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Cricket · Level 1: Beginner · Sub-level 1.3

The Ground and the Kit

10 tests · 100 facts · updated 12 October 2026 · markdown

This sub-level teaches the shape of a cricket ground and its boundary; the 22-yard pitch and the crease lines drawn on it; the wicket of three stumps and two bails and what it means to break it; the ball, its seam and its colours; and the bat and the protective kit, including why the wicket-keeper alone wears gloves and pads. It also covers the covers, rollers and groundstaff, the two umpires on the field, how fielders may and may not look after the ball, reading the scoreboard, and the size limits on bat and ball.

Each test below is ten questions on Insporta. The list under a test is what the questions check: one fact per question, with the source it was written from. Read it before the test, or come back from a wrong answer.

Test 1The field and the boundaryTake a test

The ground: the square, the 30-yard circle, the outfield and the boundaryA cricket ground seen from above as an oval. The pitch runs vertically in the centre inside the square, the block of prepared strips; a dashed 30-yard circle surrounds it, the outfield lies between the circle and the boundary rope on the edge of the oval, and a sightscreen stands outside the boundary behind each end of the pitch.SQUAREPITCH30-YARD CIRCLEOUTFIELDBOUNDARYSIGHTSCREEN
The ground: the square, the 30-yard circle, the outfield and the boundary. The boundary must be agreed and marked, usually with a rope, but neither its distance nor the shape of the ground is laid down by the Laws.SVG

  1. Grounds are broadly oval, and neither the shape nor the size of the outfield is laid down by the Laws.

    Source: General playing principle · recall

  2. The boundary is the perimeter of the field, usually a rope; a ball crossing it scores four or six.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 19 · recall

  3. Boundary length varies from ground to ground, and even around one ground; there is no standard measurement.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 19 · applied

  4. The square is the central block of prepared surfaces; a different strip on it is used for different matches.

    Source: General cricket terminology · recall

  5. The outfield is everything between the central square and the boundary rope.

    Source: General cricket terminology · recall

  6. The sightscreen gives a plain background behind the bowler so the batter can pick up the ball on release.

    Source: General playing conditions · applied

  7. Most grounds are longer straight and shorter square, so the boundary is not a uniform distance.

    Source: General playing conditions · recall

  8. The Laws require the boundary to be agreed and marked; its distance and the ground's shape are not prescribed.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 19 · applied

  9. The inner circle sets how many fielders may stand outside it during the powerplay and later phases.

    Source: ICC Playing Conditions (fielding restrictions) · recall

  10. A quick outfield speeds the ball along the ground, so more well-timed shots reach the rope.

    Source: General playing principle · applied

Test 2The pitch and the creasesTake a test

The pitch and its creases: 22 yards stump to stump, popping crease 1.22 m in frontA cricket pitch seen from above, the bowler's end on the left and the striker's end on the right. The two sets of stumps stand 22 yards (20.12 m) apart on the bowling creases and the pitch is 3.05 m (10 ft) wide. At each end the popping crease is drawn 1.22 m (4 ft) in front of the stumps, and the return creases run back from it 1.32 m either side of the middle stump.22 yards (20.12 m) stump to stump3.05 m (10 ft) 1.22 m (4 ft)1.32 mPOPPING CREASERETURN CREASEBOWLING CREASE
The pitch and its creases: 22 yards stump to stump, popping crease 1.22 m in front. Twenty-two yards stump to stump; the popping crease, four feet (1.22 m) in front of each wicket, is the line batters and bowlers alike are judged against.SVG

  1. The pitch is the 22-yard playing strip; the square is the wider area from which such strips are cut.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 6 · recall

  2. The pitch is a fixed 22 yards from stump to stump, which is one chain, an old unit of length.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 6 · recall

  3. The popping crease runs across the pitch four feet in front of the stumps and is used by batters and bowlers alike.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 7 · recall

  4. The return creases mark the outer limits within which the bowler's back foot must land on delivery.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 7 · recall

  5. The crease line itself is not part of the batter's ground; bat or body must be grounded behind it.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 30 · applied

  6. A pitch is not changed during a match, so it deteriorates: cracks open, the bounce varies and spinners get more help.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 6 · applied

  7. Bowlers running through on their follow-through scuff the pitch, and spinners later aim the ball into that rough.

    Source: General playing principle · applied

  8. Grass and moisture help seam movement and carry, so a green pitch usually favours the quicker bowlers first.

    Source: General playing principle · recall

  9. A worn, dry surface grips and turns the ball, so spin bowling becomes the main threat late in a long match.

    Source: General playing principle · applied

  10. Running on the protected area is unfair to the batting side; after warnings the bowler is taken out of the attack.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 41 · applied

Test 3The wicketTake a test

  1. A wicket is three wooden stumps of equal size with two small bails sitting in grooves across the top.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 8 · recall

  2. Removing at least one bail from the top of the stumps is enough for the wicket to count as broken.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 29 · recall

  3. With no bail dislodged the wicket is not broken, so there is no dismissal, however hard the stumps were struck.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 29 · applied

