leg before wicket

British

noun

lbw. cricket a manner of dismissal on the grounds that a batsman has been struck on the leg by a bowled ball that otherwise would have hit the wicket

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Broad pinned Usman Khawaja leg before wicket for 47 and, despite the opener reviewing the out decision, the ball-tracker showed it would have hit leg stump.

From Washington Times • Jul. 28, 2023

Bumrah earned his 23rd wicket this season when he had Harshal Patel leg before wicket in his return spell that took him to joint leading wicket-taker in the tournament with Kagiso Rabada.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 31, 2020

Then Lyon beats him on the inside edge and only a nick saves him from being out leg before wicket.

From The Guardian • Aug. 2, 2019

That all changed as the first three deliveries of his ninth over produced a catch at first slip, a catch by the wicketkeeper and a leg before wicket.

From BBC • Jan. 25, 2017

Anybody could see when one knight knocked another down, horse and all, but many ladies do not understand leg before wicket, or stumping.

From The Red Romance Book by Ford, H. J. (Henry Justice)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023