How many wickets are at each end of a cricket pitch?

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There is one wicket at each end of a cricket pitch.

A standard cricket pitch is 22 yards long, with a wicket positioned at both ends. The two wickets are 22 yards apart, and the batters run between them to score runs. One end is commonly called the striker’s end, while the other is the non-striker’s end; those roles switch after each over.

In formal cricket terminology, a wicket is the complete target made from three upright stumps and two wooden bails. The wicket is therefore not the same thing as the entire pitch, although players and commentators sometimes use “wicket” informally to mean the pitch or its playing surface.

The wickets also give the game its most familiar dismissal language. A batter can be bowled when the ball breaks the wicket, run out when a fielder breaks it while the batter is out of their ground, or stumped when the wicketkeeper breaks it without a run being attempted. In every case, there is one wicket at each end.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026

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