Sports - Cricket
Cricket jargon is full of wonderfully expressive phrases. Cricket is not everyone’s cup of tea and many
people are actually surprised that such a simple and uninteresting sport can actually have cricket jargon at
all.
Perhaps cricket jargon was invented to liven up the game by some would be activists. Whatever the purpose much
of the cricket jargon we hear today has been about for years now and not many new cricket jargon words are
invented.
Cricket jargon has a unique history all of its own and has a special place in my own heart. The
people who play and enjoy cricket really are a very special bunch. Most wives making the cucumber sandwiches for
the local village cricket match also understand much of the cricket jargon with surprising ease.
So, when you are at Lords or the local village cricket green you to can now shout out the correct phrases for
the cricket jargon and be part of the ‘nice’ set. Don’t let your lack of cricket jargon knowledge spoil your
game.
Cricket Jargon
A
Appeal
When the fielding side think they have taken the wicket they appeal to the umpire (howzat?) The umpire will not
always agree, but no appeal means no wicket.
Average
Batting average is calculated by dividing the number of runs a batsman has scored by the number of times he has
been out. A bowler's average sees the number of runs scored against a bowler divided by the number of wickets
taken.
B
Bails
Two wooden bails sit across the top of the three stumps at each end of the pitch. At least one bail has to be
knocked off for the wicket to be deemed broken.
Bat-and-pad
When the ball hits both the bat and pad. A batsman can be caught out even if the ball hits the pad first and
then hits the bat.
Boundary
The perimeter of the pitch. A ball struck to the boundary along the ground is worth four runs or if it carries
all the way over the boundary without bouncing then a six is scored.
C
D
Declaration
If a team is feel they have scored enough runs they bring their own innings to an early end by making a
declaration.
Duck
The dreaded score in cricket. A batsman who fails to score a run is said to have got a duck.
E
F
Follow on
If a team is 200 runs or more behind after the first innings of a Test then they can be asked to follow-on. This
means the team going straight back into bat. The follow-on target is reduced to 150 in a four day game and 100 in a
three day match.
Full toss
A delivery that reaches a batsman without bouncing.
G
Golden duck
Being out first ball without scoring.
Good length delivery
Basically it involves pitching the ball just out of the maximum reach forward of a batsman, leaving him unsure
whether to play the ball off the front or the back foot.
H
Half century
A score of 50 or more by an individual batsman.
Hat trick
A bowler takes a hat-trick if he removes three batsmen in three successive deliveries. The three deliveries may
run in sequence or could be the last two balls of a bowler's over and then the first ball of his next over.
Howzat
This is the question asked by a fielding team to the umpire when they think that they may have got a member of
the batting team out
I
J
K
L
LBW
Stands for leg before wicket. The umpire will consider giving a batsman out lbw if he believes that the ball
would have hit the stumps if it had not been obstructed by the batter's pads. (See Ways to get out)
Long hop
A short delivery that is easy for a batsman to hit away.
M
Maiden Over
An over from which no runs are scored.
Middle Order
Often the major run scorers in the team, batting from positions three to six or seven, depending on the number
of specialist batsmen in the team.
N
Nightwatchman
A lower order batsman sent in at the end of a day to see out the remaining time, rather than risk losing a more
important batsman.
O
Openers
The two batsmen who start the innings for a team.
Over pitched
A delivery that is easy for a batsman to hit within a comfortable stride forward from the popping crease.
P
Pads
Worn to protect the legs of the batsman from being hit by the ball.
Pair
A batsman who gets a duck in both innings of a two innings match is said to have got a pair.
Partnership
The number of runs scored between two batsmen during the time they are at the wicket together.
Pitch
The closely mown area in the centre of the field where the major action takes place.
Q
R
Run(s)
Each time the batsmen change ends a run is scored and added to the total.
Run out
A player can be run out if the wicket at one end of the pitch is broken while a batsman is out of his
ground.
Run rate
This is the rate at which a team score their runs. It is calculated by the total number of runs divided by the
number of overs.
S
Stump
The wickets at each end of the pitch are made up of three wooden stumps.
Stumped
A batsman can be stumped if in attempting a shot he leaves the popping crease and the wicketkeeper is able to
gather the ball and remove the bails before the batsman regains his ground.
T
Tailender
The last few batsmen in a team who are not noted for their run scoring ability are known as tailenders.
Test
Test matches are played over two innings matches played over five days.
Ton
Another way of saying that an individual batsman has scored a century.
U
V
W
Wicket maiden
A maiden over that has also seen a bowler take a wicket.
X
Y
Yorker
A delivery that pitches right at the feet or bat of the batsman.
Z
ADD YOUR OWN JARGON TO THIS SECTION:-
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