How cricket works: a beginner's guide

By the CricHelper team · Updated 29 September 2026

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game between two teams of eleven players. One team bats and tries to score runs. The other team bowls and fields and tries to get the batters out. Then the teams swap. The team with more runs wins.

The field and the pitch

The game is played on a large oval field. In the middle is the pitch, a strip 22 yards long. At each end stand three stumps with two bails on top. Together these are called the wicket.

Batting

Two batters are on the field at once, one at each end. The batter facing the bowler is the striker. After hitting the ball, both batters can run to the other end. Each time they cross and reach the other end, they score one run.

• Four: the ball reaches the boundary after touching the ground.
• Six: the ball clears the boundary without bouncing.

Bowling

A bowler delivers the ball with a straight arm, usually after a run-up. After each over, a different bowler bowls from the other end. The main aim is to hit the stumps or force a mistake.

Getting out

When a batter is out, the next batter comes in. Because two batters must be at the crease, the innings ends when the tenth batter is out. The most common dismissals are bowled, caught, LBW, run out and stumped. See all the ways to get out.

Extras

Some runs come from bowling or fielding mistakes rather than the bat. These are called extras. They include wides, no-balls, byes and leg byes.

How a match is won

In limited-overs cricket, the team batting second chases a target. If they pass it, they win by the number of wickets they still have. If they fall short, the other team wins by the number of runs between the scores. Test matches also need all innings finished, or the result is a draw.

The umpires

Two on-field umpires make decisions. In professional matches a third umpire uses TV replays, and teams can challenge decisions with DRS.

The toss

Before the match, the two captains toss a coin. The winner chooses whether to bat or bowl first. Captains think about the pitch, the weather and dew later in the day when they decide.

The batting order

Each team lists its batters in an order. The order can change during a match, but these roles are common.

• Openers bat first and face the new ball, which swings and bounces most.
• Top and middle order are usually the best batters, at numbers 3 to 6.
• All-rounders bat around numbers 6 and 7 and also bowl.
• The tail is the bowlers, at numbers 8 to 11, who usually bat least well.

Types of bowlers

• Fast and seam bowlers rely on pace, bounce, and movement off the seam or through the air.
• Spin bowlers bowl slower and make the ball turn sharply after it bounces.
• Off-spinners turn the ball into a right-handed batter. Leg-spinners turn it away.

A bowler cannot bowl two overs in a row. Limited-overs matches also cap how many overs each bowler can bowl.

How to read a score

A score like 156/4 means 156 runs for the loss of 4 wickets. In Australia it is often written the other way round, as 4/156. The overs follow in brackets, such as (18.2 overs), which means 18 overs and 2 balls.

Want to work out run rates yourself? Try the required run rate calculator.

A T20 match from start to finish

1. The captains toss, and the teams name their playing eleven.
2. The first team bats for up to 20 overs. The first six overs are the powerplay.
3. There is a short break between innings.
4. The second team chases the target, which is one more than the first team's score.
5. The chase ends when the target is passed, the overs run out or ten wickets fall.
6. If scores are level, many competitions play a Super Over to decide the winner.

Results you might see

• Win: one team scores more runs.
• Tie: both teams finish on exactly the same score, with all innings complete.
• Draw: a Test match ends before all innings are finished.
• No result: a limited-overs match cannot be completed, usually because of rain.