Bail

Besides the ball and bat, cricket is full of many others crucial things, one of which is the bail cricket. Bails are two small wooden pieces placed atop three stumps, collectively making a wicket. But what are they used for? Let’s explore this in detail below.

Bail Cricket: The Basic Meaning

Have you ever wondered how umpires and players identify if a batsman is dismissed by being bowled, stumped, run out, or hitting the wicket following the delivery of a ball? That’s exactly what bail cricket is for. Players and umpires recognize a wicket as knocked down under two conditions:

• When one or both bails fall off the stumps.
• When a stump itself is knocked out of the ground.

How can you “knock out” the bail or strike?

1. By the Ball: When the delivered ball directly hits the wicket.
2. By the Batsman: Accidentally knocking off the bail or stump with any part of their body or even their clothing.
3. By a Fielder: During fielding, a player may intentionally remove the bails or stumps with the hand holding the ball to run a batsman out.

Imagine this scenario: the bowler delivers the ball, and it strikes the wicket, yet the batsman remains not out. How can this happen? A batsman is only considered dismissed if at least one cricket bail falls completely from the stumps. It’s possible for the ball to hit the wicket without dislodging a bail, leaving the batsman still in play. Furthermore, if one bail has already fallen and play continues, fielders must aim for the other bail or remove a stump entirely from the ground to successfully dismiss the batsman.

According to cricket regulations, the official dimensions for bails are:

• Overall length: 4 5/16 inches (10.95 cm)
• Length of barrel: 2 1/8 inches (5.40 cm)
• Longer spigot: 1 3/8 inches (3.49 cm)
• Shorter spigot: 13/16 inches (2.06 cm)

Bail Cricket: What Is It Made Of?

A bail cricket is created from high-quality cylindrical wood and consists of two essential parts:

• Barrel: The larger, central cylindrical part that rests on one stump.
• Spigots: The smaller cylindrical extensions at both ends. The longer spigot rests on an outer stump, while the shorter spigot rests on the middle stump, sharing space with the short spigot of the other bail.

Sometimes cricket games happen without using bails. When this occurs, it’s up to the umpire to personally decide if the wicket has been knocked down or not. Recently, some test matches have utilized technology such as Hawk-Eye to aid decisions, although this has not fully replaced umpires at the official level. Similar technological aids are increasingly common in other sports, such as tennis and football.

When cricket matches take place in very windy conditions, teams often use specially made, stronger bails. This helps ensure they don’t easily fall off due to wind. These reinforced bails can be crafted from various types of wood to withstand tough weather.