Leaving the Ball
Also known as: leaving the ball, leave the ball, leaving a delivery, leaving outside off stump, leaving on line and length
Leaving the ball means choosing not to play at a delivery and lifting your bat and hands up out of its path. As a result, it goes through to the keeper. Leave balls you judge will miss the stumps, usually those wide of off stump or bouncing over the top. Move your feet into position first, then lift the bat high and keep watching the ball until it passes you.
A good leave takes the risk of an edge out of the delivery. It is a key defence against nicking off to the keeper or the slips. It also tells the bowler you will not chase wide balls, which makes them bowl straighter, where you can score.
Move your feet as you would to defend, forward or back, so your head is close to the line of the ball. Then lift the bat and hands up and away from the ball, keeping them close to your body. Some batters lift the bat over the shoulder, which is why the leave is also called shouldering arms. Keep your head still and your eyes on the ball until it reaches the keeper. Watching it all the way shows you how much the bowler is swinging or seaming it.
Leave on line by knowing where your off stump is. Your guard and stance give you that reference. Leave on length when the ball is short enough to bounce over the stumps, which works best on a pitch with steady, true bounce. On a low or uneven pitch, leaving on bounce is riskier.
Be careful leaving with your pad. Under Law 36, if you make no genuine attempt to play the ball with the bat. You can be out LBW even when it hits you outside the line of off stump. The ball must still pitch in line or outside off stump and be going on to hit the wicket. So leave only balls you are confident will miss the stumps, and defend anything close with the bat.
Tips by skill level
In the nets, ask a partner to feed balls just outside off stump. Practise stepping into line, lifting the bat high and watching each ball into the keeper's gloves.
Against a bowler who brings the ball back in. This leaves on line alone is risky. This is because a ball that starts wide can come back to hit the stumps. Pick up the seam position or swing early and leave only when you are sure it will miss.
Example
An out-swinger pitches on a good length outside off stump and moves away. The batter steps forward into line, lifts the bat high and watches the ball go through to the keeper.
Why it matters
Edges to the keeper and slips often come from playing at balls that could have been left. A sound leave helps you survive a good spell and makes the bowler bowl where you can score.
Common mistakes
- Leaving with the bat hanging near the line of the ball, so a late swing still finds the edge
- Not moving the feet, which makes it hard to judge where off stump is
- Shouldering arms to a ball that moves back in and hits the stumps or the pad
- Looking away as the ball passes instead of watching it into the keeper's gloves
Frequently asked questions
How do you leave the ball in cricket?
Move your feet into line as you would to defend, then lift your bat and hands up and away from the ball's path. Keep watching the ball until it reaches the keeper.
When should I leave the ball?
Leave balls you judge will miss the stumps, most often those wide of off stump or bouncing over the top. Early in an innings, and against a new ball that is moving, leaving more often helps you get set.
Can you be out LBW if you leave the ball?
Yes. If you make no genuine attempt to play the ball with the bat, you can be out LBW even when it hits you outside the line of off stump. The ball must still pitch in line or outside off stump and be going on to hit the wicket.
Why do batters lift the bat high when they leave?
Lifting the bat and hands high takes them well away from the ball, so late swing or seam movement cannot catch an edge. It also keeps your gloves clear of the ball.
Sources
Related terms
- Nicking Off (Edging Behind)Nicking off is edging a ball outside off stump to the wicket-keeper or slips. It usually comes from playing at balls you could leave, pushing at the ball with hard hands or reaching away from your body. Know your off stump, play late under your eyes with soft hands and leave anything you do not need to play.
- JudgmentJudgment in cricket batting is the ability to quickly decide which deliveries to play and which to leave, choosing the right shot for each ball bowled.
- LBW (Leg Before Wicket)LBW is a mode of dismissal. Under specific conditions, the umpire can rule the batter leg before wicket. That applies if the ball would have hit the stumps but the batter's pad intercepts it first.
- Playing Swing and Seam BowlingTo play swing and seam bowling, know where your off stump is and leave balls you do not need to play. Watch the seam and shine in the bowler's hand, then play late under your eyes with a straight bat and soft hands. Let the ball come to you instead of reaching for it.
- Taking GuardTaking guard means lining up your bat with a chosen stump before you face. It tells you where your stumps are. Hold the bat upright on the crease and ask the umpire at the bowler's end for leg stump, middle and leg, or middle. Then mark the spot. Many batters start on middle or middle and leg.
- Out-SwingOut-swing is conventional swing bowling where the ball curves in the air from leg to off (away from the body of a right-handed batter), enticing an edge towards the slip cordon.
Cricket analysis is in development
Motion Lab does not analyze this sport yet. Keep exploring the terms in this section.