nonstriker

Nonstriker, more commonly written as non-striker (also seen as nonstriker), is a term used in cricket to describe the batsman who is at the non-striker's end of the pitch during an innings. He is the partner of the striker, who faces the bowler. The two batsmen occupy opposite ends of the pitch, and runs are completed by running between creases; depending on the outcome of a ball, the batsmen may switch ends so the striker may become the non-striker for the next delivery.

The non-striker’s role is to back up the striker, call for runs, and be prepared to take the strike when the ball is in play and a run is attempted. He remains at his crease until the ball is dead or runs are completed, and he may cross with the striker only if they are running between the creases during play. The decision about who faces the next ball depends on whether the batsmen crossed during the previous action.

Dismissals involving the non-striker are most commonly run-outs. A non-striker run-out occurs if he leaves the crease before the ball is delivered and the fielding side breaks the stumps, or otherwise removes the bails while the ball is in play. A notable, though controversial, related situation is the so‑called Mankad dismissal, where the bowler runs out the non-striker for backing up before delivering the ball, a practice allowed under the Laws of Cricket.

The term is widely used in commentary and scorekeeping, and the concept of the non-striker end is central to running between wickets and forming batting partnerships. While most sources spell it as non-striker, some use nonstriker, and both refer to the same position in cricket terminology.