A bail coming off does not, by itself, settle the dismissal. For Hit wicket, the timing of the batter’s action and the way the wicket is broken matter. The same visible result—a dislodged bail—can therefore have different consequences under Law 35.
When the striker can be out Hit wicket
Law 35 covers specified wicket-breaking actions while receiving the ball or immediately setting off for the first run. Later running is different. Compare the two fictional sequences below, which keep the bail contact the same but change its timing.
Hypothetical example: A legal delivery reaches the striker. During a receiving stroke, the batter’s bat swings back and completely removes a bail. The ball is not a no-ball, and the contact occurs while the striker is playing the delivery. On these stated facts, the wicket-breaking action fits the Hit wicket conditions, so the striker is out Hit wicket.
Why a later collision is different
Now change only the timing. The striker completes the first run, turns to attempt a second, and then collides with the wicket while running. The collision occurs during later running, rather than while receiving the delivery or immediately setting off for the first run. The bail may be completely removed, but that later event is not Hit wicket merely because the wicket has fallen.
Label the sequence before labelling the dismissal: receiving stroke, first-run departure or later running. The second example belongs to the last category.
The no-ball limit and scope
A batter is not out Hit wicket from a no-ball. This limit applies even if the batter’s action would otherwise resemble the legal-delivery example. The question here is only whether Hit wicket is available; another dismissal, if any, must be considered separately under its own conditions.
These explanations follow the MCC Law 35 wording and concern the standard Laws. A competition’s playing conditions may modify how the Laws apply. MCC Law 35: Hit wicket is the relevant reference for checking the precise rule.