Two teams of 11
One team bats and tries to score runs. The other team bowls and fields and tries to get the batters out. Then they swap.
New to cricket
Cricket explained for newcomers
The basics of cricket on one page: how a match works, the roles in a team, the formats and the words you will hear at training.
The basics
How the game works in one minute
The pitch
In the middle of the field is a 22-yard (20 m) strip called the pitch, with a wicket at each end: three stumps with two small bails on top.
Overs
The bowler delivers the ball from one end to the batter at the other. Six legal deliveries make one over.
Scoring runs
Batters score by running between the wickets. Hitting the ball to the boundary scores 4, and over the boundary without bouncing scores 6.
Getting out
A batter is out if the ball hits the stumps (bowled), a fielder catches the ball before it bounces (caught), or the wicket is broken before they reach the crease (run out). LBW and stumped are other ways.
Winning
The team that scores the most runs wins. In short formats each team bats once for a fixed number of overs.
Roles
The roles in a team
Batter
Protects the wicket and scores runs. Timing and patience matter more than strength.
Bowler
Delivers the ball with a straight arm, fast or with spin, to beat the batter.
Wicket-keeper
Stands behind the batter’s stumps with gloves, catching and stumping.
Fielder
Everyone fields: stopping the ball, throwing and taking catches.
All-rounder
Contributes with both bat and ball.
Supporter & volunteer
Not ready to play? Score, umpire, coach or help on match days.
Formats
Ways to play
T20
20 overs per side, about three hours. The format of our Superettan league.
One-Day (50 overs)
A full day of cricket with 50 overs per side.
Test cricket
The classic format, played over up to five days between national teams.
Softball & indoor
Lighter balls and shorter games, used for children and beginners.
Your first session
What to expect and what to bring
- Comfortable sports clothes and trainers
- A water bottle
- No equipment needed at the start: beginners can borrow club training gear
- A short warm-up, then simple batting, bowling and catching drills
- Friendly coaches who explain everything step by step, in Swedish or English
- Where: Lindängen or Limhamnsfältet from late March to September, DR Cricket Academy indoors in winter
Words you will hear
Cricket dictionary for beginners
Crease
The white line the batter must be behind to be safe.
Innings
A team’s turn to bat.
Wicket
The stumps, or the dismissal of a batter.
Boundary
The edge of the field. 4 or 6 runs.
Duck
A batter out without scoring.
Maiden
An over with no runs scored.
Over
Six legal deliveries bowled by one bowler from one end.
Run out
A batter is out when the fielding side breaks the wicket before the batter reaches the crease.
LBW
Leg before wicket: a batter can be out if the ball would have hit the stumps but hits the leg or body first, under the conditions set out in the Laws.
Wide
A delivery too far from the batter to hit with a normal shot. The batting team gets an extra run and the ball is bowled again.
No-ball
An illegal delivery, for example when the bowler oversteps the front line. The batting team gets an extra run and the ball is bowled again.
Extras
Runs not scored off the bat, such as wides, no-balls, byes and leg byes.
Bouncer
A short, fast delivery that rises towards the batter’s chest or head.
Yorker
A delivery aimed at the batter’s feet, very hard to hit.
Spin
Bowling that makes the ball turn after it bounces, using the fingers or the wrist.
Strike rate
For a batter, the number of runs scored per 100 balls faced.
Economy rate
The number of runs a bowler concedes per over.
Net run rate
A tie-breaker in league tables that compares how fast a team scores runs with how fast it concedes them.
Umpire
The official who makes decisions on the field, such as whether a batter is out.
Scorer
The person who records every ball, run and wicket in the scorebook or scoring app.
Match day
How a T20 match works
The Laws of Cricket are maintained by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), and each competition adds its own playing conditions, such as the number of overs. This is how a typical T20 match runs.
The toss
Before the match the two captains toss a coin. The winner chooses whether their team bats or bowls first.
The first innings
The batting team has 20 overs to score as many runs as possible. Two batters are on the field at a time, and the innings ends when the overs run out or ten batters are out.
The break and the chase
After a short break the teams swap. The second team knows exactly how many runs it needs and tries to reach the target within its own 20 overs.
The result
If the chasing team passes the target, it wins. If not, the team that batted first wins. A tie is possible, and some competitions use a super over to decide the winner.
Beginner questions
Cricket in two minutes
How long does a cricket match last?
We play T20 cricket, where each team bats for a maximum of 20 overs. A T20 match usually takes around three hours, including the break between innings.
What is an over?
An over is six legal deliveries bowled by one bowler from the same end. After each over, a different bowler bowls from the other end.
How do you score runs?
Batters score runs by running between the wickets after hitting the ball. A shot that reaches the boundary is worth four runs, or six if the ball clears the boundary without bouncing.
How can a batter get out?
The most common ways are bowled (the ball hits the stumps), caught (a fielder catches the ball before it bounces), leg before wicket (LBW), run out and stumped.
What do batter, bowler, all-rounder and wicket-keeper mean?
Batters specialise in scoring runs, bowlers in taking wickets, all-rounders do both, and the wicket-keeper stands behind the stumps to catch the ball and stump batters.
Do I need to be fit to start?
No. Cricket suits every fitness level and you get fitter as you play. Sessions start with a warm-up and build up gradually.
What should I wear to my first session?
Comfortable sports clothes and trainers. Outdoors, bring a warm layer and a water bottle. We lend you the protective gear.
Where can I watch a match first?
Come and watch one of our home league matches at Limhamnsfältet in the summer. Contact us and we will tell you when the next match is.