Leg Before Wicket. The ball strikes the batsman’s body (usually the pad) instead of the bat, in a position where, if the body had not been there, the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps.

How do you get bowled out?

The ball hits the stumps directly and dislodges a bail, whether it came straight off the bowler or via the bat or body first. If the stumps are hit before the bat gets there, it is out — the commonest way a fast yorker succeeds.

Can you be out LBW to a ball that pitched outside leg stump?

No — if the ball bounces outside the leg-stump line before reaching the batsman, LBW cannot be given, whatever happens next. It has to pitch in line with the stumps or on the off side.

Does a catch have to be taken cleanly?

Yes. The fielder has to control the ball with a clean catch before it touches the ground; if it is dropped, juggled to the ground, or bounces first, the batsman is not out.

Are there other ways to get out?

Yes — run out, stumped, hit wicket and a handful of rarer dismissals exist too. Bowled, caught and LBW are simply the three that come directly from the ball the bowler just delivered, which is why they are the three modelled here.

How do wickets fall?

A cricket dismissal has more than half a dozen legal forms, but almost every wicket you actually see fall comes from one of three: bowled, caught or LBW. Each one is a different kind of mistake by the batsman, and each rewards a different kind of bowling.

Bowled

The simplest dismissal: the ball hits the stumps and knocks off a bail, whether it arrives straight from the bowler or is deflected there off the bat or pad. It is purely a race — if the ball reaches the stumps before the bat gets across to defend them, the batsman is out. That is exactly why a fast, accurate yorker is so effective: it removes the time needed to win that race. See what is a yorker for why.

Caught

Any fielder — including the bowler and the wicketkeeper — can catch the ball off the bat (or, in most formats, off the glove) before it bounces, cleanly and under control. It is really two dismissals in one disguise: a mistimed shot in the air gives a fielder time to get under it, which is why a lofted shot is always the highest-risk option; a thin edge off a well-directed ball usually flies to the keeper or the slip cordon, which is why late swing produces so many edges — the bat has already committed to a line the ball then leaves.

LBW (Leg Before Wicket)

The ball strikes the batsman’s body — almost always the pad — instead of the bat, in a spot where it was going on to hit the stumps. For it to count, the ball generally has to pitch in line with the stumps or on the off side (not outside leg stump), and be judged to be hitting the stumps rather than missing over or around them. It rewards a full, straight ball that swings or seams back in late, after the batsman has already shaped to play something else.

Hunt a specific wicket

SportsDayNight’s wicket-hunting challenges isolate each dismissal — bowled only, one LBW, two caught behind — so you can work on the specific skill each one asks for instead of just bowling and hoping.

Play Wicket Attack Try "Through the gate"

FAQ

What does LBW mean?: Leg Before Wicket. The ball strikes the batsman’s body (usually the pad) instead of the bat, in a position where, if the body had not been there, the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps.
How do you get bowled out?: The ball hits the stumps directly and dislodges a bail, whether it came straight off the bowler or via the bat or body first. If the stumps are hit before the bat gets there, it is out — the commonest way a fast yorker succeeds.
Can you be out LBW to a ball that pitched outside leg stump?: No — if the ball bounces outside the leg-stump line before reaching the batsman, LBW cannot be given, whatever happens next. It has to pitch in line with the stumps or on the off side.
Does a catch have to be taken cleanly?: Yes. The fielder has to control the ball with a clean catch before it touches the ground; if it is dropped, juggled to the ground, or bounces first, the batsman is not out.
Are there other ways to get out?: Yes — run out, stumped, hit wicket and a handful of rarer dismissals exist too. Bowled, caught and LBW are simply the three that come directly from the ball the bowler just delivered, which is why they are the three modelled here.

More guides

How to bowl Every delivery mapped from gesture to outcome. What is a yorker? The full, fast ball that pitches at the batsman’s feet. Bowling lengths explained Yorker to bouncer, and what each length does. Cricket scoring rules Runs, overs, wickets and extras — the basics. Cricket shots explained Drive, pull, cut, loft, push and block. Swing and seam bowling Outswing, inswing, cutters and seam movement.