Cricket Terms & Fielding Positions
This was intended to become a list of cricketing terms to give my team-mates a basic understanding of this glorious game, and maybe help them enjoy it (even more!). But as no more than three of them EVER looked at this or most of the pages, it wouldn't matter if I took it off. However, as I spent a hell of a lot of time and effort putting it here in the first place, I would be simply cutting off my nose to spite my face if I did that - so here it stays.
This is a work in progress, so it will be added to constantly - if not all that regularly anymore.
If you click on an internal link on this page, hit the backspace key on your keyboard to take you back to the spot on the page where you were.
Please note, any reference to him or his or he on this page should be read to include the female half of the population as well - her, hers, she.
Any questions to the usual place!
Fielding Positions
Click here to see a diagram of most of the fielding positions in cricket. I have included as many as I reasonably can without making it look like Picadilly Circus/Time Square, and some additions to the basics can be seen in the 11-man diagrams that illustrate some typical "Phil Davies" fields.
In all of the fielding diagrams the bowler is bowling to a right-handed batsman. As you look at the pictures, anything to the right of an imaginary vertical line down the centre of the pitch (the green bit) is called the "ON" or "LEG" side, and anything to the left is called the "OFF" side.
For total novices (my dear American friends) it should be pointed out that there can be no more than 11 fielders (the black dots) on the playing area at the same time - including the bowler and wicketkeeper.
Cricketing Terms
I know this has gotten a bit on the long side, but until I can work out the flippin' reciprocal links, I'm afraid the whole list is here; but I will split it in to two sections ASAP...
Appeal
When the fielding team asks the umpire to decide if a batsman is out. This is used mainly in cases of LBW, Caught, Stumped, and Run Out. The "appeal" is more often than not a raucous shout of "'OWZAT?!", or "HOW WOZEE?!" with arms raised and all attention focussed on the poor umpire - not in any way to influence his decision you understand, simply because he is the one who has to make the decision. In Test cricket, the umpire can make a signal with his hands, of a tv screen shape, to pass the buck to someone else. At our level, the buck stops in the middle!
The Ashes
England and Australia played each other in international cricket from as early as 1861, and the first Test was played in 1877, but the two words that conjure up more jingoism and fervour than any other between these two nations were coined by The Sporting Times in 1882 after a stunning, and not uncommon, batting collapse by the English which led to their defeat at the hands of the enemy. The newspaper ran a spoof obituary of English cricket, which read as follows
In Affectionate Rememberance of English Cricket Which Died At The Oval
29th August 1882
Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances
R.I.P
NB: The body will be cremated, and the ashes taken to Australia.
The story of this 124-year sporting classic is probably best told here.
Backing Up
The non striking batsman should begin to move toward the striker's end as the bowler delivers (bowls) the ball (it's a bit like stealing a base in that American game). This makes scoring singles and twos easier. Good communication and calling between the is required in order that silly run outs do not occur. (Note to self - READ THIS!)
Bails
Two small cylinders of wood that sit on top of the stumps. In normal play the bails must be knocked off for a batsman to be Bowled, Stumped, or Run Out.
Ball
A cricket ball weighs about 5 1/2 ounces (155 grams), is about 9" (23cms) in circumference, and is usually made of a cork centre, bound with string, having a leather covering stitched around the centre. It's bloody hard, too!
Bat
The bat must not be longer than 38" (96.5cm) nor wider than 4 1/4" (10.8cm). The bit you hit the ball with must be made ONLY of wood.
If the ball strikes the batsman's hand (or glove) HOLDING the bat, it is the same as striking the bat.
Boundary
The area, marked by a rope or white line, which defines the limits of the playing area. Also used as a term to describe a 'four' or 'six' ie: "The batsman hit four boundaries in his innings".
Bowled
The bolwer bowls. The ball hits the wicket. "Bowled". And it doesn't matter if the ball hits the bat or the batsman first. It's still bowled. End of. The wicket is credited to the bowler.
