his brother Trevor to bowl underarm to New Zealand's last batter. (Overarm bowling)

United Cricket Board of South Africa

The single, non-racial governing body formed in Johannesburg on 29 June 1991 by merging the South African Cricket Union and the South African Cricket Board, as the UCB's own history records, with Ali Bacher as Managing Director; the ICC readmitted South Africa as a full member in July 1991. Wikipedia (secondary) says Cricket South Africa was formed in 2002 and became the sole governing body after merging with the UCB in 2008. (South Africa: isolation and return)

W

Watermark disease

A disease of willow caused by the bacterium Brenneria salicis (formerly Erwinia salicis), first described in England in 1924. A Forestry Commission paper (May 2014) says infected wood is weakened and discoloured, making it useless for bats, and that the Watermark Disease (Local Authorities) Order 1974 gave councils in Bedfordshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk (Wiltshire added in 1992) power to require infected willows to be destroyed. How it spreads is disputed: the paper says research points mainly to infected cuttings, while a bat-willow grower quoted in the same paper said there is no proof that it spreads through propagation rather than from tree to tree. (Willow and bat-making)

Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT)

A heat measure from Australia's Bureau of Meteorology that accounts for wind, humidity and sun. Cricket Australia's Extreme Heat Guidelines (undated) say their listed measures must be considered when an ambient temperature of 36 degrees C or more, or a WBGT of 28 or more, is forecast or present, while declining to set one temperature at which play is suspended; in all cases the match officials are the sole judges of whether conditions are suitable. (Heat and air quality)

Whites

The white clothing of Test cricket. The ICC Clothing and Equipment Regulations (effective January 2024) require plain white or cream shirts, sweaters and trousers in Tests, with only limited coloured piping, while in ODIs and T20Is each board chooses colours that must not be white, cream or any light colour likely to make a white ball hard to see. The ICC says the 1992 World Cup introduced coloured clothing and a white ball to that event, and that World Series Cricket's lasting effects included coloured kit. (Clothing and equipment rules)

Wicket

The set of three stumps and two bails at each end of the pitch; the two wickets stand opposite and parallel to each other at the centre of the bowling creases (Law 8.1, 2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026). Under Law 8.5 the umpires may agree to play without bails when necessary. (Stumps and bails)

Wicket-keeper

The only fielder allowed to wear gloves and external leg guards, which count as part of the keeper's person (Law 27.1, 2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026); a keeper whose actions and position show they cannot carry out a keeper's normal duties loses those rights. Since 2026 the keeper must be wholly behind the wicket only from the instant of delivery, not throughout the run-up (Law 27.3.1), and a wicket-keeper's glove is no longer part of the definition of a hand (Appendix A.12.3). A substitute may keep wicket only with the umpires' consent (Law 24.1). (Wicketkeeping gloves)

Wicketkeeping gloves

Under Law 27.2 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026, illustrated in Appendix E), keeping gloves may have no webbing between the fingers except between index finger and thumb, where one piece of non-stretch material may be inserted as support, without reinforcements or tucks; its top edge must not protrude beyond a straight line between the tips of the index finger and thumb, and must be taut when the thumb is fully extended. Under the ICC Clothing and Equipment Regulations (effective January 2024), visible stitching, ventilation or stencils in the shape of a maker's mark count as the manufacturer's identification. (Wicketkeeping gloves)

Wide

Called under Law 22.1.1 (2017 Code 4th Edition, 2026) if a ball passes wide of where the striker is standing or has stood at any point after the ball came into play, and would also have passed wide of a striker in a normal batting position. It carries a one-run penalty, and all runs from it are scored as Wides and debited to the bowler, apart from any 5 Penalty runs; since 2026 a bouncer passing over head height is a Wide in Law. The ICC's women's ODI playing conditions (July 2026) judge a Wide by where the striker is standing at the point of delivery; a single press report says the ICC's leg-position trial became permanent in ODIs and T20Is from October 2026, which is unconfirmed. (Extras and results)

