There are multiple ways that can add to the batting team’s total score in a cricket match. It can be run off the bat in the form of fours, sixes, singles, doubles, and so on. The score can also increase due to extras such as a wide ball, no ball, bye, and leg bye.
Now, although leg byes and byes fall under the umbrella of ‘extras’ in cricket, it is not as obvious to understand as is in the case of a wide or a no-ball.
So when does an umpire signal byes or leg byes, what are byes and leg byes in cricket, and what is the difference between the two – all of these will be covered in this article.
What is Bye in Cricket?
Byes are a type of extras in cricket where the batsman misses or leaves the ball and the wicketkeeper also fails to grab the ball giving the 2 batsmen at the crease enough time to take a run or more than a run.
It may also happen that the wicketkeeper was able to hold on to the ball but still the 2 batsmen were able to steal a run. This scenario generally happens when the batting team somehow needs to keep the scoreboard ticking due to the demand of the circumstance or when the much more established batsman is at the non-striker’s end or mainly when it’s the last ball of the innings.
If the 2 batsmen are successful in taking a run or more than a run without the ball touching any part of the batsman’s bat or batsman’s body, then the umpire signals ‘byes’ by raising his right hand.
If the ball reaches the boundary without making any contact with the batsman’s bat or the batsman’s body, then it will be signaled as ‘four byes’.
The key thing here to note is that the ball has not hit any part of the batsman’s bat or the batsman’s body.
What is Leg Bye in Cricket?
Leg byes are also a type of extras in cricket where the ball touches any part of the batsman’s body and not any part of the bat and then the wicket-keeper either misses or grabs the ball but still the 2 batsmen were able to take a run or more than a run depending on the scenario.
When the 2 batsmen are successful in taking a run or more than a run when the ball hasn’t hit the bat but is not anywhere in the batsman’s body, then it is called ‘leg byes’, and the umpire signals leg byes by giving a few pats on his right knees.
If the ball reaches the boundary by only making contact with the batsman’s body and not with the bat then it is signaled as ‘four leg byes’.
The key thing to note here is that the ball has not hit the bat of the batsman but has hit anywhere on the body of the batsman.
Since both are very closely related to each other, let us find out the similarities and the differences between the 2 terms that is ‘byes’ and ‘leg byes’ in cricket which will give complete clarity on these two terminologies in cricket.
According to Wikipedia, The most leg byes in a single test innings is 35, conceded by England against South Africa in the Proteas’ tour of England, on 1 August 2008.
Similarities Between Byes and Leg Byes in Cricket
- First and foremost, both byes and leg byes fall under the bracket of ‘extras’ in cricket in which wide, no ball is also a part.
- In both byes and leg byes, only the total score of the team is increased and the individual runs scored by the batsman are not increased. Similarly, in the case of a bowler, the total number of runs conceded doesn’t increase due to a bye or a leg bye.
- Both byes and leg byes can be of 1 run, 2 runs, 3 runs, or even 4 runs depending upon the situation.
- In both cases, no contact is made with the bat of the batsman.
Difference Between Byes and Leg Byes in Cricket
- The major and key point of distinction between byes and leg byes is that in the case of byes no contact is made with the bat of the batsman and the body of the batsman, it simply goes past the batsman, whereas in the case of leg byes, some contact is made with any part of the batsman’s body, but not with the bat. So in the case of byes neither the bat nor the body of the batsman makes contact with the ball whereas, in the case of leg byes, only the body of the batsman makes contact with the ball.
- Byes are signaled by the umpire by raising his right hand whereas leg byes are signaled by the umpire by giving a few pats on his right knee.
That’s all about the terminologies bye and leg bye in cricket.
FAQs on Leg Bye and Bye in Cricket
What is the difference between byes and leg byes in cricket?
In the case of byes, no contact is made with the bat of the batsman and the body of the batsman, it simply goes past the batsman, and both the batsmen can take a run or more or even the ball reaches the boundary.
Whereas in case of leg byes, some contact is made with any part of the batsman’s body, but not with the bat and the batsman are able to take runs. So in the case of byes, neither the bat nor the batsman’s body makes contact with the ball, whereas, in the case of leg byes, only the batsman’s body makes contact with the ball.
Do byes and leg byes add to the batsman’s individual score?
No, only the team’s total is increased, the individual score of the batsman is not increased in the case of leg byes and byes.
Do the number of runs conceded by the bowler increase due to byes and leg byes?
No, the number of runs conceded by the bowler does not increase in the case of leg byes and byes.
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