NB in cricket stands for No-Ball, which is a type of extra run awarded to the batting team due to an illegal delivery by the bowler. It is essentially a fault in the bowler's action or delivery according to the laws of the game.
Reasons for a No-Ball
A delivery can be called a no-ball for several reasons:
- Foot Fault: This is the most common reason. The bowler's front foot must land with some part of it behind the popping crease. If the entire foot lands in front of the popping crease, it's a no-ball.
- Bouncer Limit: In some forms of cricket (e.g., certain limited-overs matches), there's a limit on the number of bouncers (short-pitched deliveries) allowed per over. Exceeding this limit results in a no-ball.
- Full Toss Above Waist Height: A full toss (a delivery that reaches the batsman without bouncing) that is above waist height is generally deemed dangerous and called a no-ball.
- Illegal Action (Chucking): If the umpire believes the bowler is throwing the ball rather than bowling it (an illegal action known as "chucking"), it will be called a no-ball.
- Fielding Restrictions: If the fielding team has more fielders outside the permitted areas in limited-overs cricket, a no-ball is called.
- Ball Bouncing More Than Twice: If a ball bounces more than twice before reaching the batsman, it's a no-ball.
- Pitch Damage: Deliberately running on the protected area of the pitch can result in a no-ball being awarded to the batting side.
Consequences of a No-Ball
- Extra Run: The batting team receives one run immediately. This run is added to the team's total as an "extra" and is not attributed to any particular batsman.
- Free Hit (in certain formats): In some formats of the game, especially T20 cricket, the delivery following a no-ball is a "free hit" for the batsman. During a free hit, the batsman can only be dismissed by run out, handling the ball, obstructing the field, or hitting the ball twice.
- Ball is Still Live: The batsman can still score runs from the no-ball delivery itself. Any runs scored off the bat or by running are added to the batsman's score.
- No-Ball Remains: The no-ball stands, even if the batsman is dismissed off the delivery (except in rare circumstances like handling the ball).
Example Scenario
Imagine a bowler bowls a delivery, and the umpire calls "No-Ball!" because the bowler's front foot was clearly over the popping crease.
- The batting team immediately gets one run added to their score as an extra.
- The ball is still in play. If the batsman hits the ball for four, the batsman gets four runs, and the team gets a total of five runs from that ball (one for the no-ball, four for the boundary).
- In a T20 match, the next delivery will be a free hit.
In summary, a No-Ball is a penalty against the bowling team, awarding runs to the batting team and potentially providing a significant advantage through the free hit rule in certain formats.