  4. With no bails on, the wicket can only be broken by removing a stump from the ground.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 29 · applied

  5. Loose bails come off at a touch, which is how the umpire can tell the wicket has been broken.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 8 · recall

  6. If the wind keeps blowing the bails off, the umpires can do without them and judge the wicket by the stumps alone.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 8 · recall

  7. The bail must be completely removed; one that pops up and lands back on has not broken the wicket.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 29 · applied

  8. The stumps stand close together so a ball cannot slip through, and the wicket is the same size at both ends.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 8 · recall

  9. Pulling a stump out of the ground with the ball in hand breaks the wicket, just as removing a bail does.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 29 · applied

  10. "Wicket" names the stumps, but "a slow wicket" or "a green wicket" refers to the pitch itself.

    Source: General cricket terminology · applied

Test 4The ballTake a test

  1. The ball is a cork-and-string core inside a leather cover, with a raised stitched seam around the middle.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 4 · recall

  2. The seam is the stitched join; landing on it can move the ball off the pitch, and its angle affects swing in the air.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 4 · recall

  3. Red balls are used for first-class and Test cricket played in daylight, showing up well against the players' whites.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 4 · recall

  4. White balls are used in limited-overs cricket, where players wear coloured clothing and games often run into the evening.

    Source: ICC Playing Conditions (white-ball cricket) · recall

  5. The pink ball was brought in for day-night Tests because it shows up under lights better than red and lasts longer than white.

    Source: ICC Men's Test Match Playing Conditions · applied

  6. An old, soft ball does less for the quicks, so captains often use spin until a new ball becomes due.

    Source: General playing principle · applied

  7. A shiny side against a rougher side helps the ball swing; sides may polish it with sweat within the Laws' limits.

    Source: General playing principle · applied

  8. The Laws fix a narrow weight range for a men's ball; women's and junior balls are lighter.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 4 · recall

  9. A ball that loses its shape, or is lost, is replaced by one the umpires judge to be at a comparable state of wear.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 4 · applied

  10. In Tests a new ball is available after 80 overs, and taking it can restore pace, bounce and swing.

    Source: ICC Men's Test Match Playing Conditions · recall

Test 5The bat and the protective kitTake a test

  1. The Laws require the blade to be wood; an aluminium bat was tried in 1979 and quickly outlawed.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 5 · recall

  2. A bat may be no longer than 38 inches and no wider than 4.25 inches, with limits on edge and depth added in 2017.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 5 · recall

  3. A bat outside the permitted dimensions may not be used; the batter has to change it for a legal one.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 5 · applied

  4. Batting pads guard the front of the legs against a ball that can be bowled at 140 km/h or more.

    Source: General playing equipment · recall

  5. A helmet with a grille guards the head and face; helmets became standard after serious injuries from the 1970s on.

    Source: General playing equipment · recall

  6. The "box" is an abdominal protector; "taking guard" is a different thing entirely, done with the bat.

    Source: General playing equipment · recall

  7. Only the nominated wicket-keeper may wear keeping gloves and pads; every other fielder catches with bare hands.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 27 · recall

  8. Keeping gloves are for the wicket-keeper alone; any other fielder must field with bare hands.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 27 · applied

  9. A hard ball can injure, so a batter should wear a helmet, leg pads, batting gloves and an abdominal protector.

    Source: General playing safety · applied

  10. Keeping gloves have a webbed pocket for catching; batting gloves are padded on the back to protect the fingers.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 27 · recall

Test 6Covers, rollers and the groundstaffTake a test

  1. The Laws allow rolling for not more than seven minutes before each innings other than the first, and before each day's play.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 9 · recall

  2. The rolling is for the side about to bat, so its captain chooses the roller.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 9 · recall

  3. A heavy roller presses the surface down, which batters hope will deaden the cracks for a while.

    Source: General playing principle · applied

  4. The Laws forbid watering the pitch during the match.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 9 · recall

  5. Bowlers' footholds may be cleaned and dried, and sawdust is the usual way of drying them.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 9 · applied

  6. The Laws let the creases be re-marked whenever either umpire considers it necessary.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 7 · applied

  7. A super sopper's sponge roller lifts surface water so play can restart sooner after rain.

    Source: General playing principle · recall

  8. Covers come off, the pitch is mown for the day, it is rolled at the batting captain's request, then play begins.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 9 · applied

  9. The umpires suspend play, the pitch is covered, and the umpires decide when conditions are fit again.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 2 · applied

  10. The pitch is the strip between the wickets; it may be rolled during the match only as the Laws allow.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 9 · applied

Test 7The umpires on the fieldTake a test

  1. There are two umpires on the field, one at each end.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 2 · recall

  2. The bowler's-end umpire stands behind the stumps, where he can judge the front foot, LBW and the line of the ball.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 2 · recall

  3. He may stand on the off side instead of the leg side, but must tell the fielding captain and the striker.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 2 · applied

  4. An umpire is part of the field: a ball that hits him stays in play.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 20 · applied

