Know About Wide Ball In Cricket

Are you watching cricket for the first time? Do you find the fielder raising his arms sideways at times to alert others of a wide ball? Let's see what this means, how it impacts the game, and how it is reflected on the scorecard.

In this guide, we'll look into the concept of wides in cricket, their implications on the game, scoring, and how umpires determine them.

What is a Wide in Cricket?

A wide ball falls out of reach of the batsman as considered too far by him to attempt hitting a shot. If a delivery does not meet the criteria of legal delivery and is outside the batter’s reach, the umpire calls it a wide.

According to the official laws of cricket:

Law 22.1.1: A ball is considered wide if it passes outside the striker’s normal guard position and is out of reach for a normal cricket stroke.

Law 22.1.2: The delivery must be within the batter’s ability to reach and hit; otherwise, it is judged as wide.

How is a Wide Scored?

A wide ball benefits the batting team as they are awarded an extra run. Additionally, the delivery must be re-bowled, increasing the number of deliveries in an over.

If a wide ball crosses the boundary without touching the batter’s bat, the batting team gets five extra runs (one for the wide and four for the boundary). Any additional runs taken by batters running between the wickets are added as extras.

However, a batter does not get credited with runs from a wide; they only count toward the team’s total and the bowler’s economy rate.

Why Are Wide Balls Important?

Wide ball rules promote fair play and stop bowlers from getting an unfair edge by bowling deliberately unplayable balls.

For instance, if a wide was punished with merely one run without re-bowling, a fielding team attempting to keep a lead in the last over might deliberately bowl wide balls to stop boundaries.

This is why more stringent wide ball rules are in place in limited-over formats such as One Day Internals (ODIs) and T20 matches. In Test cricket, there is greater latitude, and umpires exercise their discretion to decide whether a batter has a fair opportunity to play the ball.

Judging a Wide Ball

In limited-overs cricket, line markers assist umpires in deciding whether a ball is wide. If a batter does not shift and the ball crosses outside these markers, it is instantly declared a wide ball.

However, if the batter shifts sideways before the ball is released, the umpire may choose not to declare a wide if the ball is still within reach. In Test cricket, umpires exercise their judgment rather than line markers.

Wide Balls and Dismissals

Even though a wide ball is not a legal delivery, batters may still get dismissed by:

• Run Out
• Stumping
• Hit Wicket
• Obstructing the Field

Conclusion

Wide balls are important in maintaining fair gameplay in cricket. They deter unfair bowling strategies and keep the bat and ball balance intact. Knowledge about wides enables new fans to better enjoy the game and appreciate its regulations.