GUIDES · BETSLIP DOCTOR
When is a striker breaking their own wicket Hit wicket rather than outside that dismissal?
Under the standard ICC men’s conditions, the striker can be out Hit wicket only when the ball is in play and the bowler has entered the delivery stride. The striker must break the wicket with a qualifying bat or person action while preparing to receive or receiving the delivery, recovering balance, immediately setting off for the first run in the listed circumstances, or lawfully making a defensive second stroke. Breaking the wicket later while running or avoiding a throw is outside Hit wicket by itself, though another dismissal may apply.
For Cricket viewers trying to classify a striker’s own bat or body breaking the wicket · Updated
The clause links timing to the striker’s action
The starting point is the delivery stride: the ball must be in play, and the bowler must have entered that stride. The striker’s wicket must then be broken by the striker’s bat or person in a way covered by the conditions for breaking a wicket fairly.
The listed actions include preparing to receive or receiving the delivery, trying to recover balance while receiving it, and setting off immediately for the first run after playing or playing at the ball. If the striker does not try to play, the first run can still qualify when the umpire considers it immediately follows the opportunity to play. Lawful protection of the wicket under the second-strike clause is also included.
A later break while running is a different situation
Once the striker has completed the action of receiving the delivery, breaking the wicket later during ordinary running or while avoiding a Run out, Stumped or a throw is not Hit wicket under this clause. That does not decide whether the batter could be out another way.
The rule is narrower than “the striker touched their own stumps.” The timing, the action, and the specified way the wicket was put down all matter.
Several stated exceptions still need checking
If the wicket is broken before the bowler enters the delivery stride, an umpire calls Dead ball. The striker is also Not out Hit wicket if the bowler enters the stride but does not deliver the ball, or if the delivery is a No ball.
The conditions also address direct contact from a member of the fielding side, and detached equipment or an unheld bat that contacts another person before breaking the wicket. These are specific exceptions; do not generalize them to every loose item or contact.
Check the governing edition
This explanation follows the October 2026 standard ICC men’s ODI and T20I clauses. The ICC says the revised edition applies to international series starting on or after 1 October 2026; ongoing series keep prior regulations. This does not date the introduction of each individual clause.
Event-specific conditions can affect a fixture. Use its governing document for an actual appeal or scorecard decision.
Receiving the ball versus avoiding a throw
In one fictional situation on an otherwise valid delivery, the striker’s held bat breaks the wicket while the striker is receiving the ball after the bowler entered the delivery stride. That is within the Hit-wicket timing and action test. In a separate situation, the wicket breaks later while the striker is running and avoiding a throw; that is not Hit wicket by itself, but another dismissal may apply. If the first situation is stipulated as a No ball, the striker is not out Hit wicket. No real appeal is decided.
Related questions
Can a striker be out Hit wicket on a No ball?
No. A No ball is a stated exception to dismissal under the standard Hit-wicket clause.
Is a striker safe from every dismissal if breaking the wicket is not Hit wicket?
No. A different dismissal may still apply; this page only explains the Hit-wicket test.
Sources and further reading
- ICC Men’s One-Day International Playing Conditions: clauses 35.1–35.3 printed page 54; clauses 29.2.1.2–29.2.1.4 page 49
- ICC Men’s Twenty20 International Playing Conditions: clauses 35.1–35.3 printed page 53; clauses 29.2.1.2–29.2.1.4 page 48
- ICC media release on revised playing conditions and series applicability, 1 October 2026