h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Perfectly simple really. If the ball hits the batsman's pads when it would otherwise have hit the wicket, he is out. The only slight complication lies in having to rely on the umpire's judgement as to whether the ball would in fact have hit the wicket. I can live with that. This 'article' is a classic contender for the Trying To Write Like Douglas Adams But Failing Abysmally Award 1999. Ditto Cereals. Ditto Roundabouts.

LBW is seriously complicated to the uneducated. So:


LAW 39. LEG BEFORE WICKET
The Striker is out "Leg Before Wicket", if any part of his person except his hand , which is in a straight line between wicket and wicket, even though the point of impact be above the level of the bails, he intercept a ball which has first not touched his bat or hand, and which in the opinion of the umpire, shall have, or would have pitched on a straight line from the bowler's wicket to the striker's wicket, or shall have pitched on the off-side of the striker's wicket, provided always that the ball would have hit the wicket.

or maybe, if you prefer, old chap, when the umpire decides that the ball isn't going to hit the wicket but has an itchy finger.

And let's not forget:
* if the batsman isnt playing a shot (just padding up)
* if the batsman isnt popular (it probably would have missed first slip, but you keep stealing kids' bags)
* if the batsman's average is looking OK (cmon Bradman, give someone else a go)

Ali