If the batter hits the ball into the wicket, the result will depend on which wicket they hit and whether anyone else touches it first.
If the batter hits the ball into their own wicket (and nobody else touches the ball before it hits the stumps), they will be out, with “bowled” as the dismissal method. The batter will often be described as having “played on”. This applies whether or not the batter was in front or behind their crease when they hit the ball or when the ball hit the stumps.
If the batter hits the ball and it bounces off the bowler or another fielder and hits the wicket at the other end (or the bowler or fielder intentionally deflects the ball into the wicket), the batter at that end will be run out unless they are in the crease. Which batter this is depends on whether they have attempted a run and crossed over.
If the batter hits the ball and it goes straight into the other wicket without touching anyone else, nobody is out, and play continues. In this situation, the fielding team will not be able to break the wicket for a run out as normal. Instead, if only one bail is already dislodged, the fielding team must dislodge the other one with:
- the ball;
- a hand holding the ball; or
- the arm of the hand holding the ball
to get the run out.
If both bails are already dislodged, the fielding team must either:
- throw the ball into a stump hard enough to knock it out of the ground;
- pull the stump out of the ground with a hand holding the ball; or
- knock the stump out of the ground using the arm of the hand holding the ball.
Fielders are allowed to replace stumps and/or bails. This means that in the highly unlikely event that all three stumps were removed without causing a dismissal, the fielding team could technically attempt to replace one of the stumps and then remove it as above to get the run out. Doing this quickly enough to get the run out while still being slow enough that the umpire can clearly see the stump was replaced and then removed again would be extremely challenging in practice.