Bye
This can be anything from one to (ridiculously rare) six runs added to the batting team's score. It comes about when the wicket keeper can't stop the ball from the bowler when it hasn't hit either the batsman or his bat, and the batsmen run. The runs added to the score depend on 3 things. How many runs the batsmen run, whether the ball goes over the boundary, or if it hits a piece of equipment (see penalty runs).
Caught
If the batsman hits the ball - which is NOT a
Drive
An attacking stroke played by the batsman along the ground, usually a cover drive, on drive, off drive or straight drive.
Duck
No, not what you should do if Tommi is bowling (although that is advisable sometimes!) but a rather quaint term to indicate that a batsman scored ZERO.
Should a batsman be out first ball, without scoring, he is said to have got a GOLDEN DUCK. Second ball with no score equals a SILVER. In a two innings match, two scores of zero equals a PAIR - a GOLDEN PAIR if it's two first-ball dismissals.
Figures
A bowler's "figures", are his stats for a game (or season, or career). Written like this 8 - 3 - 20 - 4, these numbers refer to (8) the number of overs bowled, (3) maiden overs bowled (20) runs conceded by the bowler (including no balls and wides) and (4)wickets taken.
Four
Not 'fore' as in golf, but the number of runs scored if the ball goes over the boundary bouncing at least once. The batsmen do not have to run. If the ball goes over the boundary without bouncing, see six.
Hit Wicket
The bowler bowls. The batsman, his bat, or his pads/gloves, hit the stumps in trying to hit the ball (or get out of the way of it) and the bails fall off. Out, 'Hit Wicket'.
Innings
A couple of meanings for this word: A) The time a batsman spends batting is called his innings. So scoring 90 would be good 'innings'. Hell, 90 would be a bloody miracle in our team!
B) Depending on the type of cricket, a game may be one 'innings' or two. If it's one, Team A bats first until they run out of overs, or wickets. Everyone then has lunch or tea. Then Team B bat until they 1) run out of overs without scoring more runs than Team A 2) run out of wickets without scoring more... or 3) score more runs than Team A. In 1) & 2), Team A wins. In 3, Team B prevails. Got that? Simple enough.
Where it gets complicated is with two innings' matches. And that will need a whole page devoted to it, so come back again when I've worked out how to explain it!
LBW
"Leg Before Wicket" or LBW is the most argued about way of getting out in cricket because of all the ifs and buts involved, but very basically it means if the ball hits the batsman - NOT his bat, usually his leg - and would otherwise have hit the wicket, the batsman is out "Leg Before". Easy eh? The wicket is credited to the bowler.
Exceptions to this rule: 1) The ball "pitches" (bounces) outside leg stump - batsman cannot be out LBW, regardless of whether he tries to hit it or not. 2) The ball pitches outside OFF stump, and the batsman attempts to hit the ball - batsman is not out.
Leg Stump
In the picture, looking toward the stumps, for a right handed batsman, the right stump is the LEG stump. The left stump is the OFF stump, and the middle stump is the um, middle stump. Funnily enough.
Maiden
An over in which no runs (excluding byes) are scored. Part of the bowler's figures.
No-Ball
There are umpteen ways for a ball to be a 'No-Ball', but I'm only going to deal with the most common occurrence. When the bowler bowls the ball, but one or both of his feet are in the wrong place according to the rules - his back foot is behind the back line of the crease, or his front foot is past the front line of the crease - the umpire shall call out "No-Ball!" and make the relevant signal. One 'penalty' run will be added to any other runs scored off of this ball, and added to the batting team's score. A batsman may only be 'Out' from a 'No-Ball' in one of the following ways - Handling The Ball, Obstructing The Field, Hit The Ball Twice, or Run Out.
Out
There are ten ways for a batsman to be "Out". 1)Bowled. 2)Caught. 3)LBW. 4)Run Out. 5)Stumped 6)Hit Wicket.
