All about Cricket Stumps

The cricket stumps consist of three vertical sticks supporting the bails and form the wicket and when the ball hits the stumps, with the ball known as stumping. It is a method of dismissing a batsman. Stumping or getting stumped means the batsman is out. These stumps are usually made up of woods. Nowadays the stumps are also made from plastic. Stumps are inserted into the ground and topped with bails. These stumps are grounded on both the sides of the pitch. Hitting any of the stumps dismisses a player and he is out.

Different parts of stumps

The cricket stumps constitute three vertical sticks. Each stick is commonly called as stump, specified with different names like:

Off stump: This stump is on the offside of the wicket. It is on the same side as the batsman’s bat.

Middle stump: The middle stump is the central stump and is in the middle of the other two stumps.

Leg stumps: This stump is on the on-side of the wicket. It is on the leg side of the batsman.

The names of stumps are related to the batsman position. Therefore, the right-handed batsman's leg stump will become the off stump for a left-handed batsman.

The different parts of the stumps are as follows:

The three vertical wooden sticks are generally made of wood and ash.

It constitutes two bails that fit on the U-shape groove present on the stumps. The two bails are not firmly attached to the stumps, and they are just resting on the stumps.

Dimensions of the stumps

The width and length of the stumps vary from time to time. But, generally, the width of one wicket is approximately 22.9 cm or 9 inches. The overall width of the wicket is around 28 inches which are about 71.1 cm with a diameter of one n half inches, which is approximately 3.81 cm. The minimum diameter of the stump is 3.49 cm which is around one-third of an inch. The upper end of the stumps is groove with U shaped so that the bails can comfortably rest upon the stumps and the other end of the stump is spiked so that it can easily insert into the ground. The overall length of the bails is approximately 10.95 cm, and the length of the barrel is about 5.40 cm.

The dimensions of the wicket stumps may change for the junior cricket and are slightly lesser than the above mentioned dimensions.

Different types of stumps

In cricket, generally two kinds of cricket stumps are used, which are as follows:

Wooden stumps

The wooden cricket stumps are made of wood and ash only. The bails used in the wooden stumps are made up of wood. The wooden stumps are usually polished with oil and anti-fungal solution for giving better protection. The stumps made from wood are slightly heavy as compared to the plastic stumps. The life span of wooden cricket stumps will depend upon the usage and maintenance. The dimensions of the wooden stump are also the same as that of other stumps. Sometimes it comes with the base for grounding. The base is made up of wood. The wooden stumps are used in professional cricket, mainly international cricket. The color of the stumps may vary from white to dark brown. Nowadays, stumps come with the brand logo.

Plastic cricket stumps

The plastic cricket stump is made up of high-quality plastic fiber. It is used in junior or sub-junior cricket level. The three stumps come in plastic with a plastic base or rubber base. The bails are also made up of plastic fiber. The plastic cricket stumps are generally light in weight and usually made up in yellow or even red. The base is used for grounding the stumps on the place. The base comes with grooves so that the stumps can comfortably rest on them. The modern stumps are also made up of composite plastic with hidden microprocessors. The stumps made from composite plastic are nowadays used in international cricket and are widely accepted in international cricket all over the world.

Modern cricket stumps with LED lights

Just like other cricket equipment advancements, there is advancement in the cricket stumps as well. The modern cricket stumps are made up of composite plastic which is present with the LED lights. These stumps constitute microprocessors fits in them. These microprocessors can easily detect the broken contact between the bails and the stumps. This innovative approach to LED stumps has changed the concept of the cricket world. The decision-making process becomes quite easier with the Led stumps. Before the invention of these LED stumps, the decision-making process for giving out or not out to the batsman was quite difficult sometimes for the umpire. They cannot detect easily when the contact of the bails and stumps is broken.

But, the use of LED stumps approved in July 2013 in international cricket changed the game. The Led stumps are in practice in all cricket, whether domestic or international cricket. Bronte Eckermann invented it. When the contact between the wicket and stumps is broken, the LED flashes luminous red color light. The bails fit with a microprocessor and hidden battery of low voltage which provides illumination within 1/1000th seconds. The bails can rise upon, vibrated or even knocked down, but it will only flash when the contact between the bails and stumps is broken or completely dislodged.

The innovative approach has come so far that in modern LED stumps, there is a camera fitted in one of the hollow stumps. This camera is aligned vertically. It is viewed through a small opening window on the side of the stump with the help of a mirror. This fitted camera and microprocessor give a clear vision to decide in every possible way.

The flashing bails also reprieved the Previous Indian team Captain MS Dhoni in a test against England in 2006.

The stumping adds another excitement in the game. People love to watch the stumping of the opposite team. The innovative approach of stumps with LED lights adds another ease in the game of cricket.