A QUESTION was raised last week about when is a batsman out hit wicket and when is he not out.

The law says the striker is out if, after the bowler has entered his delivery stride and while the ball is in play, his wicket is put down by either the striker's bat or person/equipment in the following circumstances:

* In preparing to receive or receiving a delivery.

* In setting off immediately for his first run after playing the ball.

If he didn’t play at the ball the umpire has to make certain the act of breaking the stumps happened immediately.

He can be out making a lawful attempt to hit the ball twice.

It is the striker's-end umpire who has to make this decision.

As soon as he has watched the bowler's arm action he turns his attention to the striker, the creases and the stumps.

The batsman may have caught the stumps knocking off the bails with his back lift, or in playing the ball his cap, helmet or glasses may have come off and disturbed the bails.

I have even seen a bat break in receiving a ball and part of that bat went on to hit the wickets.

That is very unlucky but is now part of the law.

In playing back sometimes a foot has touched the stumps and the bails have come off. Then there is the situation where, in setting off for a run the bails are removed, more often than not by the batsman’s foot.

A batsman is not out:

* If the bowler bowls a no ball or fails to deliver the ball.

* If he breaks the stumps after he has completed any action in receiving the delivery.

It occurs when the striker is trying to avoid being run out by diving into the wickets or when trying to avoid a throw-in at any time.

A question arose about an injury.

Is a batsman out if injured and falls onto his wicket?

Well, unless the umpire has seen fit to call dead ball before the wicket was broken then he is out. He may be very unlucky but it has happened.

The striker's-end umpire certainly has a lot to think about in instances like those mentioned.

He has to be alert to all situations and it is certainly not a time to be switching off.