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Cricket · Level 1: Beginner · Sub-level 1.3

The Ground and the Kit

5 tests · 50 facts · updated 6 September 2026 · markdown

This sub-level teaches the shape of a cricket ground and its boundary; the 22-yard pitch and the crease lines drawn on it; the wicket of three stumps and two bails and what it means to break it; the ball, its seam and its colours; and the bat and the protective kit, including why the wicket-keeper alone wears gloves and pads.

Each test below is ten questions on Insporta. The list under a test is what the questions check: one fact per question, with the source it was written from. Read it before the test, or come back from a wrong answer.

Test 1The field and the boundary

The ground: the square, the 30-yard circle, the outfield and the boundaryA cricket ground seen from above as an oval. The pitch runs vertically in the centre inside the square, the block of prepared strips; a dashed 30-yard circle surrounds it, the outfield lies between the circle and the boundary rope on the edge of the oval, and a sightscreen stands outside the boundary behind each end of the pitch.SQUAREPITCH30-YARD CIRCLEOUTFIELDBOUNDARYSIGHTSCREEN
The ground: the square, the 30-yard circle, the outfield and the boundary. The boundary must be agreed and marked, usually with a rope, but neither its distance nor the shape of the ground is laid down by the Laws.SVG

  1. Grounds are broadly oval, and neither the shape nor the size of the outfield is laid down by the Laws.

    Source: General playing principle · recall

  2. The boundary is the perimeter of the field, usually a rope; a ball crossing it scores four or six.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 19 · recall

  3. Boundary length varies from ground to ground, and even around one ground; there is no standard measurement.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 19 · applied

  4. The square is the central block of prepared surfaces; a different strip on it is used for different matches.

    Source: General cricket terminology · recall

  5. The outfield is everything between the central square and the boundary rope.

    Source: General cricket terminology · recall

  6. The sightscreen gives a plain background behind the bowler so the batter can pick up the ball on release.

    Source: General playing conditions · applied

  7. Most grounds are longer straight and shorter square, so the boundary is not a uniform distance.

    Source: General playing conditions · recall

  8. The Laws require the boundary to be agreed and marked; its distance and the ground's shape are not prescribed.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 19 · applied

  9. The inner circle sets how many fielders may stand outside it during the powerplay and later phases.

    Source: ICC Playing Conditions (fielding restrictions) · recall

  10. A quick outfield speeds the ball along the ground, so more well-timed shots reach the rope.

    Source: General playing principle · applied

Test 2The pitch and the creases

The pitch and its creases: 22 yards stump to stump, popping crease 1.22 m in frontA cricket pitch seen from above, the bowler's end on the left and the striker's end on the right. The two sets of stumps stand 22 yards (20.12 m) apart on the bowling creases and the pitch is 3.05 m (10 ft) wide. At each end the popping crease is drawn 1.22 m (4 ft) in front of the stumps, and the return creases run back from it 1.32 m either side of the middle stump.22 yards (20.12 m) stump to stump3.05 m (10 ft) 1.22 m (4 ft)1.32 mPOPPING CREASERETURN CREASEBOWLING CREASE
The pitch and its creases: 22 yards stump to stump, popping crease 1.22 m in front. Twenty-two yards stump to stump; the popping crease, four feet (1.22 m) in front of each wicket, is the line batters and bowlers alike are judged against.SVG

  1. The pitch is the 22-yard playing strip; the square is the wider area from which such strips are cut.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 6 · recall

  2. The pitch is a fixed 22 yards from stump to stump, which is one chain, an old unit of length.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 6 · recall

  3. The popping crease runs across the pitch four feet in front of the stumps and is used by batters and bowlers alike.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 7 · recall

  4. The return creases mark the outer limits within which the bowler's back foot must land on delivery.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 7 · recall

  5. The crease line itself is not part of the batter's ground; bat or body must be grounded behind it.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 30 · applied

  6. A pitch is not changed during a match, so it deteriorates: cracks open, the bounce varies and spinners get more help.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 6 · applied

  7. Bowlers running through on their follow-through scuff the pitch, and spinners later aim the ball into that rough.

    Source: General playing principle · applied

  8. Grass and moisture help seam movement and carry, so a green pitch usually favours the quicker bowlers first.

    Source: General playing principle · recall

  9. A worn, dry surface grips and turns the ball, so spin bowling becomes the main threat late in a long match.

    Source: General playing principle · applied

  10. Running on the protected area is unfair to the batting side; after warnings the bowler is taken out of the attack.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 41 · applied