Willow (cricket bat willow)

Salix alba var. caerulea, a female clone within the white willow group commonly called blue willow; the Laws require only that the blade be wood and do not name willow. Trees and Shrubs Online says it is largely confined to England's eastern counties and that most authorities now treat it as a variant of white willow, while a Forestry Commission paper (May 2014) calls it a hybrid variety of unknown origin. The paper says its wood recovers rather than fractures after repeated blows, which suits bats. (Willow and bat-making)

Women's Ashes

The England v Australia women's series, multi-format since 2013 according to MCC, and decided on points. Australia won the 2025 series in Australia 16-0, completed by an innings win in a day-night Test at the MCG. Cricket Australia records that England's tour manager on the first women's Test tour, in 1934-35, said there were no Ashes in women's cricket. (The Ashes)

Women's Cricket Association

The body that ran women's cricket in England. MCC dates its founding to 1926 and says it was dissolved in 1998, when the ECB took over the women's game; the ICC says the 1973 Women's World Cup was run under it. (Women's cricket history)

Women's Cricket World Cup

The ICC's women's one-day international world championship. The ICC calls the 1973 tournament in England the first Cricket World Cup of any kind, two years before the men's; England won it, beating Australia by 92 runs in the final at Edgbaston on 28 July 1973. The ICC's releases disagree on when the tournament ended: its release of 20 June 2023 gives the final as 28 July 1973, while its release of 28 July 2023 gives the run as 20 June to 18 July yet also places the final on 28 July. Its opening match is given two ways: a washed-out Jamaica v New Zealand game per the ICC, England v International XI at Hove per Sussex Cricket. India won the 2025 edition, its first title, beating South Africa by 52 runs at Navi Mumbai on 2 November 2025. (Women's ODI World Cup)

Women's Premier League (WPL)

The BCCI's women's franchise Twenty20 league. Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the 2026 title, beating Delhi Capitals by six wickets at Vadodara on 5 February 2026 with the competition's highest successful chase. (IPL and WPL)

Women's T20 World Cup

The ICC's women's Twenty20 world championship, first held in England in 2009 and won by England. Australia won the 2026 edition in England and Wales, beating England by seven wickets in the final at Lord's on 5 July 2026, which the ICC called its seventh title in the event. (Women's T20 World Cup)

Women's Test

The first women's Test was played at the Exhibition Ground, Brisbane, on 28 to 30 December 1934, England beating Australia by nine wickets (Cricket Australia); the MCG timeline's entry for January 1935 is the third Test of the same series, not the first. MCC says the first women's Test in England was at Northampton in 1937, and that the first women's Test at Lord's, England v India, was played in 2026. (Women's cricket history)

Woolworths Cricket Blast

Cricket Australia's entry programme of weekly 60 to 90 minute sessions at three progressive levels. CA gives its age range two ways: 10 and under on the programme page, 5 to 12 in a CA news story of 4 February 2024. CA said 66,186 children had registered that season, its own count of registrations, not attendance. (How people learn)

World Series Cricket

Kerry Packer's privately run competition of 1977 to 1979, outside official international cricket. Martin Williamson (ESPNcricinfo, 2006) says the signings became public on 9 May 1977, the first official Supertest began on 2 December 1977 at VFL Park in Melbourne, a floodlit match at the SCG on 28 November 1978 was the first under lights at a traditional venue, and a truce with the Australian Cricket Board was announced on 30 May 1979. The ICC says it left lasting effects, including coloured kit and night matches. (World Series Cricket)

World Test Championship

The ICC's Test competition, played in cycles that end in a final. Australia won the 2023 final against India at The Oval by 209 runs, and South Africa the 2025 final against Australia at Lord's by five wickets (14 June 2025). The 2025-27 cycle is in progress on 22 October 2026 with no winner. The ICC confirmed on 23 July 2026 that its final will be at The Oval from 9 to 13 June 2027, while an older ICC article referred to a 2027 final at Lord's; the later, dated announcement is taken as current. (World Test Championship)