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Teams normally “enforce” the follow-on in cricket to increase their chances of bowling out the other team twice and winning. A team will most commonly choose not to enforce the follow on based on the physical condition of both players and the pitch. The follow-on is an option available to the team that batted first…

Declaration bowling means bowling in a first class game in a way that makes it likely the batting team will quickly build a lead in the game and declare. This could be a (very rare) tactic by the bowling team to try to avoid a draw. Alternatively it could be the result of a collaboration…

The Duckworth Lewis Stern (DLS) method in cricket is a way to decide a winner in a game where rain meant not all the scheduled overs could be played. It can either set a revised target for the team batting second or decide a winner after a game is abandoned. To understand why DLS is…

Because teams take it in turns to play an innings and potentially score runs, there’s no purely objective way to tell who is winning in cricket matches at a given point. However, several statistical measures can give a good idea. During the initial innings of any game, spectactors can’t compare the batting team’s run scoring…

The power play is a period of a limited overs game, usually at the start of the game, where the bowling side is allowed fewer fielders outside the 30 yard “circle” than normal. It’s designed to encourage aggressive play by the batting side, making the game more exciting to watch. In many limited overs games,…

Pitching outside leg means a ball bounced outside an imaginary line running from the batter’s leg stump to the stump at the other end of the wicket. This means the batter cannot be out LBW (leg before wicket.) You will normally hear the phrase “pitching outside leg” during a DRS (decision review system) appeal seeking…

First class is a multi-day match at a particular level, while a Test match is a specific type of first class match. A List A match is a one-day match at a particular level. To qualify as a first class match, a cricket match must: Be scheduled for two innings for each side. Be scheduled…

At a similar level, fast bowling can be more of an advantage in men’s cricket, while batters in women’s cricket tend not to hit the ball as far. But both of these are major generalisations. Other differences include the opportunity to play and gain experience in first class matches. The game itself is almost identical…

In test matches, the bowling teams can ask for a new ball after the old one has been used for 80 overs. Usually a team that does so will then use fast bowlers in the hope of taking wickets. In one-day games, changing to a new ball is on a fixed timetable. For example, in…

Cricket teams declare when they think they have the right balance between having enough of a lead to win but enough time left to bowl out the opposition. The precise timing of a declaration may also be influenced by the weather and the time of day. One of the big differences between limited overs and…