Learn Cricket
Most cricket arguments on a Sunday morning come down to the same handful of questions. Was that a wide or a leg bye? Who faces after the run out? Does a bowled-out team count all its overs in net run rate? How do you set a fair target when rain cuts the match to ten overs? This library answers those questions in plain English, with worked examples and real numbers rather than vague definitions.
Every guide follows the MCC Laws of Cricket and points out where competitions and local matches commonly do things differently. Start with the scoring guides if you keep the book for your team, the local cricket guides if you organise matches, or the laws section if you umpire. Use the search box to jump straight to a topic.
Scoring
Ball-by-ball scoring explained: wides, no-balls, byes, run outs, overthrows, strike rotation and reading a scorecard.
How to Score a Wide: Runs, Dismissals and Local Rules
Learn exactly how to score a wide in cricket: the penalty run, runs taken off a wide, wides to the boundary, stumpings off a wide and common local rules.
7 min read
No-Balls and Free Hits: How to Score Them Correctly
How to score a no-ball and a free hit: the penalty run, runs off the bat, byes off a no-ball, which dismissals are allowed and common local scoring errors.
6 min read
Byes vs Leg Byes: The Difference and How to Record Them
Byes and leg byes explained for scorers: when each applies, when leg byes are not allowed, why neither counts against the bowler, with worked examples.
6 min read
How to Record a Run Out: Runs, Batter Out and Who Faces
Scoring a run out properly: which runs count, how to tell which batter is out, who faces the next ball, and run outs off wides, no-balls and the last ball.
5 min read
Overthrows in Cricket: How Boundary Overthrow Runs Count
How overthrows are scored: extra runs from a wild throw, the boundary overthrow rule, why crossing at the instant of the throw matters, plus local rules.
6 min read
Who Faces Next? Strike Rotation After Runs, Extras and Wickets
A scorer's guide to strike rotation: who is on strike after odd and even runs, overs, wides, no-balls, short runs and every kind of wicket, including catches.
6 min read
How to Read a Cricket Scorecard: Batting, Bowling and FoW
Learn to read any cricket scorecard: batting columns, dismissal notation, the extras line, fall of wickets and bowling figures like 4-0-28-2, with an example.
5 min read
Local Cricket
Organising friendly, gully, box and tennis-ball matches: rules to agree, fair teams, the toss and the right equipment.
How to Organise a Local Cricket Match: Complete Checklist
A practical checklist for organising a weekend local cricket match: booking the ground, confirming players, kit, rule sheets, timings and avoiding disputes.
7 min read
Box Cricket Rules: Pitch, Overs, Nets and Scoring
Common box cricket rules explained: team sizes, overs, pitch length, how runs are scored off the nets, dismissals and a ready-to-use 8-over rule sheet.
7 min read
Tennis Ball and Tape Ball Cricket Rules Explained
Tennis ball and tape ball cricket rules: ball types, bowling actions, wides, no LBW, field restrictions and a sample 10-over rule sheet for weekend games.
6 min read
Gully Cricket Rules and the House Rules Everyone Argues About
Gully and street cricket rules explained: one-tip-one-hand, last man batting, hitting into houses, trial balls, the one-pitch catch and how to settle disputes.
6 min read
The Toss in Cricket: How It Works and Whether to Bat First
How the cricket toss works under the Laws, and how local captains should decide to bat or bowl first based on pitch, weather, light, team strength and format.
6 min read
How to Pick Fair Teams for a Friendly Cricket Match
Practical methods for picking fair teams in friendly cricket: captain's draft, skill tiers, balancing bowlers and keepers, and setting a sensible batting order.
6 min read
Cricket Equipment Guide: Bat Sizes, Balls and Safety Gear
Cricket equipment for local players: bat size by height, English vs Kashmir willow, ball types and weights, and the safety gear hard-ball cricket needs.
6 min read
Strategy & Skills
Net run rate, chasing, rain-shortened targets, powerplays, death bowling and beginner batting and bowling tips.
Net Run Rate Explained with Worked Examples
Learn how net run rate is calculated, why an all-out team counts its full quota of overs, and how to convert 18.4 overs correctly, with worked examples.
6 min read
Chasing a Target: Planning an Innings with Required Run Rate
How to use required run rate to plan a run chase: calculating it correctly, breaking the target into phases, and when to attack or consolidate in local cricket.
6 min read
Rain-Shortened Matches: Setting Fair Revised Targets
Simple, fair ways to set revised targets when rain shortens a local cricket match, with worked examples, honest weaknesses, and how DLS works in principle.
7 min read
Powerplay Strategy for Batting and Bowling Sides
Powerplay rules for T20 and ODI cricket, how to scale them for local formats, and practical batting, bowling and field-setting plans for the opening overs.
6 min read
Death Overs Bowling: Yorkers, Slower Balls and Fields
Death overs bowling tips for club cricketers: yorkers, slower balls, wide yorkers, field settings and over-by-over plans, with a worked final-overs example.
7 min read
Batting Tips for Beginners: Grip, Stance and Defence
Batting tips for new cricketers: how to grip the bat, set a balanced stance, play forward and back defence, leave the ball and rotate the strike in matches.
6 min read
Bowling Tips for Beginners: Run-Up, Action and Length
Beginner bowling tips covering grip, a repeatable run-up, a legal and safe action, front-foot no-balls, and how to find a good line and length in matches.
6 min read
Laws Explained
The Laws in plain English: LBW, dismissals, fielding positions, umpire signals, DLS, dead balls and tied matches.
The LBW Rule Explained Simply: Pitching, Impact and Shots
A plain-English guide to LBW under Law 36: where the ball pitched, where it hit the pad, whether a shot was offered, and how umpires decide without DRS.
6 min read
Which Dismissals Count for the Bowler? Wickets Explained
Bowled, caught, LBW, stumped and hit wicket go to the bowler. Run outs, timed out and obstruction do not. Here is how to credit every dismissal correctly.
5 min read
Cricket Fielding Positions Explained: Slips to Long-On
Learn every cricket fielding position, from slips and gully to cover, mid-wicket and fine leg, plus the words that describe them and the leg-side rule.
5 min read
Umpire Signals Explained: Every Signal a Scorer Must Know
A scorer's guide to cricket umpire signals: four, six, wide, no-ball, bye, leg bye, dead ball, short run, penalty runs, revoke and more, with recording tips.
5 min read
Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) Method Explained Simply
How the DLS method sets revised targets in rain-hit matches: resources, overs and wickets, par scores and why local cricket usually needs a simpler method.
5 min read
Dead Ball, Short Runs and Penalty Runs Explained
When is the ball dead? What counts as a short run? Who gets five penalty runs and how are they scored? A practical guide to Laws 18, 20 and 41 for scorers.
6 min read
Ties, Super Overs and Bowl-Outs: Deciding Tied Matches
What counts as a tie, how a Super Over works under ICC playing conditions, what happens if the Super Over is tied, and fair tie-breakers for local cricket.
6 min read
More cricket references
- Cricket rules guide — the basics of batting, bowling, extras and dismissals on one page.
- Cricket scoring guide — a full walkthrough of scoring a limited-overs match.
- Cricket statistics explained — averages, strike rates, economy and run rates with formulas.
- Cricket match formats — T20, ODI, Test, box, tennis-ball and gully formats compared.
- Cricket glossary — 150+ cricket terms defined in plain English.
- Cricket calculators — run rate, net run rate, strike rate, economy and rain targets.