The umpire's decision during a game is final in all matters that means no arguing with the umpire, even though you may be sure of his misjudgment.

 However this is rare these days due to the presence of the third umpire. 

The rules of cricket define dismissals and if you know you're out within that definition, you are morally obliged to aid the umpire and walk, even though

 the umpire may have

missed the judgment.

Bowlers are not allowed to tamper with the ball in any way. They can polish the ball by rubbing it with cloth, drying or removing mud from the

ball and applying saliva or sweat to it. Any other substance is illegal, as is rubbing the ball on the ground and tampering with the seams..

Members of the fielding team cannot distract the batsmen while he is batting. If in case they do that, the umpire can call a dead ball and award

five penalty runs to the batting side's total.

Bowler should not keep bowling short or high pitched balls which could cause injury to the batsmen. In such cases, the umpire can call a no

ball and warn the bowler.

Players in any innings should not waste time in any way. If they do that the umpire first warns the Captain of the offending team and if it continues

then five runs are awarded for the other team.

The new batsman making their way to the wicket is to be applauded.

All players are responsible to avoid unnecessary damage to the pitch during play. If a fielder damages the pitch then a caution will be issued

to the fielding captain. Any repeat action from any fielder during the innings and the umpire will add five runs to the batting side's total. A batsman

who damages the pitch will be cautioned by the umpire. If they do it a second time in the same innings, they'll get a final warning and any runs

scored from that delivery, other than no balls or wides, will be disallowed.

Any attempt made to steal a run will see five penalty runs awarded to the fielding side.

A batsman is out LBW (Leg Before Wicket) if the ball hits the batsman on his pads and in the opinion

of the umpire it was pitched on a straight line between the wicket or on  the off side and would hit the wicket.

A batsman is out hit wicket if a ball is dislodged by his bat, body or cap while he is in the act of making his stroke.

A batsman is out if he hits the ball twice.

An incoming batsman shall be out if he takes more time to come in. Usually two or three minutes

being timed from the moment a wicket falls until the new batsman steps on to the field of play.

The batsman shall be caught out if the ball hit by him is caught by any fielder before it touches the ground.

The batsman shall be stumped out when he is out of his crease when the ball is being bowled and

the wicket is put down by the wicket keeper.

The batsman is run out when he is out of his crease while attempting a run and his wicket is put down by any player of the opposite side.

Appeal

Appeal is the call of the umpire for a decision on whether a batsman is out. If an appeal is not made by the fielding side before the bowler delivers the next ball, the umpires shall not give a batsman out.

On appeal, either batsman shall be given out obstructing the field if he willfully obstructs the opposite side by work or action or he willfully obstruct a fielder and prevent a catch being made. 

Field and Equipments

 There are certain rules regarding the measurement of the ball, bat, pitch, wicket and the creases. There is a boundary for the playing area. The boundary is marked either by a white line, a rope laid on the ground or a fence. Sometimes flags and posts are used instead of a boundary line.

The Ball

The ball will be leather skinned and its weight must not be less than 155.9gms and not more than 163gms. The circumference of the ball must be in between 22.4cm and 22.9cm.

Usually a wooden bat of weight 2 lb 40z is used. It should be 10.8cm in width and 96.5cm in length including the handle.

The Wickets

Each wicket is 22.80cm in width and consist of three wooden stumps with two wooden bails on the top. The wickets should be pitched opposite and parallel to each other at a distance of 20.12m between the center of the two middle stump. The stumps stand 70cm tall and each bail is 11.1cm in length.

The Pitch

The pitch is at the center of the field. It is the area of the ground between the bowling creases one on either side and it is 3.04m in width and 17.68m in length. The pitch shall not be changed during a match unless it becomes unfit for play.

Bowling and Popping Creases

The bowling crease is marked in line with the stumps at each end and is 2.64m in length. The popping crease which is the back edge of the crease marking, is in front of and parallel with the bowling crease. The back edge of the crease is 1.22m from the center of the stumps and extended to a minimum of 1.83m on either side of the line of the wicket. The return crease is marked at each end of the bowling crease at right angles to it and extend forward to join the popping crease and a minimum of 1.22m behind the wicket.

Umpires and Referee

Two umpires are appointed one on each end (bowlers end and strikers end) to control the game. The umpires shall take positions from where they can easily see any act upon which their decision may be required. The umpire at the strikers end may elect to stand on the off instead of leg side of the pitch. The umpires shall change the ends after each side has had one innings.

Duties of the Umpire

The umpire should ensure that the game is conducted and the equipments used is strictly in accordance with the laws. They should make sure that the wickets are properly pitched, whether the ground is fit for the play and whether there is appropriate light for play. Umpires shall make frequent and regular inspections of the condition of the ball. If there is any dispute regarding the use of the ball, the umpire shall change the ball after consultation and the ball must be of similar condition to that in use. An umpire may consult with the other umpire on a point of fact which the latter may have been in a better position to see and shall then given his decision. If the doubt remains after consultation, the decision shall be given in favour of the batsman. All disputes shall be determined by the umpires. The umpires decision is final and he may alter his decision.

