In this case, the batsman who hit the ball scores however many runs the batsmen had run up to that time, plus four additional runs, and it is counted as a boundary.
For example, a batsman hits the ball and it bounces before the boundary and carries over the boundary in flight, a fielder can still bring the ball back into the field of play as long as any part of the fielder's body does not touch the ground outside of the boundary.įour runs are scored as overthrows if a fielder gathers the ball and then throws it so that no other fielder can gather it before it reaches the boundary. If it does not touch the edge of the field, it must touch the ground beyond it. The Laws allow for captains to change the boundary allowances (number of runs scored through either type of boundary) through a pre-match agreement.įour runs are scored if the ball bounces, or rolls along the ground, before touching or going over the edge of the field. Sixes are less common, and usually fewer than 10 (and sometimes none) will be scored in the course of a match. As a batsman plays himself in and becomes more confident as his innings progresses, the proportion of his runs scored in boundaries often rises.Īn average first-class match usually sees between 50 and 150 boundary fours. Fours resulting from an edged stroke, or from a shot that did not come off as the batsman intended, are considered bad luck to the bowler. The scoring of a four or six by a good aggressive shot displays a certain amount of mastery by the batsman over the bowler, and is usually greeted by applause from the spectators. If the ball did not touch the bat or a hand holding the bat, four runs are scored as the relevant type of extra instead six runs cannot be scored as extras, even if the ball clears the boundary, which is in any case extremely unlikely.Īny runs the batsmen completed by running before the ball reached the edge of the field do not count, unless they are greater than the number of runs that would be scored by the boundary, in which case it is the runs from the boundary that are discounted.Ī batsman scoring a six during a game at Chrishall, Essex When this happens the runs are automatically added to the batsman's and his team's score and the ball becomes dead. For example, sometimes commentators say such as "There were seven boundaries and three sixes in the innings." The correct terminology would be "There were ten boundaries in the innings of which seven were fours and three were sixes." Occasionally there is an erroneous use of the term boundary as a synonym for a "four". Scoring runs Ī boundary is the scoring of four or six runs from a single delivery, with the ball having left the field, and its first bounce having occurred either entirely within the playing field (in the case of four runs) or not (six runs) these events are known as a four or a six respectively. They then return to the field to pick the ball up and throw it back to the bowler.Ī law change in 2010 declared that a fielder could not jump from behind the boundary and, while airborne, parry the ball back on to the field. Because of this rule, fielders near the boundary attempting to intercept the ball while running or diving often flick the ball back in to the field of play rather than pick it up directly, because their momentum could carry them beyond the rope while holding the ball. When the ball is touching the boundary, grounded beyond the boundary, or being touched by a fielder who is himself either touching the boundary or grounded beyond it, it is dead and the batting side usually scores four or six runs for hitting the ball over the boundary. When the cricket ball is inside the boundary, it is live.