The ManicaPost
On the point Audrey F Kamba —
IN this week’s column, I have decided to do a recap of some of the terms we use in the game of cricket.
Some of them do not make sense unless you get to know the game a bit better. I will explain the terms from what you have probably heard, but had no clue what the person was talking about.
Select Cricket Glossary
Against The Spin – describing the act of hitting a ball in the direction opposite to that in which it is spinning off the pitch, such as hitting an off break to the off side.
Agricultural – (of a batting shot) unskilled, often lofting the ball into the air on the leg side. All Out – the state of a side having no more batsmen available to bat, thus ending its innings, even if some batsman have not yet batted but are unavailable due to injury.
All Rounder – a player skilled in both batting and bowling, and who regularly does both in matches.
Appeal – the act (by the fielding side) of asking an umpire for a decision of whether a batsman is out or not.
Ashes, The – the trophy contested over a Test Series between Australia and England once every two years.
Ball Tampering – the act of illegally modifying the condition of the cricket ball, by scuffing and roughening the surface or picking at or lifting the seam.
Beamer – a ball that does not bounce on the pitch and passes the batsman at or about head height.
Bodyline – a tactic employed by the fielding side in which fielders are placed near the batsman on the leg side and the bowlers bowl fast, short pitched balls aimed at the batsman, with the goal of making the batsman fend the ball away from his body and deflect the ball for a catch, first used by the English team touring Australia in 1932-33.
Bouncer – a short pitched ball that bounces up towards the height of the batsman’s head or above as it passes the batsman.
Bowling Crease – the white line marked on the pitch running through and parallel to each wicket.
Bump Ball – a ball that bounces on the pitch immediately after hitting the bat, then flies into the air, sometimes having the appearance of a ball hit in the air directly off the bat.
Carry The Drinks – to act as twelfth man in a cricket side, so called because one of the twelfth man’s duties is to take drinks out to the players during drinks breaks.
Caught – describing the method of getting out in which a fielder catches a ball hit by the batsman.
Caught And Bowled – describing the state of having been out caught, with the catcher being the bowler.
Caught Behind – describing the state of having been out caught, with the catcher being the wicket-keeper.
Century – a hundred runs scored by a single batsman in one innings synonym for hundred; a hundred runs scored by two batsmen together in a partnership.
Chinaman – left arm unorthodox spin bowler, a ball bowled by a left arm unorthodox spin bowler with the wrist action of a leg break, producing a ball which spins from the off to the leg to a right-handed batsman.
Chucker – derogatory term for a bowler who violates the rule prohibiting the straightening of the bowling arm during a delivery.
Collapse – several batsmen on the batting side to get out in quick succession.
Dismiss – to get (a batsman) out.
Double Century – two hundred runs scored by a single batsman in one innings; synonym for double hundred.
Draw Stumps – to declare the day’s play in a match over, and leave the field.
Duck – a batsman’s score of zero runs when getting out.
Edge – the edge of a cricket bat; a deflection of the cricket ball off the edge of the striker’s bat, usually travelling fine behind square, and often to the wicket-keeper or slips fielders.
Eleven – a cricket team of eleven players, synonym for the team.
Fast Bowler – a bowler specializing in bowling the ball fast, as opposed to a spin bowler.
First Innings – the first innings of the first side to bat in a match; the first of the possibly four innings played by either side in a two-innings per side match.
Full Toss – a ball that does not bounce on the pitch before reaching the batsman.
Googly – a type of ball bowled by a leg spin bowler, which spins from off to leg to a right-handed batsman, unlike a normal leg break.
Grubber – a ball that bounces unusually low off the pitch, often causing difficulties for the batsman to play at it successfully.
Gully – fielding position on the off side, about 30 degrees behind square, a static catching position designed to catch the ball after it hits the edge of the bat and deflects a long way; a fielder fielding in a gully position.
Hat Trick – the feat (of a bowler) of taking three wickets in three of his own successive balls in a single match, the balls may be separated by overs bowled by other bowlers or even the other side’s innings.
Hundred – a hundred runs scored by a single batsman in one innings. Jaffa – colloquially, a ball that moves through the air or off the pitch so much that it is very difficult for a batsman to play successfully.
Laws, The – the official rules of cricket, as codified by the Marylebone Cricket Club in London.
Leg – on or towards the half of the field on the same side as the batsman’s legs as he stands in the batting stance; synonym for on.
Next week we will continue with the same subject. Till then!
Aubrey F Kamba can be contacted on 0778712 404