These last four I won't bother explaining because they are quite rare. If you really care that much, mail me! 7)Handled the Ball. 8)Hit the Ball Twice. 9)Interfering with the Field. 10)"Timed" Out.
Over
There are six 'balls' in an over. The bowler bowls the ball toward the striking batsman. If it is not a No-Ball, or Wide Ball, or in certain cases, a Dead Ball, it counts as one 'ball'. When six 'balls' have been bowled, the umpire calls out "Over!". The next over is bowled from the other end of the wicket, and so it goes. One innings matches have a pre-set, limited number of overs. Two innings matches don't.
Penalty Runs
There are many occasions when penalty runs are incurred, but I'm only going to deal with the most common. No-Balls and Wides are the two most common, but there is one more to talk about briefly. This is when the ball hits a piece of equipment. If the equipment in question belongs to the fielding side (a discarded helmet or a hat for example) then FIVE runs are added to the batting team's score. The penalty also applies if a fielder deliberately uses his cap etc to stop the ball.
Run Out
Batsmen who have left their crease in order to attempt a run, or in "backing up", will be given out "Run Out" if a fielder throws the ball at the wicket, hits it and the bails are dislodged, as long as the batsman has not regained his ground. If the ball is hit by the batsman and it "breaks" the wicket at the non-striker's end the non-striker shall not be given out unless it has first been touched by a fielder (whether intentionally or otherwise). Also applies when a fielder with ball in hand "breaks" the wicket. The wicket is NOT credited to the bowler.
Single One run. If the ball hits the bat, the batsman gets the run added to his total, and if not e.g. the ball goes past the batsman and wicket keeper, then it is one bye added to the total.
Six
A bit like a home run, this is when the ball is hit over the boundary without bouncing. Six runs to the batsman who hit the ball.
Stumped.
If the batsman moves out of his crease when the ball is bowled, other than attempting a run, and does not regain his ground, the wicketkeeper can "stump" the batsman by striking the wicket with the ball in his hand (the ball does not have to make contact with the stumps) and the batsman is out "Stumped". The wicket is credited to the bowler.
Stumps
The stumps are the three bits of upright wood, topped off by the bails, that make up the wicket - the thing what the bowler is trying to hit.
Tea
This is a break taken about 4 o'clock in the afternoon of any day of a two innings match, or between innings of a one innings match which beguns after 1p.m. Cucumber sandwiches & hot strong tea all round. Love it.
Umpire
There are two umpires involved at this level of cricket; they are the poor souls whose job it is to keep count of the balls and overs bowled, turn a deaf ear to the appeals make terrible decisions about who is and isn't out, and basically keep all the hotheads on the pitch under control. No easy task, trust me.
The 'main' umpire stands directly behind the wicket at the end from which the bowler is bowling, and the second umpire stands at "Square Leg" - hence the title "Square Leg Umpire".
Wicket
This actually has three meanings.
- Three wooden stumps, 9" (23cm) in total width, 28" (71cm) long (above ground) and with two bails atop. This is a 'wicket'. There are two wickets, placed 22 yards (20.12m) apart.
- The area of the pitch between the wickets, 22yds long, 10' (3m) wide, is also called the 'wicket'. It is against the rules for bowler or batsman to run "ON" the wicket (it makes a mess if you are palying on grass).
- If a batsman is "out" he is said to have "lost" his "wicket". When ten "wickets" have been lost, the innings is over. Also refers to how many dismissals a bowler has claimed.
Wide
If the bowler delivers the bowl so wide of the wicket, on the on or off side, that the batsman cannot reasonably be expected to hit it, the umpire shall call "Wide Ball", and signal appropriately. One penalty run is added to the batting team's score. Should the ball go to the boundary, four runs will be added. Similarly, if the batsmen run two or three runs, these shall also be added.
ZERO
The score usually associated with Nick *Golden* Burton!!
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