Spinner (39 page)

Good eye
The ability of a batsman to assess and sight a delivery much quicker than would normally occur.

Good length
A bowling delivery that pitches in such a position, it will confuse the batsman as to whether the ball should be played off the front or back foot. A good length is usually about one to two yards in front of the batsman. Advancing batsmen try to alter the length of the ball, as do batsmen who play back.

Googly
This is a delivery by a right-arm leg-spin bowler which, to a right-handed batsman, appears as if it will spin from leg to off, however, spins towards the wicket. A leg-spinner's ‘wrong-un.' Like most spin deliveries, this is easier to show via a diagram, but suffice it to say, this spins the opposite way to the bowler's ‘stock' or usually spinning deliveries.

Groundsman
The person who prepares and maintains the pitch and playing field.

Guard
The batsmen ‘takes guard' when in his prepared neutral stance as he waits for the ball to be bowled. He is guarding his wicket, but also in a position where he can move onto the front foot or the back or move sideways in order to score runs.

Half-volley
A bowling delivery which pitches in such a position that the batsman is able to strike the ball almost immediately it leaves the surface of the pitch. In terms of a good length, this ball may be slightly over-pitched or the batsman might have moved his own position such that it favours the bat.

Hat-trick
When a bowler is able to achieve three dismissals from three consecutive deliveries in the same match.

Hit wicket
To strike and subsequently ‘break' the stumps with the bat during the execution of a shot. This results in the batsman's dismissal.

Hook (shot)
A batting stroke played to the on side where the ball is hit over the batsman's shoulder, often as a result of a short-pitched delivery from the bowler.

Innings
The period of time spent batting by a team or individual. Each team has a maximum of two innings each in a Test match. A batsman's innings takes place until he is out or retires. If a batsman has not been dismissed, Not Out is listed before his score.

Inswinger
A bowling delivery that deviates in the air, to a right-handed batsmen, from the off side to the leg side (or in towards the batsman and stumps).

Knock
A term used to describe the batting innings of an individual player, but most often when the batsman has scored some runs. For instance, a batsman might have a good knock, or a patchy knock or a tough knock, but never a knock of nil runs.

Lbw, leg before wicket
This is a method of dismissal where the batsmen is adjudged out should the ball have hit the wickets if not for the pads being in the way. Only the bat can be used to stop the ball hitting the wickets.

Leg, leg side
The part of the field that is to the left of the batsman when he faces the bowler when batting. Also known as the on side.

Leg break
A delivery from a spin bowler which turns off the surface of the wicket from the leg side to the off side, away from the right-handed batsman (and towards slips).

Leg cutter
A delivery from a pace bowler which deviates from the leg side to the off side after leaving the surface of the pitch.

Leggie
Spin bowler whose ‘stock' or usual ball is a leg break.

Length
Used to describe the part of the pitch where the ball either struck or would have struck prior to reaching the batsman.

Lofted, lofted shot
A delivery struck in such a way it travels high in the air for some distance.

Loopy
Looping. See Top spin and Overspin.

Maiden
When applied to a bowler, describes an over where no runs have been scored by the batsman from any delivery. For a batsman, it refers to a maiden innings or maiden century, both being the very first occasion of each.

Men
A great deal of the terminology of cricket involves batsmen and fieldsmen. Many of these terms have evolved along with the rest of society to become more gender neutral, such as batter, bowler and fielder. Maids are recorded playing a game of cricket in Surrey in 1745 (according to Bronwyn) and it must be clearly recognised that women's cricket continues to flourish around the world and is played by the same rules.

Middle order
Refers to the batting positions or batsmen numbered between five and seven.

Nets
Generally applied to any area where cricket is practised. Netting, therefore leading to the term nets, normally surrounds these areas.

New ball
Simply, a completely new ball yet to be used in play, or one that has not been used for many overs.

Non-striker
A term used to describe the batsman waiting at the bowler's end.

Off (side)
The area immediately to the front right of the batsman when waiting for the bowler to deliver a ball.

Off spin
Spin bowling in which the ball is ‘turned' so it spins towards the stumps of a right-handed batsman. The ball is turned the opposite way to a leg spinner.

Offie
Bowling off spin or an off-spin bowler.

On(side)
The area immediately to the front left of the batsman when waiting for the bowler to bowl.

Outfield
The part of the playing surface of the arena closest to the boundary.

Over
The set number of balls bowled by a bowler. An over now consists of six balls. The term ‘over' is also called by the umpire when the bowler has completed his six balls. The six-ball over was adopted around the world after 1976. Prior to this there were eight-ball overs. In the 1800s there were four-ball overs.

Overspin, top spin
The ball rotates forwards. David Donald used a variety of these sharply rising deliveries, calling it a ‘loopy.'

Over the wicket
Used to describe the bowling action of the bowler when the delivery arm follows through on the side closest to the stumps. The opposite term is ‘around the wicket,' which describes the bowling action of a bowler when the delivery arm follows through on the side furthest from the stumps.

Overthrow
Describes the extra runs scored when a ball is missed by the fieldsman or wicketkeeper when returned to the stumps by a fieldsman.

Pace bowling, bowler
Describes all types of bowling other than spin bowling. Can vary from medium to fast pace.

Pad
A protective device used to protect the legs of both batsmen and wicketkeepers from being struck by the ball. Can also describe the manner in which a batsman may deflect the ball away from the stumps by thrusting the leg and striking the ball, sometimes called ‘padding up or padding away.'

Partnership
Refers to the batting performance by two particular batsmen whilst batting together during any particular innings. Or to the cumulative score made by two partnering batsmen.

