Law -- Cricket is governed by laws, not rules. The MCC's code of laws consists of 42 laws that govern the conduct of the game and the responsibilities of players and umpires. Special rules or playing conditions may apply to individual matches or competitions. Here are the 42 laws:

LBW -- See Leg Before Wicket.

LBW, not playing a shot -- Part of the lbw law since the sixties, this reduces the criteria a ball must satisfy for a batsman not attempting to hit it to be out lbw.

Leg Before Wicket -- When a batsman prevents a bowled ball from striking the wicket by blocking the ball with his leg, he is said to be out 'leg before wicket', or more simply "lbw". See also Out.

Leg-break -- A ball spun by the bowler so as to turn from leg to off for a righthanded batsman.

Leg-bye -- Run scored from a ball that hit the batsman's body rather this his bat.

Leg cutter -- Fast bowler's delivery that leaves the righthanded batsman sharply after pitching.

Leg glance -- A batting shot. However, there really is only one sort of glance! See Glance.

Leg side -- The side of the pitch nearer the batsman's legs as he faces the bowler, i.e. to the bowler's right for a right-handed batsman. See also On side.

Leg spinner -- Bowler whose primary delivery is the leg-break.

Leg stump -- Of the three stumps which comprise a wicket, the one to the leg side. See also Off stump and Middle stump.

Length -- The distance from the bowler to the point where the ball pitches. This affects the time the batsman has to see the ball's behaviour off the pitch, and so influences his choice of stroke. See shortpitched, good length and overpitched.

Limited bouncers -- Not a law but a playing condition for first-class matches, restricting a bowler to one (county matches) or two (Test matches) bouncers per batsman per over. Bouncers above this limit are called no-balls. Many observers, regard this as unnecessary. The umpires already have the power under law 42 to remove a bowler for intimidatory bowling (see Beamer, Bouncer), and indeed this recently happened in a first class match to M.J.McCague of Kent. This condition is a belated and inappropriate response to the blatantly intimidatory tactics employed, most notably by the West Indies, in the 1970s and 1980s, when all that was needed was for the umpires to enforce the existing law.

Limited overs cricket -- Alternative term for one-day cricket.

Line and length -- Refers to the accuracy in bowling.

Lofted drive -- A batting shot played intentionally in the air, over the heads of the close fielders.

Long -- Fielding position prefix indicating 'on the boundary'. Confusingly, long-leg is behind the wicket, while the apparently synonymous long-on is in front of it. See also Deep.

Long hop -- A shortpitched ball, not fast or high enough to be a bouncer, which presents the batsman with an easy hit off the back foot.

Long Room -- A long room in the pavilion at Lord's, looking out onto the playing area and lined with portraits of distinguished cricketers and cricketing memorabilia. Players walk through it on their way to the middle.

Loop -- The high trajectory of a flighted delivery from a slow bowler. By tossing the ball up, the bowler gives it the greatest chance of deviating off the pitch, and also encourages the batsman to take the risk of using his feet.

Lord's -- A cricket ground in St John's Wood, north London, generally considered the 'home' of cricket. It belongs to the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), and was founded by Thomas Lord some 200 years ago. Lord's plays host to a Test match against each touring country each year, as well as the finals of the major domestic competitions. Middlesex County Cricket Club also plays its home games at Lord's.