GUIDES · BETSLIP DOCTOR
Who stays at which end when a striker is caught or a batter is run out during a crossing?
The MCC Laws use different end rules. After the striker is caught, the not-out batter returns to their original end. After an ordinary Run out, the not-out batter returns to the wicket they left only if the batters had not crossed when the dismissal occurred; if runs are disallowed, the survivor returns to their original end.
For Cricket fans following strike changes after a dismissal · Updated
After a catch, return to the original ends
When the striker is dismissed Caught, Law 18.11.1.7 sends the not-out batter back to their original end. The fact that the batters may have crossed during a run does not turn this into the Run out end rule.
After a Run out, mark the instant of dismissal
For an ordinary Run out, Law 18.12.1 applies a crossing test to the not-out batter's end. If the batters had not crossed at the instant of the incident, the survivor returns to the wicket they left. If they had already crossed, that return-to-left-wicket condition does not apply and the survivor goes on toward the other wicket.
If runs are to be disallowed, the not-out batter returns to their original end instead. This example excludes runners and disallowed runs.
Keep scoring and end placement distinct
The MCC's 2017 Code, 4th Edition (2026), separates the runs scored from the end where a batter resumes. No competition-specific Playing Conditions were checked; confirm the current conditions for the match you are following.
The crossing instant changes the Run out end
Imagine the striker starts at end A and the other batter at end B; both begin running toward the opposite wicket. In version one, a clean catch dismisses the striker after the pair have crossed. The not-out batter returns to their original end B. In version two, a Run out occurs before the pair have crossed; the not-out batter returns to the wicket they left, end B. In a third version of the same Run out, the batters have already crossed when the wicket is broken; the not-out batter continues toward the other wicket, end A. These fictional cases assume no runner and no runs disallowed.
Related questions
Does crossing always decide where the not-out batter goes?
No. After a striker is Caught, the not-out batter returns to the original end. For an ordinary Run out, Law 18.12.1 uses whether the batters had crossed at the incident; if runs are disallowed, the survivor returns to the original end.
Does crossing decide whether an unfinished Run out run counts?
No. Law 18.8.2 counts runs completed before the wicket is fairly broken. Law 18.12 separately uses crossing to determine the not-out batter's end.