Caught

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Caught is a method of dismissing a batsman in the sport of cricket. Being out caught is the most common method of dismissal. This method of dismissal is covered by Law 32 of the Laws of cricket which reads:

A batsman is out caught if a fielder catches the ball fully within the field of play without it bouncing once the ball has touched the striker's bat or glove holding the bat. If a batsman could be given out caught or by any other method except bowled, 'caught' takes precedence.

This means that the batsman cannot be out caught if:

• The ball is called a no ball or dead ball.
• The batsman does not hit the ball with his bat or the gloved hand holding the bat.
• The ball, having been hit, makes contact with the field before a fielder catches the ball.
• The ball does not remain under the control of the fielder.
• The ball is hit and lands beyond the boundary; (six runs).
• A fielder taking the catch makes contact with the boundary rope or the area outside the boundary.

If a batsman is out caught, any runs scored off that delivery are voided. If the catch is taken by the wicket-keeper, then informally it is known as a "caught behind". A catch by the bowler is known as a "caught and bowled" (this has nothing to do with the dismissal bowled), and is usually annotated on a scorecard as c. and b. or c&b followed by the bowler's name.

If the catch taken is pronounced or obvious, the players need not appeal to the umpire; the batsman normally chooses to acknowledge the dismissal himself. However, in the event that the ball brushes the edge of the bat, or the catch is taken very close to the ground, or the ball appears to have bounced off the batsman's foot (so it has not touched the ground), or the ball appearing to come off the bat very close to the pitch surface (bump ball), or if the batsman is reluctant to accept that he has been dismissed, the fielding team has to appeal to the umpire for this decision.

If a batsman is caught, the bowler is credited with the batsman's wicket. If the two batsmen cross each other, in attempting to take a run, before the catch was taken, the new incoming batsman becomes the non-striker with the exception being when the wicket falling in the last ball of an over, when if the batsmen cross the new batsman will be on strike.

[edit] Celebration

Before 2000, the Laws of Cricket defined a catch as being completed when the player had "complete control over the further disposal of the ball". In the very strictest sense, this meant that the player did not finish catching the ball until he or she threw it away, either to another player or to no person in particular.

For this reason, even today cricketers celebrate a catch by lobbing the ball high into the air.