Delhi NCR, Cricastar Sports Desk: The laws of cricket are comprehensive rules that govern the game worldwide. They are owned and maintained by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), based at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. The current code contains 42 numbered Laws, along with a Preamble and several appendices.

Explaining every single detail of all 42 Laws would be extensive, but here is an overview grouped by key areas:

1. The Spirit of Cricket (Preamble)

This is a crucial, overarching principle emphasizing fair play, respect for opponents and officials, and maintaining the game’s traditional values. It’s not a numbered law but sets the tone for how the laws should be applied and interpreted.

2. Setting up the Game (Laws 1-12)

These laws cover the fundamental elements needed to start and conduct a match:

• Law 1: The Players: Defines the number of players per side (usually 11), player nominations, and the role of the captain.
• Law 2: The Umpires: Outlines the appointment, duties, and authority of the two on-field umpires, who are the sole judges of fair and unfair play.
• Law 3: The Scorers: Details the role of the official scorers in recording runs, wickets, and overs.
• Law 4: The Ball: Specifies the size, weight, and condition of the cricket ball. Tampering with the ball is covered under Unfair Play.
• Law 5: The Bat: Defines the dimensions and materials permitted for a cricket bat.
• Law 6-10: The Pitch, Creases, Wickets, and Playing Area: These laws describe the dimensions and markings of the pitch (the central 22-yard strip), the creases (popping crease, bowling crease, return creases), the wickets (stumps and bails), and rules for preparing and maintaining the playing area, including covering the pitch.
• Law 11-12: Intervals and Start/Cessation of Play: Cover scheduled breaks in play (lunch, tea, drinks breaks) and the procedures for starting, stopping, and resuming play due to conditions like bad light or rain.

3. Innings and Results (Laws 13-16)

These laws define how a match progresses and is decided:

• Law 13: Innings: Explains what constitutes an innings for each side.
• Law 14: The Follow-on: Allows the side batting second to be asked to bat again immediately if they are significantly behind the first innings score in a multi-day match.
• Law 15: Declaration and Forfeiture: Allows a captain to declare their innings closed or forfeit an innings.
• Law 16: The Result: Defines how a match is won, lost, tied (scores level and innings completed), or drawn (match not completed within the allotted time).

4. Scoring Runs, Dead Ball, and Extras (Laws 17-23)

These laws cover how runs are scored and different types of deliveries:

• Law 17: The Over: Defines an over as six fair deliveries from one bowler.
• Law 18: Scoring Runs: Explains how runs are scored by batters running between the wickets after hitting the ball or through boundaries.
• Law 19: Boundaries: Defines how boundaries are scored (4 runs for hitting the boundary along the ground, 6 runs for hitting it on the full).
• Law 20: Dead Ball: Explains situations where the ball is considered “dead” and no runs can be scored or wickets taken.
• Law 21: No ball: Defines various reasons a delivery is a “No ball” (e.g., overstepping the crease, illegal bowling action, bowling too high) and the penalties.
• Law 22: Wide ball: Defines when a delivery is a “Wide ball” (too far from the batter to be hit) and the penalty.
• Law 23: Bye and Leg bye: Explains how Byes (runs scored when the ball doesn’t hit the bat or batter and passes the wicket-keeper) and Leg Byes (runs scored when the ball hits the batter but not the bat and they attempt a run) are scored as extras.

5. Players, Substitutes, and Practice (Laws 24-28)

These laws cover the status and actions of players during the match:

• Law 24: Fielder’s Absence; Substitutes: Covers rules for fielders leaving the field and when substitutes are allowed (substitutes cannot bat, bowl, or keep wicket unless specifically permitted by regulations).
• Law 25: Batter’s Innings; Runners: Covers batters starting their innings and rules for using runners (runners are rarely used in modern elite cricket).
• Law 26: Practice on the Field: Restricts where and when players can practice during a match.
• Law 27: The Wicket-Keeper: Defines the role and restrictions of the wicket-keeper.
• Law 28: The Fielder: Covers the actions and restrictions of fielders.

6. Dismissals and Appeals (Laws 29-40)

This section details the various ways a batter can be dismissed and the process of appeals:

• Law 29: The Wicket is Broken: Defines when a wicket is considered “down”.
• Law 30: Batter out of his/her ground: Explains when a batter is considered to be outside the safety of their crease.
• Law 31: Appeals: Outlines the process by which the fielding side must appeal to the umpire for a dismissal. An umpire cannot give a batter out without an appeal (with a few exceptions).
• Laws 32-40: Methods of Dismissal: Each of these laws defines a specific way a batter can be given out:
  • Law 32: Bowled: The ball bowled by the bowler hits and breaks the wicket.
  • Law 33: Caught: A fielder catches the ball hit by the batter before it bounces.
  • Law 34: Hit the ball twice: A batter hits the ball a second time, unless doing so purely to guard their wicket.
  • Law 35: Hit wicket: A batter breaks their own wicket with their bat or body while playing a shot or setting off for a run.
  • Law 36: Leg before wicket (LBW): The ball hits the batter’s body (usually the pad) and the umpire deems that the ball would have gone on to hit the wicket, provided certain conditions regarding where the ball pitched and the impact are met.
  • Law 37: Obstructing the field: A batter intentionally obstructs the fielding side.
  • Law 38: Run out: A batter is attempting a run and a fielder breaks the wicket with the ball while the batter is out of their ground.
  • Law 39: Stumped: The wicket-keeper breaks the wicket with the ball while the batter is out of their ground and not attempting a run (typically happens when the batter comes out of their crease to play a delivery and misses).
  • Law 40: Timed Out: A new batter does not arrive at the crease within a specified time after the fall of a wicket (currently 3 minutes in most forms of the game, but varies by playing conditions).

7. Unfair Play and Player Conduct (Laws 41-42)

These laws address actions that are contrary to the spirit of the game or constitute misconduct:

• Law 41: Unfair Play: Covers various actions considered unfair, such as deliberately time wasting, damaging the pitch, dangerous or unfair bowling (e.g., beamers, excessive short-pitched bowling), tampering with the ball, and other actions deemed unfair by the umpires.
• Law 42: Players’ Conduct: A newer law that provides umpires with the power to penalize and even remove players from the field for misconduct ranging from dissent to physical assault.

In addition to these 42 Laws, specific playing conditions are often agreed upon for different formats of the game (like Test cricket, One Day Internationals, T20 Internationals) and specific tournaments or leagues. These playing conditions can modify or add to the Laws (e.g., introducing Powerplays, Decision Review System (DRS), specific rules for super overs in tied limited-overs matches). However, the 42 Laws of Cricket form the foundational framework for how the game is played worldwide.