Third Umpire 

The third umpire or the TV umpire as he also known is an off-field umpire who usually gives his decision when the on-field umpires are unsure. The third umpire sits off the field, with a television replay monitor. The field umpire can use his discretion to refer a close decision to the third umpire to refer to dismissal of a batsman, catches or boundaries via a wireless set or a signal light system. 

The third umpire looks at various TV replays from different angles and comes to a conclusion by pressing the appropriate signal. A red light indicates that the batsman is out and a green one otherwise. In the event that the TV umpire too is unable to get a clear picture, the benefit of the doubt again goes to the batsman. Over the years, the TV umpire has been asked to assist in dismissals such as run-outs, stumped, caught and hit-wicket.

Signals used by the Umpire

Dead Ball

The umpire shall call and signal dead ball when 

a serious injury to a player or an umpire occurs

in a case of unfair play

the bowler drops the ball accidentally before the delivery or the ball does not leave his hand

the striker is not ready to receive the ball and makes no attempt to play it and before the delivery

one or both bails fall from the striker's wicket 

The batsman is a member of the batting team who try to hit the ball delivered by the bowler and run between wickets to get as much runs as possible. Shots in batting, range from the square cut, hook, off-drive, pull to the sweep and the leg-glance etc. The different types of shots a batsman can play are as follows:

Block
A defensive shot played with the bat vertical and angled down at the front of the wicket, so as to stop the ball and drop it down quickly on to the pitch in front of the batsman.  This is also known as a forward defensive or backward defensive, depending on whether the batsman plays the shot from the front foot or the back foot.

Drive
A shot played with the bat sweeping down through the vertical arc through the line of the ball.  A drive can be either a  drive, straight drive, off drive, or cover drive, depending on the direction the ball travels.

Cut
A shot played with the bat close to horizontal, which hits the ball somewhere in the arc between cover and gully.

Edge, or Glance
A shot played off the bat at a glancing angle, through the slips area.

Leg Glance
A shot played at a ball aimed glancing angle behind the legs, using the bat so that it goes in the direction of fine leg area.

Pull
A cross-battled shot which pulls the ball around the waist height of the batsman into the square leg side.

Sweep
A cross-battled shot played to a low bouncing ball, usually from a slow bowler, by kneeling on one knee and swinging the bat around in a horizontal arc near the pitch, sweeping it around to the leg side

Hook
A cross-battled shot played to a bouncer at or near the batsman's head and intended to hit the ball high in the air over square leg -sometimes for six runs.

French Cut
An attempt at a cut shot which hits the bottom edge of the bat and goes into the area behind square leg.

Reverse Sweep
A cross-battled shot played to a low bouncing ball, usually from a slow bowler, by kneeling on one knee and swinging the bat around in a horizontal arc near the pitch, but reversing the blade of the bat half-way through the swing and sweeping the ball around to the off side from the leg side.

A bowler is a member of the fielding side who runs up to the wickets and throws the ball to the batsman, with a full arm, trying to hit the wicket to get the batsman out. There are different ways of Bowling. They are; 

Swing and Swerve
The ball can be made to swing in the air, either away from the batsman or into him. If there is a lot of humidity, the ball will swing more appreciably than on a dry sunny day. The amount of wind and its direction will also have a certain effect on the swinging of the ball

Away Swing Grip
The seam should point to the batsman and the shiny side of the ball faces the on side.

In Swerve Grip
Here the shiny side should face the opposite direction (off side) with the seam pointing very slightly in the direction of fine leg. To bowl on in swerve, the right hand must go slightly past the vertical position and towards the leg in an arc which will take the hand past the right leg.

Off Spin
The off spin bowler aims to pitch the ball on the off side and bring it back into the wicket. The off break is spun in a clockwise direction from left to right, the ball being held between the first two fingers, the two other being curled slightly over the ball, with the thumb on the opposite side. The main finger is dug into one side of the seam and the second finger far away enough to exert some pressure on the first finger. Each bowler should find the correct distance between the first and the second fingers according to the size of his hand. Do not force the ball between the fingers or use a grip which does not feel comfortable. The ball can be held with the fingers round the seam or across, provided the top joint of the first finger can get some pull on the ball.

The right arm should be taken right back, making a full sweep. As the arm comes over, the right wrist is cocked, the palm will now be facing upwards and the thumb pointing to the off. The action should finish in exactly the same way as the basic action, although, if care is taken not to go too far, the left foot may be placed slightly towards the left side to enable a little more drag to be put on the body. This is transmitted to the arm and eventually, through the first finger, to the ball.

Leg Breaks
The leg break is spun with the fingers over the ball and in most of the cases the ball is given in the direction of the spin. The leg break, bowled with fingers over the ball and in a somewhat downward motion, penetrates the surface of the wicket and turns quickly. It is stock ball. A young bowler interested in leg breaks, should concentrate on the basic bowling action, particularly the high arm and follow through past the left leg, spinning the ball and bowling a length.

