A complete glossary of cricket terms

O

Obstructing the field: Either batsman can be given out if he wilfully obstructs the fielding side by word or action.

Off-break: A ball that turns from off to leg after pitching.

Off-cutter: A fast off-break bowled by cutting the fingers across the seam of the ball.

Off-drive: A drive made off the front foot, which directs the ball between cover and mid-off region.

Off-side: The side of the pitch and field in front of the batsman.

On-drive: A drive made off the front foot, which directs the ball between mid-wicket and mid-on region.

Out-field: The outer part of the playing area away from the main pitch.

Outswinger: A ball which moves in flight from leg to off.

Over the wicket: The method of bowling where the operative arm is close to or over the stumps i.e. to the right-handed batsman, a right-arm bowler bowls from the off-side and a left-arm one delivers from the leg-side.

P

Pad-play: The act of deliberately stopping balls with the pads.

Pinch-hitters: A lower order batsman who comes up the order to get some quick runs when a team is chasing a huge total.

Pitch: A specially prepared area, 5 feet in width and 22 yards long, between the two sets of stumps.

Plumb: A LBW decision that is obviously out.

Point: A close fielding position square with the wicket on the off-side.

Popping crease: The line across the pitch marking the limit of batsman's safe ground. Painted in whitewash 4 feet in front of the stumps, it is now the line which controls bowler's front foot.

Pull: A back-foot leg-side shot.

Put in, to: To ask the opposition to bat first after winning the toss.

Q

Quickie: Another term for a fast bowler.

Quick wicket: A hard pitch from which the ball bounces quickly.

R

Retire hurt: A batsman may end his innings voluntarily if his action is the result of an injury or illness.

Return crease: The lines at each end of the bowling crease. A bowler's back foot must land inside this area or else a no-ball will be called.

Round the wicket: The method of bowling where the operative arm is the farther from the stumps i.e. to the right-handed batsman, a right-arm bowler bowls from the leg-side and a left-arm one delivers from the off-side.

Rubber: A set of Test matches played between two same nations. Also known as a series.

Run: The scoring unit.

Runner: A player from batting side allowed to run for a batsman who got injured during the play.

Run-up: A bowler's approach to his delivery.

S

Scorer: A person who records the details of the match.

Seam: The stitching around the circumference of the ball that fastens its leather.

Seam bowler: A bowler who makes the ball deviate by pitching it on its seam. Also known as a seamer.

Short leg: A close catching position on the leg-side.

Shoulder arms: When a batsman holds the bat aloft and allows the ball to pass without playing a stroke.

Sight screen: A white screen beyond the straight boundary behind the bowler, it allows the batsman to have a clear view of the incoming ball.

Silly: Another term for the forward short leg position.

Single: One run.

Square cut: A shot played on back foot with a horizontal bat to a short ball outside the off stump.

Sticky wicket: A rain-affected pitch which is drying under sun's heat. It allows the ball to stay longer on the pitch, turn and lift sharply.

Stumped: When a batsman is out of his ground and the wicket is put down by the wicket-keeper without the intervention of any other fielder, then the batsmen is given out stumped.

Substitute: A Substitute is a player who may field for any member of the side who during the match injured himself or down with an illness.

Sweep: A shot played off the front foot from the crouch position with a horizontal bat usually to a ball pitched on or outside the leg stump.

Swing: The lateral movement of the ball in the air.

T

Top spin: A spin delivery when the ball to gain extra pace after pitching besides the deviation.

Toss: A coin tossed by the home captain.

Track: Also known as pitch.

Twelfth man: An emergency fielder and drinks waiter.

W

Wicket: Three wooden stumps with two wooden bails on top that are pitched opposite and parallel to each other and 22 yards apart.

Wicket-keeper: The fielder who fields behind the stumps at the batsman's end.

Wicket-maiden: An over in which no runs are scored but in which at least one wicket falls which has been credited to the bowler.

Wrong-un: Another term for the googly.

Y

Yorker: A ball full-pitched, aimed at the batsman's toes or the base of the stumps.