WICKETKEEPING

Law for the wicketkeepers

The wicket-keeper in cricket is the fielding player who stands behind the batsman on strike at the wicket.
The role of the wicket-keeper is governed by Law 40 of the Laws of cricket, and is similar to that of the
catcher in baseball.

The wicket-keeper's major function is to stop deliveries that pass the batsman (in order to prevent runs
being scored), but often he can also attempt to dismiss the batsman in various ways. The most common dismissal
effected by the wicket-keeper is for him to catch a ball that has nicked the batsman's bat, called an edge,
before it bounces. Sometimes the keeper is also in the best position to catch a ball which has been hit high
in the air. The keeper can also stump the batsman by using the ball to remove the bails from the stumps if the
batsman has come out of his crease during a delivery. Finally, when the ball is hit into the outfield, the
keeper moves close to the stumps to catch the return throw from a fielder and, if possible, to run out a batsman.