What is First Wicket Dismissal? First Wicket Dismissal Explained in 2 minutes
Mike Goodpaster Last Verified
26/06/2026
What is a First Wicket Dismissal?
A dismissal in cricket is when a batting player is judged out – usually due to being bowled, caught, stumped, run out or being leg before wicket. They can no longer bat for the rest of the innings. The first wicket dismissal is therefore the first player in the innings to be deemed out.
As the first dismissal is usually one of the better batting players this is a prized wicket for the fielding side and is usually achieved by one of their best bowlers.
How is First Wicket Dismissal used in Sports Betting?
As with all aspects of cricket there are a number of variations for every instance on the field and that means that there is a great opportunity to link lots of different bets to a single event.
For example, with the first wicket dismissal it is possible to offer markets on the method of dismissal, the range of runs total it will happen in, and which bowler will take the first wicket.
In test match cricket and tours the first wicket dismissal can also be linked to the entire series as an ongoing bet.
Did you know...
Getting the first wicket of an innings can be a huge psychological advantage for the fielding team and especially for the bowler themselves. Over the years there have been a number of lucky bowlers who have got a first wicket dismissal with their very first ball on the debut.
Twenty players have achieved this feat in a test match, 24 in a one day international and 15 in a Twenty20 match. The most recent was Sri Lankan bowler Lakshan Sandakan, who managed to get South African Mangaliso Masehle caught of his first ball in January 2017.