  5. Before the match the umpires settle the hours of play, the intervals and the boundaries with the captains.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 2 · recall

  6. The bowler's-end umpire counts the balls of each over, often with a small counter.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 17 · recall

  7. Each umpire answers appeals about his own end; run outs at the striker's end belong to the square-leg umpire.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 31 · applied

  8. The front-foot no-ball is judged at the moment of delivery; everything else follows the ball.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 2 · applied

  9. Each umpire stays at his end; the next over is bowled from the other end, so their jobs swap.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 17 · applied

  10. The striker's-end umpire normally stands at square leg, level with the striker's popping crease on the leg side.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 2 · applied

Test 8Looking after the ballTake a test

  1. The ICC banned saliva for shining the ball permanently in 2022; sweat and rubbing on clothing are still allowed.

    Source: ICC Men's Playing Conditions · recall

  2. Polishing is allowed provided nothing artificial is used and no time is wasted.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 41 · recall

  3. Any action that changes the condition of the ball, other than the allowed polishing and cleaning, is unfair.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 41 · applied

  4. Drying a wet ball on a towel, and removing mud, are allowed under an umpire's supervision.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 41 · applied

  5. Umpires inspect the ball often and at unpredictable moments, and at once if they suspect anyone of tampering with it.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 41 · recall

  6. Deliberately throwing the ball into the ground to roughen it is given in the Laws as an example of changing its condition.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 41 · applied

  7. The umpires take possession of the ball at the fall of each wicket and at every interval.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 4 · recall

  8. The umpires control the match ball from start to finish, including replacements and the new ball.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 4 · applied

  9. Once the umpires agree the ball's condition has been changed unfairly, they offer the opposing captain a replacement ball and then award five penalty runs.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 41 · applied

  10. Repeatedly tapping one shoulder with the opposite hand signals penalty runs to the batting side.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 2 · applied

Test 9Reading the scoreboardTake a test

  1. After the point comes the number of legal balls bowled in the over in progress.

    Source: General scoring convention · recall

  2. The target is one more than the other side's total, the score needed to win.

    Source: General scoring convention · applied

  3. Run rate is runs divided by overs: 120 divided by 20.

    Source: General scoring convention · applied

  4. The required rate is the runs still needed divided by the overs left.

    Source: General scoring convention · applied

  5. 'Last wicket' gives the team score at the most recent dismissal.

    Source: General scoring convention · recall

  6. A partnership line gives the runs, with the balls it has taken in brackets.

    Source: General scoring convention · applied

  7. Wides and no-balls are illegal deliveries; byes and leg-byes are runs off fair balls that missed the bat.

    Source: General scoring convention · applied

  8. The rates are 9.0, 7.5, about 6.7 and 5.6 runs an over.

    Source: General scoring convention · applied

  9. The required rates are 5, 7, 10 and 12 runs an over.

    Source: General scoring convention · applied

  10. The target is 265 and the side has 178, so 87 more runs are needed.

    Source: General scoring convention · applied

Test 10Bat and ball in numbersTake a test

  1. Law 5 limits a bat to 96.52 cm (38 inches) overall.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 5 · recall

  2. The blade may be no wider than 10.8 cm (4.25 inches).

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 5 · recall

  3. The 2017 code added a maximum depth of 6.7 cm to the old length and width limits.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 5 · recall

  4. Edges were capped at 4.0 cm in 2017, after bats with ever-thicker edges.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 5 · recall

  5. Ever-thicker bats were turning mis-hits into sixes; the limits were meant to even things up.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 5 · applied

  6. Law 4 sets a men's ball at 22.4-22.9 cm round, alongside its weight range.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 4 · recall

  7. The gauge is a slot a legal bat passes through, so an oversized blade or edge shows at once.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 5 · recall

  8. 4.0 cm, 6.7 cm, 10.8 cm and 96.5 cm.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 5 · applied

  9. Bat blades are cut as clefts from willow logs, seasoned and pressed before shaping, and the cane handle is fitted last.

    Source: General playing principle · applied

  10. The toe is the bottom end of the blade, the part that rests on the ground; A is the handle, B a shoulder and C an edge.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 5 · applied

Sources

MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022) for the mechanics of play; ICC Playing Conditions for international format and officiating detail, which override the Laws where they differ; ESPNcricinfo and Wisden for history, records and governance. Questions are authored from these sources, not reproduced from them.

  • MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 511
  • General playing principle10
  • General scoring convention10
  • MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 48
  • MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 28
  • MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 417
  • MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 96
  • MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 295
  • MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 84
  • MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 193
  • General cricket terminology3
  • MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 63
  • MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 73
  • General playing equipment3
  • MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 273
  • General playing conditions2
  • ICC Men's Test Match Playing Conditions2
  • MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 172
  • ICC Playing Conditions (fielding restrictions)1
  • MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 301
  • ICC Playing Conditions (white-ball cricket)1
  • General playing safety1
  • MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 201
  • MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 311
  • ICC Men's Playing Conditions1