cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

, a runner is a team member who runs between the

wicket In the sport of cricket, the term wicket has several meanings: * It is either of the two sets of three Stump (cricket), stumps and two Bail (cricket), bails at each end of the Cricket pitch, pitch. The Fielding (cricket), fielding team's playe ...

s for an injured

batsman In cricket, batting is the act or skill of hitting the cricket ball, ball with a cricket bat, bat to score runs (cricket), runs and prevent the dismissal (cricket), loss of one's wicket. Any player who is currently batting is, since Septembe ...

. This is covered by Law 25 of the

Laws of Cricket The ''Laws of Cricket'' is a code that specifies the rules of the game of cricket worldwide. The earliest known code was drafted in 1744. Since 1788, the code has been owned and maintained by the private Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in Lord's Cr ...

. When a runner is used, the batsman stands in position and plays shots as normal, but does not attempt to run between the wickets: the runner runs for them. The runner occupies the injured batsman's crease when they are on strike, but takes up a position away from the pitch at the umpire's discretion, typically on a pitch parallel to that being used for the game. When the injured batsman moves off strike, they then take up the position near the square leg

umpire An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The term derives from the Old French , , and , : (as evidenced in cricke ...

(not at the bowler's end), and the runner stands next to the bowler's wicket as in the normal course of play. *A runner can only be used if the umpires, together, are satisfied that the batsman has sustained an injury during the match that affects their ability to run. *The runner must be a member of the batting side, but not the twelfth man. The runner must also already have batted in the innings, if possible. *The runner must wear all the external protective equipment worn by the batsman and must carry a bat. If ''either'' the injured batsman or their runner is out of their ground, the batsman is liable to be

run out Run out is a method of dismissal in cricket, in which the fielding team put down the wicket of a batter who is outside their ground, usually because they are trying to score a run. Run out is governed by Law 38 of the laws of cricket. If ...

stumped Stumped is a method of Dismissal (cricket), dismissing a batter (cricket), batter in cricket, in which the wicket-keeper put down the wicket, puts down the wicket of the Glossary_of_cricket_terms#S, striker while the striker is out of their Bat ...

. The runner is also subject to other laws such as

obstructing the field Obstructing the field is one of the ten methods of dismissing a batsman in the sport of cricket. Either batsman can be given out if he wilfully attempts to obstruct or distract the fielding side by word or action. It is Law 37 of the Laws of ...

. In June 2011, the

International Cricket Council The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the global Sports governing body, governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from Australia, England, and South Africa. In 1965, the body wa ...

announced that, from 1 October 2011, runners could no longer be used in international cricket.

Notes

Batting (cricket) Cricket laws and regulations Cricket terminology {{cricket-term-stub