Cricket Equipment and Gear: Stumps and its Dimensions

Cricket Stump

In the game of cricket, the term stump has three different meanings:

1. Part of the wicket

2. A manner of dismissing a batsman

3. The end of the day’s play (“stumps”)

1. Parts of the wicket

The stumps are three vertical poles which support two bails. Cricket Stumps or Wickets are produced from high quality sleek and durable woods, three sticks in a set, and are supplied together with Bails and Stump Stand. Bails can be single and double. The double bails are attached to produce a single bail.

2.  Stump Dimensions

The total width of each wicket is 9 inches.  The length of each stump is 28 inches with maximum and minimum diameters of 1½ inches and 1⅜ inches. Stumps have a spike at one end for inserting into the ground and other end has a resting place for the bails.

Following are the names of the stumps:

•             Off stump is the stump on the off side of the wicket

•             Middle stump is the stump on the middle of the wicket

•             Leg stump is the stump on the Leg side of the wicket

For professional matches, often one or more of the stumps is hollow and contains a small television camera. The stump-cam gives a unique view of play for action replays, particularly when a batsman is bowled.

3. Manner of dismissing a Batsmen

If the batsman steps in front of the crease to play the ball, leaving no part of his body or the bat on the ground behind the crease and the wicket-keeper is able to remove the bails from the wicket with the ball, then the striker is out. It is usually seen when a medium or slow bowler is bowling. It requires co-operation between a bowler and wicket-keeper. The bowler takes credit for dismissing a batsman who is stumped. A batsman is not given out if stumped off a no ball, but given out if stumped off a wide delivery.

Stumping is the fifth most common form of dismissal after caught, bowled, leg before wicket and run out.

4. End of the day’s play

The word “Stumps” is also used to end of a day’s play. e.g. “The umpires called stumps” means that the umpires declared play over for the day. Before lunch or tea, the umpires will remove the bails and at the end of the day’s play, the umpires will remove the stumps.