Test 3The wicket

  1. A wicket is three wooden stumps of equal size with two small bails sitting in grooves across the top.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 8 · recall

  2. Removing at least one bail from the top of the stumps is enough for the wicket to count as broken.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 29 · recall

  3. With no bail dislodged the wicket is not broken, so there is no dismissal, however hard the stumps were struck.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 29 · applied

  4. With no bails on, the wicket can only be broken by removing a stump from the ground.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 29 · applied

  5. Loose bails come off at a touch, which is how the umpire can tell the wicket has been broken.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 8 · recall

  6. If the wind keeps blowing the bails off, the umpires can do without them and judge the wicket by the stumps alone.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 8 · recall

  7. The bail must be completely removed; one that pops up and lands back on has not broken the wicket.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 29 · applied

  8. The stumps stand close together so a ball cannot slip through, and the wicket is the same size at both ends.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 8 · recall

  9. Pulling a stump out of the ground with the ball in hand breaks the wicket, just as removing a bail does.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 29 · applied

  10. "Wicket" names the stumps, but "a slow wicket" or "a green wicket" refers to the pitch itself.

    Source: General cricket terminology · applied

Test 4The ball

  1. The ball is a cork-and-string core inside a leather cover, with a raised stitched seam around the middle.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 4 · recall

  2. The seam is the stitched join; landing on it can move the ball off the pitch, and its angle affects swing in the air.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 4 · recall

  3. Red balls are used for first-class and Test cricket played in daylight, showing up well against the players' whites.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 4 · recall

  4. White balls are used in limited-overs cricket, where players wear coloured clothing and games often run into the evening.

    Source: ICC Playing Conditions (white-ball cricket) · recall

  5. The pink ball was brought in for day-night Tests because it shows up under lights better than red and lasts longer than white.

    Source: ICC Men's Test Match Playing Conditions · applied

  6. An old, soft ball does less for the quicks, so captains often use spin until a new ball becomes due.

    Source: General playing principle · applied

  7. A shiny side against a rougher side helps the ball swing; sides may polish it with sweat within the Laws' limits.

    Source: General playing principle · applied

  8. The Laws fix a narrow weight range for a men's ball; women's and junior balls are lighter.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 4 · recall

  9. A ball that loses its shape, or is lost, is replaced by one the umpires judge to be at a comparable state of wear.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 4 · applied

  10. In Tests a new ball is available after 80 overs, and taking it can restore pace, bounce and swing.

    Source: ICC Men's Test Match Playing Conditions · recall

Test 5The bat and the protective kit

  1. The Laws require the blade to be wood; an aluminium bat was tried in 1979 and quickly outlawed.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 5 · recall

  2. A bat may be no longer than 38 inches and no wider than 4.25 inches, with limits on edge and depth added in 2017.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 5 · recall

  3. A bat outside the permitted dimensions may not be used; the batter has to change it for a legal one.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 5 · applied

  4. Batting pads guard the front of the legs against a ball that can be bowled at 140 km/h or more.

    Source: General playing equipment · recall

  5. A helmet with a grille guards the head and face; helmets became standard after serious injuries from the 1970s on.

    Source: General playing equipment · recall

  6. The "box" is an abdominal protector; "taking guard" is a different thing entirely, done with the bat.

    Source: General playing equipment · recall

  7. Only the nominated wicket-keeper may wear keeping gloves and pads; every other fielder catches with bare hands.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 27 · recall

  8. Keeping gloves are for the wicket-keeper alone; any other fielder must field with bare hands.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 27 · applied

  9. A hard ball can injure, so a batter should wear a helmet, leg pads, batting gloves and an abdominal protector.

    Source: General playing safety · applied

  10. Keeping gloves have a webbed pocket for catching; batting gloves are padded on the back to protect the fingers.

    Source: MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 27 · recall

Sources

MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022) for the mechanics of play; ICC Playing Conditions for international format and officiating detail, which override the Laws where they differ; ESPNcricinfo and Wisden for history, records and governance. Questions are authored from these sources, not reproduced from them.

  • General playing principle7
  • MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 295
  • MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 45
  • MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 84
  • MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 193
  • General cricket terminology3
  • MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 63
  • MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 53
  • General playing equipment3
  • MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 273
  • General playing conditions2
  • MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 72
  • ICC Men's Test Match Playing Conditions2
  • ICC Playing Conditions (fielding restrictions)1
  • MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 301
  • MCC Laws of Cricket 2017 code (3rd edition 2022), Law 411
  • ICC Playing Conditions (white-ball cricket)1
  • General playing safety1