Grip
The ball is held in the first three fingers, which are spaced comfortably apart. The top joint of the third finger which is under ball, takes most of the pressure of  the thumb which has very little part in spinning the ball and naturally rests on the seam. The ball should be kept quite firmly. The wrist is bent to almost ninety degrees and the back of the hand is uppermost. On delivery the ball is spun off the third finger by the synchronization of the action plus the flicking and twisting of the wrist in an anti-clockwise direction. For better spin, the right arm should be fully extended, with a large goal of swing. The back of the right hand must be uppermost throughout the swing, as this will ensure a leg break bowling.

Top Spin
It is a difficult bowling. Right arm straight above your head and wrist bent. Ball is to be held like leg-break. Twist the arm slightly until the seam of the ball points straight down the wicket.
Delivery : The arm is turned until the hand, if held upright, is sideways on to the batsman. If the ball is held in the same way with the wrist bent to ninety degrees, the seam of the ball will not be pointing straight down the pitch to the batsman. The wrist is flicked straight and the right arm pushed through towards the batsman and the follow through should take the right hand to the left knee.

Googly
It is an off break with a leg break action. The grip of the ball is like leg break, with the wrist turned down to ninety degrees. The arm is turned in an anti-clockwise direction with the back of the hand now pointing towards the batsman. As the wrist is flicked straight, the ball will come out of the back of the hand and generally in an upward direction, but will not hit the pitch quiet so hard and will plop rather than turn or bounce over the third finger. There is no need to alter the action. Do not drop the left shoulder or point the left foot.

Off Cutters Grip
The ball is held with the seam pointing in the direction of fine leg. The first two fingers are placed almost together diagonally across the seam, with the finger tops dug in behind the seam on the off side. 
Delivery : The wrist is cocked and as the ball is bowled the straight fingers cut down across it in a clockwise direction. The right hand should finish the delivery by going well past the left side. The palm of he hand should face the off side.

Fielding Positions

 Fielders assist the bowlers to prevent batsmen from scoring too many runs. There are several types of field positions and the captain of the fielding team decides different combinations of them for tactical reasons. Since there are 11 players on a team, one of whom is the bowler and another the wicket-keeper, at most nine other fielding positions can be used at any given time. The captain may move players between fielding positions at any time except when a bowler is in the act of bowling to a batsman.

Wicket Keeper
The wicketkeeper who stands behind the batsman on strike at the wicket, sets the tone for the fielding side. His role is to stop balls that pass the batsman and attempt to dismiss the batsman in various ways.

First Slip
Most important fielding position in the game. The fielder at First slip, normally stands closest to the wicketkeeper.

Second Slip
The fielder at Second slip stands just to the offside of first slip. The second slip is likely to be used in the first couple of over's of a match or if a team is employing an attacking field in an attempt to finish an innings off.

Gully
The Gully fielder covers the area just square of the wicket on the off side but the fielder will tend to vary where they stand according to the pitch and the batsman. Gully is employed in catching the ball after it hits the edge of the bat and deflects a long way, or for misplaced cut shots.

Third Man
This is a boundary position right behind square on the offside. The fielder at Third man has to covers a large area,  preventing  anything that pierces the slip and gully area.

Point
A position on the off side and located at 90 degrees to the batsman. The Point fielder's job is to catch the ball from a misplaced cut shot, or to prevent runs from cut shots, square drives, and defensive strokes square on the off side.

Cover Point
This is the fielding  position on the off side in front of the wicket. 

Fine Leg
This is the fielding position on the leg side to the right of the square leg region designed to catch the ball from a misplaced bock or other defensive shot.

Deep / Backward Square Leg
This position can also be monitored by the fielders from the deep mid wicket and deep fine leg regions.

Deep Mid Wicket
This is positioned  on the leg side near the boundary to prevent boundaries. 

Mid Wicket
This is positioned on the leg side and the position is designed generally to either catch the ball from a misplaced pull shot, or to prevent runs from on drives, and defensive strokes on the on side. 

Mid On
A fielding position on the leg side almost straight of the batsman to prevent runs from on drives, and defensive strokes on the on side 

Long On
A fielding position on the leg side of the wicket to prevent runs from on drives or catch long, lofted on drives. 

Extra Cover
This is the fielding position in front of the wicket. A strong off side field would probably have both a cover and an extra cover. 

Long Off
 A fielding position on the off side and has to cover a large area from the sight screen to the sweeper cover position and near the boundary to prevent runs from off drives or catch long, lofted off drives.

Mid Off
This is the fielding position on the off side, and the position is almost straight in line with the bat to prevent runs from off drives, and defensive strokes on the off side.

Silly Mid Off
This is the fielding position on the off side, and the position is almost mid way to the wicket and very close to the batsman. 

Sweeper
This is the fielding position in the deep outfield near the boundary used when the fielding side wants to keep the runs  to the bare minimum.

Deep Point
Deep point is a defensive position on the off side and the fielder at this position is usually stationed on the boundary. 

Cover
This is fielding position in front of the wicket and the position designed to prevent runs from cover drives, defensive strokes on the off side.