In the sport of cricket, the term stump has three different meanings: For the insect, see Cricket (insect). ...

1. part of the wicket,
2. a manner of dismissing a batsman, and
3. the end of the day's play ("stumps").

In the sport of cricket the word wicket has several distinct meanings: // Meanings of wicket Each wicket consists of three stumps, upright wooden poles that are hammered into the ground, topped with two wooden crosspieces, known as the bails. ... Cricket batsman A batsman in the sport of cricket is, depending on context: Any player in the act of batting. ...

Part of the wicket

The stumps are three vertical posts which support two bails. The stumps and bails are usually made of wood, and together form a wicket at each end of the pitch. The overall width of each wicket is 9 inches (22.9 cm). In the sport of cricket, a bail is one of the two smaller sticks placed on top of the three stumps to form a wicket. ... In the sport of cricket the word wicket has several distinct meanings: // Meanings of wicket Each wicket consists of three stumps, upright wooden poles that are hammered into the ground, topped with two wooden crosspieces, known as the bails. ... A cricket pitch is the central strip of the playing area between the wickets. ...

Each stump is 28 inches (71.1 cm) tall with maximum and minimum diameters of 1¹⁄₂ inches (3.81 cm) and 1³⁄₈ inches (3.49 cm). They have a spike at one end for hammering into the ground, and the other end is domed with groove to provide a resting place for the bails.

Each stump is referred to by a specific name:

• Off stump is the stump on the off side of the wicket (the same side as the batsman's bat).
• Middle stump is the stump in the middle of the wicket.
• Leg stump is the stump on the leg side of the wicket (the same side as the batsman's legs).

In modern professional play, the stumps are often emblazoned with a sponsor's logo. Although they are too far away from spectators to be seen, such logos are visible on television coverage. For usage in other sports, see offside rule. ... The leg side, or on side, is defined to be a particular half of the field used to play the sport of cricket. ...

For professional matches, often one or more of the stumps is hollow and contains a small television camera. This is aligned vertically, but can view through a small window on the side of the stump via a mirror. The so-called stump-cam gives a unique view of play for action replays, particularly when a batsman is bowled.

Manner of dismissing a batsman

In cricket, a batsman can be out stumped if: For the insect, see Cricket (insect). ...

• the wicket-keeper puts down the wicket, while
• the batsman is:
  • out of his ground (because he has moved down the pitch beyond the popping crease, usually in an attempt to hit the ball),
  • receiving a delivery which is not a no ball, and
  • not attempting a run.

Stumping is the fifth most common form of dismissal after caught, bowled, leg before wicket and run out. It is governed by Law 39 of the Laws of cricket. It is usually seen when a medium or slow bowler is bowling. It requires co-operation between a bowler and wicket-keeper: the bowler must induce the batsman to move out of his ground, and the wicket-keeper must be quick enough to break the wicket before the batsman makes his ground (i.e. places the bat or part of his body on the ground back behind the popping crease). The bowler obtains credit for dismissing a batsman who is stumped. A batsman may not be out stumped off a no ball, but may be stumped off a wide delivery. A wicket keeper in characteristic position, ready to face a delivery. ... In the sport of cricket, the crease is the area demarcated by white lines painted or chalked on the field of play. ... In the sport of cricket a no ball is an illegal delivery by the bowler. ... Caught is a method of dismissing a batsman in the sport of cricket. ... Bowled is a method of dismissing a batsman in the sport of cricket. ... In the sport of cricket, leg before wicket (lbw) is one of the ways in which a batsman can be dismissed. ... Run out is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. ... The laws of cricket are a set of rules framed by the Marylebone Cricket Club which serve to standardise the format of cricket matches across the world to ensure uniformity and fairness. ... Darren Gough bowling A bowler in the sport of cricket is usually a player whose speciality is bowling. ... Darren Gough bowling In the sport of cricket, bowling is the action of propelling the ball towards the batsman. ... In the sport of cricket, the crease is the area demarcated by white lines painted or chalked on the field of play. ... In the sport of cricket a no ball is an illegal delivery by the bowler. ... In the sport of cricket, a wide is one of two things: The event of a ball being delivered by a bowler too wide or high to be hit by the batsman, and ruled so by the umpire. ...

End of the day's play

Stumps is used as a term to mean the end of a day's play, e.g. "The umpires called stumps" means that the umpires declared play over for the day. At the end of a session, i.e. before lunch or tea, the umpires will remove the bails; at the end of the day's play, the umpires will remove the stumps. An umpire in cricket (from the Old French Nompere meaning not equal, i. ...

See also

• Cricket terminology