cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...

, a runner is a team member who runs between the

wicket In cricket, the term wicket has several meanings: * It is one of the two sets of three stumps and two bails at either end of the pitch. The fielding team's players can hit the wicket with the ball in a number of ways to get a batsman out. ...

s for an injured

batsman In cricket, batting is the act or skill of hitting the cricket ball, ball with a cricket bat, bat to score runs (cricket), runs and prevent the dismissal (cricket), loss of one's wicket. Any player who is currently batting is, since Septembe ...

. This is covered by Law 25 of the Laws of Cricket. When a runner is used, the batsman stands in position and plays shots as normal, but does not attempt to run between the wickets: the runner runs for them. The runner occupies the injured batsman's crease when they are on strike, but takes up a position away from the pitch at the umpire's discretion, typically on a pitch parallel to that being used for the game. When the injured batsman moves off strike, they then take up the position near the

square leg Fielding in the sport of cricket is the action of fielders in collecting the ball after it is struck by the striking batter, to limit the number of runs that the striker scores and/or to get a batter out by either catching a hit ball befor ...

umpire An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The term derives from the Old French nonper, ''non'', "not" and ''per' ...

(not at the bowler's end), and the runner stands next to the bowler's wicket as in the normal course of play. *A runner can only be used if the umpires, together, are satisfied that the batsman has sustained an injury during the match that affects their ability to run. *The runner must be a member of the batting side, but not the twelfth man. The runner must also already have batted in the innings, if possible. *The runner must wear all the external protective equipment worn by the batsman and must carry a bat. If ''either'' the injured batsman or their runner is out of their ground, the batsman is liable to be

run out Run out is a method of dismissal in cricket, governed by Law 38 of the Laws of Cricket. A run out usually occurs when the batsmen are attempting to run between the wickets, and the fielding team succeed in getting the ball to one wicket be ...

stumped Stumped is a method of dismissing a batsman in cricket, which involves the wicket-keeper putting down the wicket while the batsman is out of his ground. (The batsman leaves his ground when he has moved down the pitch beyond the popping creas ...

. The runner is also subject to other laws such as obstructing the field. In June 2011, the

International Cricket Council The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the world governing body of cricket. Headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, its members are 108 national associations, with 12 Full Members and 96 Associate Members. Founded in 1909 as the '' ...

announced that, from 1 October 2011, runners could no longer be used in international cricket.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Runner (Cricket) Batting (cricket) Cricket laws and regulations Cricket terminology