LBW (Leg Before Wicket)
Also known as: leg before wicket
LBW is a way of being out: if the ball would have hit the stumps but the batter’s pad (leg) intercepts it first — under specific conditions — the umpire can rule them leg before wicket.
The decision hinges on where the ball pitched, where it struck the pad, and whether it would have gone on to hit the stumps, with an exception when the batter is playing a genuine shot and is hit outside the off stump. Because spinners and swing bowlers attack the pads, understanding LBW shapes how batters use their feet and bat to cover the line.
Example
A full delivery beats the bat, strikes the pad in line with the stumps, and would have hit them — the batter is given out LBW.
Related terms
- GooglyA googly is a deceptive wrist-spin delivery from a leg-spinner that turns the opposite way to the stock ball — toward a right-handed batter instead of away — disguised by an identical action.
- Off-SpinOff-spin is a style of finger-spin bowling that turns the ball from the off side into a right-handed batter (right to left), the stock delivery being the off-break.
- Front-Foot DefenceThe front-foot defence is a defensive batting stroke where the batter strides forward and blocks a good-length ball with a straight, angled bat to keep it down and safe.
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