Australian Tri-Series 2012 LIVE

India, Sri Lanka, Australia Commonwealth Bank Series

The India vs Australia series will be followed by a Tri-nation Commonwealth Bank Series, which includes Sri Lanka.
Details about live telecast and online streaming.

Cricket Game - Laws of Cricket

Cricket Rules

• Cricket Laws index
• Laws regarding Cricket Players And Cricket Officials
• Laws regarding the Cricket Playing Field
• Laws regarding Cricket Match Structure
• Laws regarding Batting and Scoring Runs in Cricket
• Laws regarding Bowling and Dismissals in Cricket
• Laws regarding Fielding And Wicket-Keeping in Cricket
• Laws regarding Other Important Cricket Roles
• One Day International Cricket Laws

Also see What is Cricket? (Explanation about Cricket), Cricket Laws, Rules, Cricket History Timeline, History of Cricket and History of ODI Cricket.

Cricket Laws

Cricket Rules: The game is played in accordance with 42 laws of cricket, which have been developed by the Marylebone Cricket Club in discussion with the main cricketing nations. Teams may agree to alter some of the rules for particular games. Other rules supplement the main laws and change them to deal with different circumstances. In particular, there are a number of modifications to the playing structure and fielding position rules that apply to one innings games - like ODIs and Twenty20 Matches - that are restricted to a set number of fair deliveries.

Cricket Laws concerning The Playing Field, Pitch, Placement of Players

The playing field

(Existing Cricket Rules)

The cricket field

The field consists of a large circular or oval-shaped grassy ground. There are no fixed dimensions for the field but its diameter usually varies between 450 feet (137 m) to 500 feet (150 m). On most grounds, a rope demarcates the perimeter of the field and is known as the boundary.

The pitch

Most of the action takes place in the centre of this ground, on a rectangular clay strip usually with short grass called the pitch. The pitch measures 10 66 feet (3.05 20.12 m).
At each end of the pitch three upright wooden stakes, called the stumps, are hammered into the ground. Two wooden crosspieces, known as the bails, sit in grooves atop the stumps, linking each to its neighbour. Each set of three stumps and two bails is collectively known as a wicket. One end of the pitch is designated the batting end where the batsman stands and the other is designated the bowling end where the bowler runs in to bowl. The area of the field on the side of the line joining the wickets where the batsman holds his bat (the right-hand side for a right-handed batsman, the left for a left-hander) is known as the off side, the other as the leg side or on side. Lines drawn or painted on the pitch are known as creases. Creases are used to adjudicate the dismissals of batsmen and to determine whether a delivery is fair.

Parts of the field

For a one-innings match played over a set number of fair deliveries, there are two additional field markings. A painted oval is made by drawing a semicircle of 30 yards (27.4 m) radius from the centre of each wicket with respect to the breadth of the pitch and joining them with lines parallel, 30 yards (27.4 m) to the length of the pitch. This line, commonly known as the circle, divides the field into an infield and outfield. Two circles of radius 15 yards (13.7 m), centred on each wicket and often marked by dots, define the close-infield. The infield, outfield, and the close-infield are used to enforce fielding restrictions.

Placements of players

The team batting always has two batsmen on the field. One batsman, known as the striker, faces and plays the balls bowled by the bowler. His partner stands at the bowling end and is known as the non-striker.
The fielding team has all eleven of its players on the ground, and at any particular time, one of these will be the bowler. The player designated as bowler must change after every over. The wicket-keeper, who generally acts in that role for the whole match, stands or crouches behind the wicket at the batting end. The captain of the fielding team spreads his remaining nine players the fielders around the ground to cover most of the area. Their placement may vary dramatically depending on strategy. Each position on the field has a unique label.