Understanding an Innings

In this lesson you will learn how a match begins. Before play, the two captains meet for the toss of a coin, usually in the presence of an umpire. The captain who wins the toss chooses whether their team will bat or bowl first. That choice depends on the pitch, the weather and the team's strengths. Some captains prefer to bat first and set a total, while others prefer to chase, knowing exactly what target they need. Once the decision is made, the batting side sends out its openers and the fielding side takes the field.

• Captains toss a coin before play
• The winner chooses to bat or bowl
• Pitch, weather and strengths shape the choice
• Batting first sets a total; second chases

In this lesson you will understand how batters take their turn. Each side decides its batting order, from the openers through the middle order to the lower order. Two batters are always in together, and the runs they add while together form a partnership. When a batter is out, the next batter in the order comes to the crease. In a team of eleven, the innings can include ten partnerships. Captains may change the order during an innings, for example sending in a big hitter late in a T20 innings.

• Openers, middle order and lower order
• Two batters are always in together
• Runs added together form a partnership
• The batting order can be changed tactically

In this lesson you will learn who faces the bowling. The batter facing the bowler is the striker. If the batters complete an odd number of runs, such as one or three, they finish at opposite ends and the non-striker becomes the striker. At the end of each over, the bowling switches to the other end, which also changes who is on strike. Good batters rotate the strike by taking singles, keeping the scoreboard moving and preventing bowlers from settling. Understanding the strike helps you follow tactics in a tight finish.

• The striker faces the bowling
• Odd runs swap the batters' ends
• Bowling switches ends after each over
• Rotating the strike keeps the score moving

In this lesson you will learn the dismissals that end a batter's stay. Bowled is when the ball hits the stumps and removes a bail. Caught is when a fielder catches the ball off the bat before it touches the ground. Leg before wicket is when the ball would have hit the stumps but strikes the batter's body, subject to conditions in the Laws. Run out happens when the wicket is broken while the batters are out of their ground running. Stumped is when the keeper breaks the wicket while the striker is out of their ground and not attempting a run. Rarer ways include hit wicket, obstructing the field, hit the ball twice and timed out.

• Bowled, caught and leg before wicket
• Run out while running between wickets
• Stumped by the keeper when out of the crease
• Rarer: hit wicket, obstructing the field, timed out

In this lesson you will learn the ways an innings is completed. An innings ends when ten batters are out, known as all out, because the last batter has no partner. In limited-overs cricket, it also ends when the allotted overs have been bowled, twenty in a T20 match. For the side batting second, the innings ends as soon as they pass their target. An innings may also be cut short by weather. In longer formats a captain may declare, but declarations do not apply in limited-overs matches like those in the Winn Family T-20 League.

• All out: ten wickets fallen
• Overs completed: twenty in a T20
• The chasing side stops once the target is reached
• Weather can shorten an innings

In this lesson you will see how the two innings combine. The side batting first sets a total, and the target for the side batting second is that total plus one run. As the chase goes on, everyone watches how many runs are needed and how many balls remain. If the chasing side reaches the target, they win by the number of wickets still in hand. If they are bowled out or run out of overs before reaching it, the side batting first wins by the margin in runs. Level scores mean a tie. Check the WFA competition regulations for how ties and shortened matches are handled.

• Target equals first-innings total plus one
• Watch runs needed and balls remaining
• Chasers win by wickets; defenders win by runs
• Level scores produce a tie

In this lesson you will look at how an innings is often shaped. In T20 cricket, the first six overs are the powerplay, when fielding restrictions mean batters can attack with fewer fielders in the deep. The middle overs often involve building partnerships, rotating the strike and keeping wickets in hand. The final overs, sometimes called the death overs, are when batters look to score as quickly as possible. Wickets in hand give batters the freedom to attack late on. Understanding these phases helps you read the game as it unfolds.

• Powerplay: first six overs with fielding restrictions
• Middle overs: build and rotate strike
• Death overs: maximise scoring
• Wickets in hand allow late acceleration