Pick
In batting, refers to the ability of the batsman to visually observe the type of delivery about to be bowled by a bowler. In confronting spin bowlers, this also refers to the batsman's ability to know which way the ball is going to spin. In confronting exceptionally good spin bowlers, picking which way it will spin is no small thing and picking how far it will spin is even more problematic.

Pitch
A term also used to describe the wicket where the batting and bowling is performed. Wickets must be twenty-two yards in length to comply with the Laws of Cricket. Sometimes called ‘the wicket.'

Plumb
When a batsman is standing directly in the line of the stumps and the ball hits his pads. The batsman should be given out, leg before wicket. This matter is decided by the umpire standing at the bowler's end.

Quickie
A term used to describe a bowler of fast pace, and nothing to do with floozies.

Raised finger
The umpire raises one index finger on the right hand to signal that the batsman is out. The umpires adjudge whether the bowler is caught, lbw, run out, hit wicket, stumped or bowled. Being bowled is usually self-evident as the wickets are disturbed or a bail is dislodged. However, there are many factors in deciding whether a batsman is out in other circumstances, including whether they have ‘made their ground,' that is, are behind the crease. Judging if the ball would have hit the wickets if it had not struck the pads first (lbw) can be particularly difficult.

Retired hurt
When a batsman is injured or ill they may temporarily leave the ground. They are not out, and therefore, if well enough, may return to resume their batting innings if they can do so before the end of that team's innings.

Return
The throw by a fieldsman of the ball to either the wicketkeeper or the non-striker's end.

Run
The method of scoring during a game of cricket. Also a single unit of score. Runs are scored by hitting the bowled delivery. Batsmen may then run as many times up and down the wicket as they judge possible before the ball is thrown back at the stumps (if they are short of their ground they are run out). They may also receive automatic runs if the ball crosses the boundary on the full—six runs, or crosses the boundary, but not on the full—four runs.

Run-out
A method of dismissing the batsman by disturbing the stumps before the batsman has made his ground and is within the batting crease.

Seam bowler, bowling
Refers to a bowler who can cause a ball to strike the pitch on the seam of the ball, thereby causing it to deviate in its delivery path prior to reaching the batsman.

Selectors
A group of officials appointed for the purpose of picking the players to represent a cricket team.

Session
Refers to a period of play during a cricket match. There is a morning session until lunch. And two afternoon sessions: from lunch until tea and then from tea until close of play.

Shooter
A variant of leg spin, the ball is most like a flipper or skidder except that it speeds up off the pitch rather than holding up. Hurries onto the batsman, but does not climb high like a topspinner (or David Donald loopy).

Sightscreen
A screen placed near the boundary behind the line of the bowler's arm in order to aid the batsman's sighting of the ball when bowled.

Silly
Refers to any fielding position that is located very close to the batsman, which consequently holds extra danger. The fact that the word silly is enshrined at all levels of the game is a testament to cricket's forefathers.

Sitter
Refers to a very easy catch.

Skidder
Delivery using backspin such that the ball slows and keeps low. See Flipper.

Skipper
The captain of a cricket team.

Slips
Fielding position behind the facing batter and next to the wicketkeeper. Position is designed to catch the ball knicked or edged by the batsmen. A fast bowler, bowling the new ball will often have ‘a number of slips' waiting for a slips catch. See fielding diagram.

Slow wicket
Describes the attributes of a pitch that offers little advantage to a pace bowler, however, a considerable advantage to a spin bowler. Usually a pitch is at its hardest and fastest on the first day when it is well grassed and rolled. It then usually settles down to give some advantage to the batsmen before starting to wear such that it finally offers advantages to spin on the last day. There is, of course, infinite variation within the norm.

Sticky wicket
Describes a pitch which, although dry on the surface, has underlying soft patches. This type of wicket is generally a difficult playing surface for batsmen as it can cause a ball to behave unpredictably.

Strike, striker
The name given to the batsman who is facing the bowler. The batsman is said to be ‘on strike.'

Stumps
The three upright timber sticks at each end of the pitch. Sitting atop each set of stumps are two bails. A term also used to describe the end of a day's play.

Sundries
Refers to any run scored by any means other than from the bat.

Sweep shot
A sweep is a cross-batted front-foot shot played to a low bouncing ball, usually from a slow bowler, by kneeling on one knee, bringing the head down in line with the ball and swinging the bat around in a horizonal arc near the pitch as the ball arrives, sweeping it around to the leg side, typically towards square leg or fine leg.

Tail
Generally refers to the last four batsman on the batting side who are usually in the side for their bowling ability, and thus not expected to be very good batsmen. When the ‘tail enders' do score some runs, then the tail is said to have ‘wagged.'

Test
A cricket match of international standard of two innings for each side. While Tests are now scheduled for five days, they were once ‘timeless,' lasting as long as it took for a result.

Tie
A tie is a much rarer event than a draw (see also Draw), in which the last batsman is out when both teams aggregate scores are exactly the same.

Top spin
Spin ball in which the seam rotates in a clockwise direction and towards the batsman. Sometimes known as ‘overspin.'

Toss
The toss of a coin is used to determine whether a particular team will initially bat or bowl to open a match. The winner of the toss can decide whether to send the opposition in, or bat first.

Twelfth man
An extra player chosen for a team to act as a substitute fieldsman in the event one is called for. The twelfth man is not permitted to bat or bowl.

Walk
Generally used by a batsman to indicate his acceptance of a dismissal without waiting for the decision of an umpire. The physical act of walking away from the stumps. It was once usual practice, but is now very uncommon.