The last element of the game that many people get confused is what are called boundaries. These are the fences or walls in the field where the ball can bounce off before it becomes a legal run. A very common boundary is when there is an upright wall, like a fence or a line of hedges outside of a cricket ground.
The batsman will usually try to play a shot along this type of boundary, but if the ball bounces off the side of the wall and then rolls behind a certain area, a fielder may be able to take a catch. This happens more often than you would think as most grounds have such a wall for their boundary.
If a player touches the ball with his hand after it has gone over the boundary then he must keep his hands inside the playing surface until the ball comes back into play. If he doesn’t do this then he will lose one of his five fielding positions.
Definition of close catches
A catch is considered to be a perfect one if it goes directly in the field of play between two different areas of the boundary or into the fence with enough momentum to deflect off the wall or grass.
A drop-catch is when the fielder drops the ball down onto the ground, grabs it, and then throws it up into the air to retrieve it. This is typically done at/near the batsman’s feet, where the batter could have hit the ball.
Examples of drop-catches are when a player knocks the ball away while going for a stonewall run, or when he picks up his own throw before throwing it. The only thing more annoying than an easy drop-catch is watching your player walk all the way back from the other side of the pitch to pick up their own throw!
Drop-catch rules: You can drop the ball after it has touched the ground (unless it bounces out of bounds) and you may not touch the ball with either hand until it comes into contact with something solid. Your hands cannot block the path of the bounce either, nor can you use them as leverage to pull it forward.
Diving catches
A diving catch is one where the fielder jumps into the field with the ball in his or her hand, usually to reach out and grab the ball just before it touches the ground. It is very popular in cricket because of how fun it can be to watch!
The umpire will not consider a caught behind decision unless the batsman has run their whole length of the pitch before throwing at the ball. This is why there are so many close calls during a game!
If you have ever seen someone do a diving save/catch, then you know what a big event that is! People go crazy when they see this happening on TV, and even celebrate as if it were a goal in soccer.
Leg-side field-goal
The leg-side field goal is one of the most confusing rules in cricket. This rule allows you to go up with your foot, hit it as hard as possible, and have it count as a legitimate attempt at scoring a run or a lost ball.
The way this works is by using the boundary line as your target. If the batter steps out before the bowler then he has earned a penalty run. If he does not step out until after the bowler has completed his delivery then it becomes a loss of wicket for him.
This can be tricky though because if the fielder goes too close to the edge of the pitch then it may be considered unfair advantage. Fielders are allowed to stand very close to the sideline to try and stop batsmen from going forward but they must stay outside the area where the bail would normally sit.
Leg-side boundary
The leg-side boundary is one of the most confusing rules in cricket. It seems like there are never clear guidelines as to when it is allowed and when not. This rule comes into play whenever the batter attempts to run or hit the ball with their feet.
The fielders must keep at least two steps outside the line where the pitch ends, otherwise what would happen is that the batsman could simply walk up the other end and continue batting. They would then be able to take advantage of the empty space between the wicket and the outfield grass.
This wouldn’t make much sense for the game to function properly so the rule was made to prevent this from happening. However, because of how vague the regulation is, different interpretations can occur.
Some people believe that if you step out of the boundaries while the ball is moving, then it cannot be considered a legal shot. Others think that unless the fielder moves closer than three yards towards the bounce of the ball, then it does not matter whether or not the player has stepped off the turf.
Obstructing the field
In cricket, what is allowed at a fielder’s position depends on whether or not there is a batsman running between the wickets. If there is no player in that space then it can be considered an empty area of the field.
If however there is a batter moving towards the other end of the pitch, then it becomes difficult to determine if this person has reached their own territory or another team’s. This is called obstructing the field.
It is the responsibility of the fielding side to try to gain information about where the ball will go after being hit so they can run accordingly. When trying to do this, there is a fine line between getting the information needed and interfering with the play by going too far.
By law, players are only able to interfere with the ball for very short distances- usually less than five yards beyond the bounce – unless the bails have already been removed. These laws were put into place to protect cricketers from each other, but as technology advances, more things can be done.
Fielders should stay within these rules and use common sense when determining how to stop the ball.
Leg-side wides
The leg side is any area of the field that begins along the sideline and ends at half distance between the boundary line and the batting team’s middle stump. A legal leg-wicket delivery crosses this boundary, which counts as a wide. This happens when the ball bounces higher than the ground level and goes into the air towards the batsman or his feet.
It is not considered a good day for the batsman if he makes it to the other end without being run out. However, if he is able to get away with just touching the turf before falling onto the grass then he has earned a small break! (He must wait another 15 yards beyond the crease before taking his next stroke.)
Team members may discuss whether or not the bowler got away with bowling a legal leg-wicket, but they cannot dispute its occurrence.
